Meet a Member: Fireside Chat with the Lopez Family
July 10, 2024
If you have been to a recent WARP Annual Meeting, you have had the chance to meet the Lopez family, and see their wonderful back-strap weaving demonstrations. In July, we welcome Florinda Lopez Aguilar, and her daughters Jenny and Ashley, to share their back-strap weaving journey with WARP members on our monthly Fireside Chats program!
Florinda R. Lopez Aguilar has been back-strap weaving since she was 7 years old. Her mother taught her so that she would be able to contribute financially to the family and continue the tradition. As both an appreciation of the art and in memory of her mother, Florinda began showing her two daughters to back-strap weave. With her daughters, they joined the Weaving for the Future Cooperative to showcase their Guatemalan back-strap weaving and continue the tradition.
Jenny R. Juarez Lopez graduated from Virginia Tech in 2022 with a bachelor’s in mathematics. Her mother taught her back-strap weaving in 2015 and, with her mother, they joined the Weaving for the Future Cooperative. This allowed them to attend cultural events/exhibits and demonstrate the tradition of Guatemalan back-strap weaving. Jenny was the recipient of WARP’s Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship in 2023.
Ashley F. Juarez Lopez is graduating in 2025 from high school and is planning on majoring in Early Childhood Education in the hope of becoming a teacher. Her mother taught her to back-strap weave so that she could learn more about her Guatemalan roots. She joined the Weaving for the Future Cooperative to back-strap weave alongside her mother and sister at cultural events. Ashley was the recipient of WARP’s Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship in 2023.
The video recording of this Fireside Chat is available to logged-in WARP members only.
