A Mi Manera

A Mi Manera / My Own Way explores the breadth and evolution of the Latino experience through textile art, highlighting the intimate and communal acts of making that carry deep cultural memory. From inherited traditions like embroidery, weaving, quilting, and garment-making to contemporary experiments with fabric, the exhibition will feature artists whose practices draw upon techniques and materials that fill our homes, closets, and altars. These tactile practices are often passed from one generation to the next—grandmothers teaching stitches, mothers repurposing garments, fathers repairing late into the night, as well as friends learning and sharing cultural knowledge online.

The phrase “a mi manera”—“my own way”—reflects a spirit of individuality shaped by cultural inheritance. This exhibition honors how artists reclaim, rework, and reimagine traditional forms of both Latine roots and American life, transforming them into new heirlooms for future generations. Together, the works in the exhibition will form a living archive that speaks to migration, memory, labor, celebration, family, and community.

While centered on the experiences of Mexican American and broader Latino communities in the Bay Area and beyond, the exhibition also invites visitors to consider how textiles act as vessels of identity—stitched with stories, symbols, and a sense of belonging.

Exhibitions from the Collection & Volunteer-Curated:

Dance of Life

Dance of Life highlights quilts from our collection representing various facets of life spanning from childhood to old age and beyond. Often, artists create quilts commemorating milestones in both their lives and those of their loved ones, in the process documenting and passing on personal history. 

Latine Textile Traditions

In combination with A Mi Manera, the selected Central and South American textiles from our collection displays a breadth of Latin American work, highlighting the influences of Indigenous textile practices into the present day.