The Delia Zapata Olivella collection encompasses her work as an ethnographer, dancer, choreographer, professor, and Colombian folklorist. While she lived in Cartagena, Calí, and spent time researching in the pacific and atlantic regions of Colombia, she built her career in Bogotá. Zapata Olivella was born in Lorica, Colombia to parents with Afro-Colombian and Indigenous heritage, and evidence of her work to explore and promote Colombia’s tri-ethnic roots are provided in the collection. Her performances and those of her dance groups met acclaim from Colombian and international audiences.