Chicāhuac: Women’s stories of strength & sacrifice from rural Mexico to the Midwest Exhibit Opening

Driftless Fiber Arts Collective (DFAC) is pleased to host Chicāhuac: Women’s Stories of Strength & Sacrifice from Rural Mexico to the Midwest. Stop in to the collective during our open evenings March 2nd through April 30th to learn about the heroic stories of six women from Veracruz, Mexico. Join us on March 13th from 5 – 7 pm to celebrate these incredible women and their stories, enjoy refreshments, make a marigold craft, and hear about the inspiration behind the creation of this exhibition.

Chicāhuac is put on by Puentes Bridges, an organization dedicated to building bridges between the community that immigrates to work here and our rural and farming community. They work with farming communities in west central Wisconsin and southern Minnesota to strengthen relationships and bridge cultural and language gaps between Mexican workers, the farmers with whom they work, and the communities in which they live. More info at https://www.puentesbridges.org

Puentes Bridges leads immersive trips to Mexico, helping over 150 farmers, educators, and more to see and understand the lives of those who have made the hard decision to leave their families and come to the US to work. During their winter 2025 trip, Puentes Bridges in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Wisconsin Latinx History Collective collected stories from 6 women who have families working in the US, many with regional ties. United by their resiliency and strength, Concepciona, Teresa, Veronica, Oligaria, Fatima, Doña Conchita and Doña Teresa all exemplify Chicāhuac, the Nahuatl word for strong, robust, and powerful.

In eight beautifully designed panels, Chicāhuac shares the stories of these women alongside a timeline of the history of colonization and migration in Mexico. In a climate inflamed by anti-immigrant violence, this exhibit uplifts the dignity, humanity, and worth of these women, their families, and their stories.

Stay tuned for a Tuesday Talk about Puentes Bridge’s work from Director Mercedes Falk and local volunteer Carrie Schiltz.