ROCKLAND — Picturing Paradise is an exhibition that features embroidered and appliquéd fabric pictures called cuadros, created by the women of Compacto Humano and Manos Ancashinas, two art cooperatives located in Pamplona Alta, a shantytown situated on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. The exhibition linking art and justice places emphasis on the women as artists and the way their art reflects creativity, resilience, and hope despite the harsh conditions of their lives and will be on exhibit through September 3.

This small exhibition is a sampling of a larger exhibition called Picturing Paradise which places emphasis on the way the women's art reflects their creativity and resilience despite the challenging conditions of their lives. The exhibition attempts to raise awareness of the women's realities, as well as a world they envision of beauty, color, and abundance. It intentionally creates a space where women living on the periphery of society, often silent and invisible, tell their stories and express their visions of a better, more just world.

The project is the result of a collaboration between the women and curator Rebecca Berru Davis, PhD, Instructor, Department of English, Philosophy, Modern Languages, Montana State University-Billings, that began in 2006 and continues today. Picturing Paradise is the result of three initial visits to Pamplona Alta by Dr. Davis. It is a shared undertaking that incorporates the Peruvian women's commissioned work and their interpretations, as well as the researcher's reflections drawn from notes taken in the field. The text for this exhibit at The Good Tern is drawn from recent interviews with the women in May 2017.

Picturing Paradise continues to be exhibited throughout this country, twice in Lima, Peru and in Barcelona, Spain. The women's words and testimonies through art continue to be documented. The large cuadros in this exhibit are part of the touring exhibition and are not for sale. However, the additional smaller cuadros in various sizes are available for purchase. All proceeds go to the women artists and their families. If you are interested in a cuadro, please contact Rachel Davis at 207-691-7859 or by email, rachelmariedavis@googlemail.com. For more information about Picturing Paradise the exhibit, please contact Rebecca Berru Davis at rdavis@ses.gtu.edu.