How about exchanging guns for guitars?
From the walls of Oaxaca.
Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category
I read the news today oh boy…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Violence, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art, wall art on May 21, 2013| 2 Comments »
Never a dull wall in Oaxaca
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, street signs, urban art, wall art on May 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »
And now a return to the amazing street art from the walls near Calle de Melchor Ocampo and Calle de La Noria…
Never a dull moment or wall in Oaxaca!
Where is everyone?
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Parks & Plazas, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, microphone, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Plaza de la Danza, speakers on April 28, 2013| 2 Comments »
Plaza de la Danza…
Microphone, speakers, and pigeon…
We are all here…
Where is everyone???
Hummingbird of the Mixteca
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Language, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged Chikirriyó'i, colibrí, hummingbird, marble mason, Mexico, Mixteca, music, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on April 26, 2013| 5 Comments »
Wednesday in the Mixteca…
How could I resist? Photo, yes. Dining, no. We had already eaten and so were not tempted to try Restaurant El Colibrí, across the street. However, still scratching my head about the relationship between marble (marmol) and hummingbird (colibrí).
This librarian couldn’t resist doing a little research. According to Wikipedia, the hummingbird in Aztec culture was, “emblematic for their vigor, energy, and propensity to do work along with their sharp beaks that mimic instruments of weaponry, bloodletting, penetration, and intimacy.” Hmmm… the tools and strength needed by a marble mason. Now, it’s beginning to make sense.
(Thanks Chris for stopping so I could take the above photos.)
And now a song from the Mixteca, “Chikirriyó’i” (“El Colibrí”) (The Hummingbird):
Matria, 3 weeks later
Posted in Agriculture, Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Environment, Gardens, People, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, art, art installation, earth day, exhibition, Matria Jardín Arterapéutico, Megan Glore, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Primavera, Seasons, Spring on April 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »
On this Earth Day, I thought I’d post photos of the Matria, Jardín Arterapéutico project. These were taken 3 weeks after my previous visit. Despite 90+° (F) temperatures since the garden was planted, it is thriving and very few plants have been lost.
The key to the garden’s success? Megan Glore and her team of volunteers are listening to what the plants are telling them and responding accordingly — just as we should all be doing with Mother Earth.
Like a bird on a wire…
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism, tagged Bird On a Wire, graffiti, Leonard Cohen, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on April 15, 2013| 4 Comments »
More from the wall art at Calle Melchor Ocampo and La Noria. I can’t help thinking of Leonard Cohen’s, Bird on a Wire.
Like a bird on a wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Sounding the alarm
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Internet, tagged blogging, botnet, Hotel Azucenas, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Sanez, urban art, wall art, Wordpress on April 14, 2013| 6 Comments »
This post is especially for other WordPress bloggers. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had problems with WordPress in the last 24+ hours, including not receiving any Daily Digests since April 12. So, who knows if this will reach you…
According to a post at ars technica, “Huge attack on WordPress sites could spawn never-before-seen super botnet. Ongoing attack from >90,000 computers is creating a strain on Web hosts, too.” Forbes has a good article on “How To Avoid The Coming Botnet.”
artist: sanez
Wall art from mural on Calle Prof. M. Aranda, next to Hotel Azucenas.
h/t Chris re the WordPress attack.
Carnaval, desaturated
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Carnaval, Carnival, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle on April 10, 2013| 4 Comments »
Sometimes color seems like a distraction, so an experiment in de-saturation from the last day of Carnaval in Teotitlán del Valle.
The eyes have it
Dancing the jarabe is serious
Something in the way she moves
I’m coming, darlings
Shouldering a basket of offerings
Let me think about it
A jumble of offerings
The women watch
Shade, por favor
Bringing the xicapextle
Bucket full of blessings
Viejos with snake on a cane
For some outstanding up-close and full color photos, head over to Oaxaca-The Year After.
