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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Mask up!

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Food, Restaurants, Travel & Tourism, tagged Café Brújula, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, cubrebocas, graphic arts, masks, Mexico, Mister D artist, Oaxaca, photos, skeletons street art on July 3, 2020| 8 Comments »

Even if you’re just going out for coffee, mask up!

A reminder from the shutters outside Café Brújula in Plaza Santo Domingo on Macedonio Alcalá. Artist: Mister D.

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Mood on the streets

Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Tragedy, Travel & Tourism, Violence, tagged Benito Juárez image, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, George Floyd image, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, protest art, stencils, street art, urban art, URTARTE, wall art on June 22, 2020| 8 Comments »

From the streets of Oaxaca, Benito Juárez is masked and throwing hand sanitizer, as the Covid-19 denier-in-chief looks down from el norte.

Police violence and protests captured on cell phones and broadcast live on the internet fill our screens and walls.

George Floyd, plus countless others, are dead but not forgotten.

There is no joy in Oaxaca as the twin plagues of the virus and racism command our consciousness here, there, and everywhere.

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Last Sunday’s scenes

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Xochimilco, bird images, bougainvillea, bugambilia, Colonia La Cascada, light and shadows, Mexico, murals, photos, popular travel destinations, rooftop decor, street art, tinaco, urban art, wall art on June 16, 2020| 4 Comments »

Last Sunday morning’s walk took us up and across Niños Heroes (aka, highway 190) into Barrio de Xochimilco and Colonia La Cascada. The (albeit sporadic) rains have begun, the field-burning has ended, and planting has begun. Thus, the air was fresh and the sky was varying shades of blue — depending on direction and hour. Humans and Mother Nature showed off their creativity. So, we kept walking…

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

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Dancing on the walls

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, China Oaxaqueña dancer, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, Flor de piña dancer, Guelaguetza dancers, light and shadows, Mexico, murals, music, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, Uriel Barragán Bouler, wall art on June 13, 2020| 6 Comments »

There will be no dancing in the streets or up on Cerro del Fortín this year. Due to Covid-19, La Guelaguetza, Oaxaca’s “máxima fiesta” has been canceled. However, thanks to the artist Bouler (Uriel Barragán), a few of the dancers can be seen dancing on the walls of Barrio de Jalatlaco.

If his work looks familiar, it is because this image from two weeks ago is part of the above series. In addition, he also painted the mural honoring Macedonio Alcalá in Jardín Carbajal.

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Oaxaca dreaming and Dreamweavers

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Health, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged Amada Sanchez Cruz, clothing, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, helping the local community, huipil, Mexican Dreamweavers, Mexico, Oaxaca, Patrice Perillie, photos, rebozos, shawls, textile traditions, Tixinda cooperative, weavers, woman wearing rebozo on June 9, 2020| 12 Comments »

Dear friends and lovers of Oaxaca,

While the areas where you live may be loosening up on Covid-19 precautions, Oaxaca is not. Cases and deaths continue to rise at an alarming rate and, as a result, a few days ago the governor instituted a ten-day shelter-in-place order. Masks are mandatory in public, we are not to leave our homes except for groceries, medications, or medical treatment, limits have been put on bus service, and the hours and days of the mercados have been significantly reduced.

Photo from Facebook page of the Mexican Dreamweavers

While tourism provides the economic life-blood of Oaxaca and restaurants, hotels, and artisans would welcome your business, the people and medical infrastructure cannot afford the Covid-19 virus that might come along with you and your dinero. Oaxaca is one of the poorest and most indigenous states in Mexico and, as a result of poverty and inadequate health care, it has high rates diabetes and heart disease — both high risk factors for coronavirus mortality.

While right now you can only dream about coming to Oaxaca, there are ways you can help. You can join those of us living here by financially helping out your Oaxacan friends, by donating to your preferred hotels and restaurants, and by placing an order with your favorite weaver, carver, or other artisan. Buying mezcal futures from traditional mezcaleros is even an option — and the bottles will be waiting for you when next you return.

While I have no place to wear it right now, I bought this beautiful rebozo (shawl) from the Mexican Dreamweavers. Patrice Perillie, the Dreamweavers’ Director, knew I’d been admiring and wanting one for years, so she recently contacted me to (gently) suggest that ordering one now would have a greater and much-needed financial impact on the cooperative’s members. It is made from brown coyuchi cotton, yarns dyed with indigo, purple tixinda, and red cochinilla, and woven by Amada Sanchez Cruz on a backstrap loom. Isn’t it stunning?

From the Mexican Dreamweavers “About” page on Facebook”

In the community of Pinotepa de Don Luis, situated on the Costa Chica of Oaxaca, artisans of Mixtec origin, masters in the art of weaving on back-strap looms, weave beautiful cloth that they use in different types of dress. There is the posahuanco which is a type of skirt of pre-hispanic origin; the huipil, a tunic dress used for special occasions; and the reboso, a shawl used by the women both for warmth and to carry things, including their babies!

The women weavers of this community have formed a cooperative called “Tixinda” which has over 60 women, both young and old, who are passing down the 3,000+ year old tradition of spinning and weaving from one generation to the next. In addition to producing their traditional dress, Tixinda also produces table linens, bed linens, throw pillows and bags, using both traditional and contemporary designs.

To view the Mexican Dreamweavers inventory and to buy, click their Facebook Shop
For more information, please contact Patrice Perillie, Director:
Telephone USA – (212) 629-7899
Telephone Mexico – (954) 102-1792
Email – mexicandreamweavers@hotmail.com

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From blue to pink…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, tagged blue sky, bougainvilla, bougainvillea, building colors, graffiti, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, rock sculpture, stained glass doors, torito, urban art, wall art, wall colors on June 1, 2020| 8 Comments »

Sunday’s walk went from blue to pink — with a few colors in between.

