Inspired by "The Minka," the Charleston gathering will explore how collective investment in artisans, communities and craft can preserve cultural heritage and create economic opportunity

CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ibu Movement, the organization that connects women artisan groups with global markets, will celebrate International Women's Day in 2027 with a two-day gathering themed "The Minka," honoring the artisan leaders keeping Andean craft traditions alive.

Each spring, Ibu gathers over 300 artisans, allies, and community leaders in Charleston to celebrate women who preserve cultural heritage and build economic opportunity through craft. Next year's gathering is expected to include artisans from 10 countries across Ibu's global network.

The theme draws on an Andean tradition of collective labor, where a community comes together to finish what no single person could alone. For Ibu, the name captures the gap between admiring craft and actually sustaining it: preserving near-extinct art forms takes investment in people, spaces, and communities, not just appreciation of the finished product.

Presented by Bank of America Private Bank, the two-day gathering will fill Charleston with color, music, cuisine, and fashion, honoring the artisan leaders working to keep Andean textile traditions from disappearing.

"The Minka captures what we believe at Ibu: the preservation of culture and craft is collective work," said Susan Hull Walker, founder of Ibu Movement. "Across the Andes, women are carrying generations of knowledge in their hands. But that knowledge doesn't survive on reverence alone. It survives through workshops, markets, and daughters who can see a future in it."

The 2027 program focuses on Andean women whose work sits at the intersection of craft, cultural preservation and community development, bringing their expertise to an audience well beyond their own valleys. The agenda includes:

• A conversation between Nilda Callañaupa, founder of the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, and Susan Hull Walker on preserving Quechua culture and textile tradition
• A panel with Hans Valdez of MIA Peru and Kennedy Leavens of Awamaki on the impact of Ibu grants used to build new gathering spaces for artisans
• A presentation from Olivia McKendrick and Chris Rainier of Cultural Sanctuaries Foundation on their preservation work in the Andes and beyond
• A fashion show featuring handcrafted designs from Ibu's network of global artisan partners

"When I was a girl, elders used to say that the old weaving techniques were finished—that they belonged to our history and not to this generation," said Nilda Callañaupa. "Today, we have proved otherwise. Young people in our communities are learning the techniques their great-grandmothers wove to preserve our cultural identity, and promoting these textiles provides financial opportunity. That is not nostalgia. That is the future." 

Traditional craft is not only an aesthetic. It is a living record of a community's history, identity and knowledge, encoded in pattern, dye and technique. That record thins when younger generations lack the space, materials, or income to keep the work going, and the craft eventually fades away. Ibu works with women-led artisan groups to close that gap through grantmaking, market access and design collaboration, funding the infrastructure and opportunities that keep traditional skills economically viable, not just culturally admired.

"These talented artisans are creating meaningful opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities. Through their craftsmanship, they are preserving important cultural traditions while opening doors to greater economic opportunity and long-term prosperity," said Katy Knox, President of Bank of America Private Bank. "We are proud to support Ibu and its commitment to helping these entrepreneurs grow their businesses, expand their reach and bring their extraordinary work to new markets."

Table sales open September 23. Additional details on the gala, participating artisans and the full program will be announced ahead of the event.

To learn more about the event, visit ibumovement.org.

About Ibu Movement

The word Ibu means "a woman of respect" in the Malay language of Indonesia. Ibu is a global movement of women rising into self-sufficiency through the art of their hands and hearts. A 501c3, offering a marketplace for the made goods of our global artisan partners in over 50 countries, and grants for operational growth. Ibu organizes events and global travel to connect allies with artisans around the world – turning the art of their hands into a powerful tool for disruption and innovation. For more information, please visit ibumovement.org. 

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SOURCE Ibu Movement