Carnaval, el último día
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Food, Holidays, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged Baile de Los Viejitos, Carnaval, Carnival, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Semana Santa, Teotitlán del Valle on April 9, 2013| 3 Comments »
Friday we returned for another extraordinary day — the last day of Carnival.
Again, muchisimas gracias to the gracious and generous people of Teotitlán del Valle.
Palms for Palm Sunday
Posted in Celebrations, Churches, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Catedral de Oaxaca, Cathedral of Oaxaca, Domingo de Ramos, Mexico, Mixteca palm weavers, Oaxaca, Palm Sunday, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Semana Santa on March 24, 2013| 10 Comments »
In front of Oaxaca’s Cathedral, the Palm weavers from the Mixteca have been practicing their craft with awesome dexterity, creativity, and skill.
All is ready for Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday).
To everything a season…
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, Gardens, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, art, art installation, El Sueño de Elpis, exhibition, Matria Jardín Arterapéutico, Mauricio Cervantes, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Primavera, Seasons, Spring on March 22, 2013| 3 Comments »
Do you remember December’s abandoned building that artist Mauricio Cervantes transformed into Hope amidst decay with his El Sueño de Elpis? Bringing together artists, gardeners, and community members, he is again working his magic at Casa del SXIX. Honoring sustainability and reuse, Matria, Jardín Arterapéutico is a year-long multidisciplinary installation that will grow and change with the seasons.
Appropriately, on the first day of Spring — the season of rebirth, resurrection, and renewal — I was invited to wander through the site and watch as life was emerging from the decay.
Primavera, the beginning phase of Matria, Jardín Arterapéutico will be revealed to all on Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 PM. The building can be found at Murguía 103 (between Macedonio Alcalá and 5 de mayo).
I scream 4 ice cream
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Weather, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, urban art, wall art on March 13, 2013| 4 Comments »
It may be March, but Oaxaca is doing May weather — daytime temperatures in the high 80s/low 90s and the nights are sheets only.
I scream, you scream…
Even the walls scream for ice cream!
Living close to the source
Posted in Agriculture, Creativity, Culture, People, Science & Nature, Textiles, Travel & Tourism, tagged costumes, cotton, coyuche, goat herder, goats, huipil, livestock, Mexico, Oaxaca, Odilon Merino Morales, photographs, photos, plants, San Juan Amuzgo, Sheri Brautigam, traje on March 10, 2013| 5 Comments »
A mile or two from the city are fields of corn; a recurring reminder of where the masa used to make tortillas, tamales, and other mealtime staples, comes from. Livestock roam the hills and are often seen being herded down the streets of local villages.
And, at the foot of the stairs of my new apartment is a coyuche bush — the brown cotton plant that has been cultivated in this part of the world for thousands of years.
The ripe buds of the coyuche have been harvested, cleaned, spun, and woven into huipiles and cotones (men’s shirts) by countless generations. However, like many textile traditions, industrialization has taken its toll. The cultivation and use of coyuche is literally hanging by a thread, mostly confined to the Mixteca and Costa Chica regions of Oaxaca. As a result, besides just liking the design and color, I have a profound appreciation for and treasure this old huipil that was given to me a couple of years ago.
It’s in desperate need of repair. My friend and Mexican textile collector and chronicler, Sheri Brautigam, advised me to take it to Odilon Merino Morales, who is from San Juan Amuzgo and leads an effort to revive the use of coyuche. I will ask him if he knows of someone who could give my huipil some tender loving mending.
Living close to the source — there is something wonderful about the coyuche plant’s daily reminder of the origin of one of my favorite huipiles.
Holding up half the sky
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Día Internacional de la Mujer, International Women's Day, Mexico, murals, National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, public art, street art, urban art on March 8, 2013| 1 Comment »
Today is International Women’s Day…
Mural on the wall outside the Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas, Delegación Oaxaca, on Heroico Colegio Militar in Col. Reforma.
¡Feliz el Día Internacional de la Mujer!
Shadows on the wall
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged graffiti, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art, street signs, urban art, wall art on March 6, 2013| 4 Comments »
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