Episode 46: My Conversation with Laurita Siles - MING Studios Artist Interview Series

Laurita Siles shows concern for the land, from environmental crisis to the nostalgia provoked by loss of heritage. She is co-founder of Mutur Beltz, an agro-ecological initiative located in Karrantza, Biscay that raises awareness for the endangered Basque black-nosed sheep and the diminishing shepherd trade.

Over the course of her one-month residency at MING Studios, Siles explored Basque-American identity, the historical role of the Basque woman, and Basque agricultural history in Idaho with a concentration on shepherding and sheep lineages in the region. Her exhibition is Iruten Har Nuzu – I am making wool.

 

For more information about Laurita and her work, visit: https://folklorenomada.com/home.html

 

Field recording of the traditional song, Iruten Har Nuzu, performed by Basque-Americans in 1940: https://www.loc.gov/item/2017701893/