The colors were kind of like my mood over the course of two hours of walking.

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From here to there…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Music, People, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged "I Can't Breathe" song, Alex Call, Efdot, In memory of George Floyd, Mexico, murals, music, Oaxaca, photos, street art, urban art, wall art on May 29, 2020| 4 Comments »

From the walls of Oaxaca… mural by artist Efdot.

To the streets of the USA… music and lament by singer-songwriter Alex Call.

The message is the same.

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The cat that swallowed…

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged cat images, Jesus Flores (artist), Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art, Walpaq (muralista) on May 23, 2020| 4 Comments »

Lurking around the corner from the birds. Perhaps this is what they were talking about.

Hmmm… Could this be the cat that swallowed the canary?

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For the birds

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged bird images, Colibríes, hummingbirds, Jesus Flores (artist), Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art, Walpaq (muralista) on May 20, 2020| 20 Comments »

Wandering around the streets and alleys of the Marcos Perez / Lic. José Vasconcelos neighborhood, I began to see birds gathering — and they seemed to be talking.

“Ahhh, what a comfortable perch.”

“Is anybody home?”

“What did you say?”

And then there were the hummingbirds…

“Please don’t tie me down!”

“Come fly with me.”

“I’ll race you!”

What delightful gifts the Argentinian artist Jesus Flores (aka, Walpaq) has left for the people of Oaxaca!

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Panoramica mural magic

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art, Zempasuchil Studio on May 14, 2020| 6 Comments »

The culture, color, and magic of the murals of Panorámica del Fortín.

Thank you to the artists of the Zempasuchil Studio for brightening our days.

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Signs of Covid times

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Markets, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, Mercado IV Centenario, mercados, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos on May 8, 2020| 8 Comments »

Informational: Symptoms and methods of prevention.

Advertising: Stay at home, Café Lavoe offers you home delivery.

Service: A hand washing station at the Av. de la Independencia entrance to Mercado IV Centenario.

It’s my favorite — a quintessential example of the Oaxacan ingenuity and creativity!

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Panorama of Panorámica

Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, playgrounds, shadows, shrines, street art, views, vistas, wall art on May 5, 2020| 2 Comments »

More from Sunday’s stroll along Panorámica del Fortín…

Oaxaca, even in these days of Covid-19, is always alive.

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Day of the Holy Cross

Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged carrizo cross, cohetes, Day of the Holy Cross, Día de la Santa Cruz, Día del Albañil, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, rockets on May 3, 2020| 2 Comments »

Since early this morning, rocket explosions, up close and in the distance, have been breaking the Sunday silence. That’s odd, I thought. While in normal times, the jarring sound of cohetes is a frequent player in the soundtrack of life in Oaxaca, these days, like clanging church bells, their booms and bangs have been absent from the orchestra. So, why today? I wondered. It wasn’t until I downloaded this photo from this morning’s walk, that it dawned on me.

Looking south from Panorámica del Fortín, Oaxaca de Juárez

May 3rd in Mexico is Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross) and Día del Abañil (Day of the mason/stonemason/bricklayer). Tradition calls for construction workers to erect crosses festooned with flowers at the highest point on building sites — but construction in Oaxaca, in this time of Covid-19, has been at a standstill for several weeks. I guess the building trades’ workers aren’t going to let a lethal virus interfere with their “macho rivalry” tradition. From an article in Mexconnect:

The first dramatic volley of thousands of joyful cohetes (sky rockets) begins at midnight as each crew attempts to be the first to announce the celebration of the Day of the Holy Cross. This macho rivalry between workers continues sporadically all night and for the entire 24 hours of May 3 with each crew hoping to set off more sky rockets than their competitors to remind one and all that this is a special day.

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Modeling mask behavior

Posted in Creativity, Culture, Health, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Batman, Benito Juárez, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, cubrebocas, Elise Rubin, face masks, masks, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, press conferences, stencils, street art, tapabocas, urban art, wall art, Yescka on April 23, 2020| 6 Comments »

It’s official, face masks (cubrebocas/tapabocas) are mandatory. At today’s press conference, the governor of Oaxaca announced the steps the state government is taking now that Mexico has entered Phase 3 of its Covid-19 emergency plan. I must say that I was impressed by the visuals as I watched — reporters, the governor’s team of experts, and even the governor at one point were modeling good mask behavior.

And, street artists have been plastering the walls of the city with mask-wearing messages.

A medical masked Batman says, “stay in the house” — by the artist, Yescka.

Former Governor of Oaxaca and beloved former President of Mexico, Benito Juárez rocking a mask.

Not sure this couple is practicing proper mask protocol, not to mention, sana distancia (physical distancing) — by artist Elise Rubin.

Unfortunately, this last image represents what I have observed in my wanderings through the empty streets of the city. On today’s outing to my neighborhood produce truck and then to various tiendas (corner stores) in search of mineral water, eggs, and butter, at least 30% of the people I encountered were not wearing masks. For the most part, it’s not because they are not available. They are selling for ten pesos each (40¢ US) and there are numerous projects making and distributing free cloth masks, including those spearheaded by my amiga Norma Schafer over at Oaxaca Cultural Navigator. I brought a couple of extra masks with me and offered one to the gal at the produce truck, but she declined, saying she already had one. I responded that it was really important that she wear it, but she just shrugged. It’s frustrating!