Dear Graham,
The next day, we took a break from all the paperwork and government offices and enjoyed another fun day exploring Casco Viejo. We wandered along the old streets, visited beautiful churches, and explored the Panama Canal Museum and the Mola Museum.
The Mola Museum was one of my favorite places, probably because I am a creative person—an artist—and, of course, a woman. Molas are made by incredibly talented Indigenous Guna women. A mola is a colorful piece of textile art, handmade by the Guna people of Panama. Traditionally, two molas are sewn onto the front and back of a woman’s blouse or skirt. They are not only beautiful but are also believed to bring blessings and protect the wearer.
Making a mola requires incredible patience and skill. Artists sew together several layers of brightly colored fabric, then carefully cut and stitch them by hand to create intricate patterns. Some molas take weeks, or even months, to complete.
The museum also shared a fascinating Guna legend. Long ago, a wise Guna woman named Nagegiyai entered a sacred place where she saw magical patterns that shifted and changed like clouds in the sky. There she learned the art of making molas and brought that special knowledge back to the Guna women, who have passed it down from generation to generation ever since.
One of the most memorable moments of our visit to Casco Viejo happened at another museum, Museo AMCA Panamá (Museo de Arte Moderno del Casco Antiguo). Located on Avenida A, near the Flat Arch, the museum is housed in a beautifully restored historic building and showcases an international collection of modern and contemporary art. I was fascinated by the exhibit. Many of the artists echoed Picassos work.
Both Tom and I love art and enjoyed the Denver Art Museum (the DAM) in Denver, Colorado. It may surprise you Graham but not being able to visit that museum on a regular basis was one of our biggest hesitations about selling our home in Colorado. From that home we enjoyed regular trips to the DAM. So, finding this small museum in Casco was a real treat for us.
While I was there, I met a lovely young Guna woman who managed the museum. She spoke English and was very knowledgeable about the collection of the art in the museum. I told her how much I enjoyed the MOLA museum, and she told me her mother was a famous contemporary mola artist. She kindly introduced Tom and me to her mother who had display of her handmade molas on a table outside the museum. My life was opening to the art of the region, and this made me very happy.
I was lucky enough to purchase one her mother’s Molas. Later, I had that mola framed in a floating frame and gave it to my dear friend Cathy as a gift. She absolutely loves it, and every time she looks at it, she thinks of me and my adventures in Panama.
Love,
CC
