Hilos de Tradición: Dresses of Mexico an exhibition created in collaboration with the Brownsville Historical Association opens at the Bullock Texas State History Museum this Saturday The exhibition is presented in Spanish and English and features outfits that represent the traditional textiles “We’re very excited to bring this beautiful collection from Brownsville to the Bullock," said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch "Given the rich Mexican heritage of the State of Texas we look forward to our visitors connecting with the artistry and heritage represented.” The collection on which Hilos de Tradición is based was formed by the Brownsville chapter of the Pan American Round Table (PART) established in 1932 by Bessie Kirkland Johnson Johnson encouraged the women in the Brownsville PART to begin collecting textiles as a way of learning more about Pan American countries and the women who lived there along with Johnson's own extensive collection of Mexican textiles became the core of the Costumes of the Americas Museum "This is the first time it's traveled.. a portion of the collection has ever traveled outside the lower Rio Grande Valley so we're excited to be here in Austin," said Brownsville Historical Association Executive Director Tara Putegnat "I don't know that there's anywhere in the U.S that has such an extensive collection as we do." now under the care of the Brownsville Historical Association the collection has more than 3,000 unique pieces and is one of the largest collections of North Hilos de Tradición presents Mexican textiles as living traditions with roots that can be traced back thousands of years to the earliest peoples of Mesoamerica with European influences and modernization contributing to the changes Each piece of clothing in the exhibition speaks to the unique heritage of each Mexican state The exhibition begins with an exploration of Indigenous and European influences on textiles and the ways in which they have changed The outfits are organized by themes that help visitors appreciate the weaving and embroidery traditions on display and how the dresses are used in dance Visitors of all ages will also have the opportunity to touch and examine cloth and try out basic embroidery stitches through interactive elements within the exhibition Dresses in the exhibition include a vibrant fiesta gown from the state of Chiapas a dress embroidered with an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe from Colima an intricately woven dress from the village of Acaxochitlan in Hidalgo a bright dress designed for dancing from the state of Sinaloa "Hilos de Tradición: Dresses of Mexico showcases the nature of the multifaceted Mexican identity Some outfits were woven in the millenary indigenous back strap loom tradition; some embellished with Spanish and Flemish style lace; others amalgamated Asian embroidery techniques brought through the colonial trade embellishments and motifs the dresses allow us to discover the climate beliefs and festivities each Mexican state has the exhibition will bring longing for a homeland and to others an admiration for the creativity and craftsmanship of the women who made the dresses," said Bullock Museum Deputy Director of Interpretation Josefa González Mariscal MORE | #TBT: Bastrop family preserves "The Gas Station" from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The public is invited to explore the exhibition during its opening weekend at H-E-B Free First Sunday on October 2 Exhibition admission is free from 10 am until 5 pm and family activities will take place from 10 am to 2 pm Museum members will celebrate the opening of the exhibition with an exclusive reception on Thursday and dance of Mexico will be offered throughout the run of the exhibition Hilos de Tradición is on view at the Bullock Museum October 1 For more information, visit TheStoryofTexas.com The rainy season is upon us and if you live anywhere near a forest in Mexico you may have the chance to try some local delicacies — wild mushrooms Mushrooms aren’t usually associated with Mexican cuisine Mexico comes second after China in the number and variety of wild mushrooms consumed The Spanish word hongo does not distinguish between mushroom although most Mexican edible fungi do correlate with the English notion of mushroom Only a small percentage of Mexican wild mushrooms are edible but biologists Roberto Garibay Orijel and Amaranta Ramírez Terraza of the National Autonomous University (UNAM) estimate that there are at least 400 Twenty-eight of Mexico’s 32 states have at least some edible mushrooms but the most variety and consumption are concentrated in the central plateau from Jalisco to Veracruz the Sierra Madre del Sur (Chiapas and Oaxaca) and some northern areas such as Chihuahua and Durango There are very few edible species to be found in the Yucatán and the deserts because of the environment Edible wild mushrooms have been an important seasonal food in Mexican forests since the pre-Hispanic period huitlacoche (unappetizingly called “corn smut” in English) is not popularly considered an hongo/mushroom but rather has a cultural value all its own The three most popular mushrooms commercially sold in Mexico Garibay and Ramírez state unequivocally that knowledge of edible wild mushrooms is with those populations who live where the mushrooms grow The season when most are available is short wild mushroom collectors with generations of experience Traditional markets in mountain towns and villages can fill with mushrooms in all shapes The only urban markets that seem to carry them and Jamaica are good bets as are those on the edges of the metro area There has been research to develop cultivation techniques with some species but so far there has been no investment for the next steps to commercialize native Mexican mushrooms It cannot be stressed enough that wild mushroom collecting should be done by experts only confusing poisonous and edible mushrooms is a real danger Almost all cases of mushroom toxicity in Mexico occur when less knowledgeable people collect mushrooms for their own consumption There have been a few cases where those who should know better have suffered ill effects Researchers at UNAM and other facilities are trying to find out why Mushroom poisonings are rare but have prompted some local authorities to prohibit collection and sales and federal health authorities discourage it there have also been efforts to educate people about edible and poisonous mushrooms where problems have occurred the consumption of wild mushrooms has taken on new prominence in the past 15 years States with various edible species have annual ferias de hongos (mushroom fairs) but none this year due to Covid-19) prize wild mushrooms and other buyers in the city’s markets have to compete with them Although still strong in parts of the country knowledge and use of wild mushrooms are in danger They have already disappeared in many areas such as northeast Mexico and the Baja The main reasons for this are the disappearance of the cultures that depended on this food source and the substitution of cultivated mushrooms for wild ones in the cuisine Ecological issues related to wild mushrooms include over-harvesting especially those which are popular and/or are valued in gourmet markets is the loss of suitable habitat to clandestine logging and the replacement of native forests with avocado groves So what should you do if you want to try wild mushrooms for the first time Garibay and Ramírez strongly recommend that you ask first in your local markets and restaurants specializing in local food Restaurants may have specials with mushrooms or may be able to point you to a vendor While all of the vendor’s mushrooms will be edible some may cause allergic reactions or intestinal problems for novices Choose only one species to eat at a time and eat moderately to learn which are right for you The vendors will also tell you how best to cook them for maximum enjoyment Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 17 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture. She publishes a blog called Creative Hands of Mexico and her first book, Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta, was published last year Her culture blog appears weekly on Mexico News Daily ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC