Film Screening + Conversation with TSA grantee Katarin María Laruelle Aránguiz and Karla Faro Ruiz of the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya A.C.
The Textile Society of America is pleased to announce a special virtual event on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 10 AM EST, featuring Katarin María Laruelle Aránguiz, a recipient of a TSA Research Travel Grant. The program, “The Last Indigo Dyer of San Cristóbal de Las Casas,” will offer a preview of Laruelle Aránguiz’s documentary film and fieldwork conducted in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Her research employs filmed oral histories and technical demonstrations to critically document the indigo-dyeing knowledge of master artisan Francisco Álvarez Montoya. This work serves as a vital intervention in the face of globalized production and the displacement of ancestral techniques by synthetic dyes. Developed in partnership with the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya A.C., the project represents a significant contribution to the ethnography of textile traditions.
During the event, Laruelle Aránguiz will share compelling visual clips and key insights from her fieldwork. She will be joined in conversation by Karla Faro Ruiz of the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya A.C., offering a collaborative perspective on the project’s methodology and its role in community-centered preservation.
This ongoing research project, entitled “The tradition of natural and synthetic indigo in the Barrio de los Mexicanos of San Cristóbal de Las Casas,” employs critical ethnography and oral history methodologies to document the knowledge of Francisco Álvarez Montoya, recognized as the last professional indigo dyer in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas.
The study is situated in the Barrio de los Mexicanos, a district established by Mexica (Aztec) settlers following the 1528 founding of Ciudad Real (now San Cristóbal de Las Casas). Historically, this neighborhood was a specialized center for indigo dyeing and cotton weaving, supplying regional communities until the late 20th century. The project investigates the socio-technical shift caused by the introduction of synthetic dyes and chemical reducers in the 1970s, which led to the obsolescence of ancestral dyeing practices.
The research protocol involves comprehensive audio and video recording of technical processes and oral histories with Francisco Álvarez Montoya, who possesses over 75 years of artisanal experience. Funding from the TSA Research Travel Grant will specifically underwrite the material costs for a full indigo vat demonstration, allowing for the high-fidelity video documentation of this technique according to the Barrio’s tradition. The resulting footage will be archived and edited for public dissemination at the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya between June 2026 and June 2027.
This project constitutes a core component of a larger, longitudinal initiative on the history of natural dyes in the Chiapas Highlands, which has previously yielded public workshops, educational programs, and a scholarly discussion with Dr. Emiliano Gallaga of the University of Chiapas. The current phase aims to create a definitive record of this endangered intangible cultural heritage, contributing to the fields of material culture studies, anthropological archaeology, and textile preservation.
A public screening and discussion is scheduled at the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya upon the project’s completion in 2027–2028. As San Cristóbal de Las Casas prepares to celebrate its 500th anniversary in 2028, the community will develop additional indigo-related activities, including workshops for local artisans and children, a featured piece-of-the-month exhibition at the museum, and public discussions on the city’s history.
Katarin María Laruelle Aránguiz is a PhD candidate in Archaeology at McGill University, whose work merges material culture studies with anthropological research. Her methodology prioritizes ethical engagement with descendant communities, ensuring their voices are central to the discourse surrounding their textile heritage.
Program details
Date: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Time: 10 AM EST
Format: Virtual Event
Admission: Free and open to all
Note: This program will be translated via live captioning from Spanish to English.
The TSA Textile Research Travel Grant supports TSA members in traveling to conduct textile-focused research.
The Textile Society of America is proud to highlight the impactful work of Katarin María Laruelle Aránguiz, a recent awardee of our Textile Research Travel Grant. Her project exemplifies the vital research this grant is designed to support.
The TSA’s Textile Research Travel Grant provides essential funding for members to conduct in-person, object-based study of textiles—whether in museums, with artists in their studios, or within local communities. Laruelle Aránguiz’s work in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico, is a perfect illustration of this mission, allowing for direct engagement with master dyer Francisco Álvarez Montoya to document ancestral indigo techniques through film and oral history.
This grant program is one of the most sought-after in our portfolio, reflecting a critical need in the field. In the most recent 2025 cycle, we received over 30 compelling applications from scholars and artists worldwide. However, with limited funds, we were able to award only a small number of grants.
The success of researchers like Laruelle Aránguiz underscores the transformative potential of this program. By providing the resources for hands-on fieldwork, the TSA empowers scholars to preserve endangered cultural knowledge and advance global textile scholarship.
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