The Pintar Maletas Workshop, led by Laidy Saenz, will take place on Saturday, February 24, at the Somerville Museum.

Globally, one out of seven people are immigrants, refugees, or migrants. Migration refers to the movement between two locations whether by choice or involuntarily. It may take time to plan travel or happen quickly. A suitcase or bag is often the beginning of this journey.

A suitcase becomes a new vehicle for carrying memories of home. What to pack? What is essential to establishing a new life? It may contain clothing, photographs, and other mementos of family and homes left behind.

Join artist Laidy Saenz at the Somerville Museum for a participatory workshop about the immigration experience as part of the exhibition, Museo Inmigrante: Stories of Resilience from Somerville’s Padres Latinos. Pack and decorate a miniature suitcase and fill it with items to take to a new place. These suitcases will become part of the exhibition and then can be kept by each participant once the exhibition ends.

Laidy Saenz is an interdisciplinary artist investigating themes of hybrid identity, migration, and memory. She often draws from ancient Peruvian cultures to create paintings, wearables, and installations. Saenz uncovers hidden metaphors and properties embedded in her media at the nexus of heritage and modernity by blending materials like plexi with Andean textiles and manipulating them with traditional fiber techniques, laser cutting, and 3D printing technologies.

Materials will be provided and this event is being supplemented by a Somerville Art Council’s LCC grant.

Saturday, February 24, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Admission: $10 (no discounts for active Somerville Museum members).

Somerville artist Laidy Saenz.