Let’s Discuss Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation and flagrant violations of intellectual property rights are ubiquitous across all international fashion and design industries. Borrowing patterns and designs or developing collections that are "inspired by" a community's cultural heritage is commonplace. However, how do we know what appropriation is and what it isn't when we are not all professional art historians and curators? Let's discuss how we can be more conscious of these issues and make respectful choices with our wallets and in our daily lives.
Registration is free for FOFA Members. All participants must be current members of FOFA. A Single membership allows access to one ticket. A Dual membership allows for two tickets.

Photo credit above: The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Center in Laos

Heidi McKinnon is a museum consultant and business owner who has worked for twenty years to support cultural heritage as a curator, writer, public speaker and social entrepreneur on issues of historical memory, indigenous history, human rights and cultural heritage throughout Latin America.

In 1996, Heidi began her career working with artisans and culture bearers for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife Studies and the 1998 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program. She then joined the curatorial team at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, working on the inaugural exhibitions for the museum from 1999-2004.

After the Smithsonian, Ms. McKinnon spent several years working in Latin America on both curatorial and economic development projects in Guatemala, Chile, and Panama. She was the founding Director of Exhibitions and Planning and inaugural curator for the Museum of Freedom and Human Rights, which opened in Panama City in 2019.

Most recently, Ms. McKinnon has taken her museum experience to the retail arena by opening Heritage by Hand in Sena Plaza, where she mixes her personal interests in cultural heritage, economic development and environmental sustainability by working with artists across Latin America to bring a fresh perspective on handmade design to Santa Fe.

Host or Publisher Friends of Folk Art