October 29, 2016 by spixl
Celebrations in Oaxaca surrounding Día de Muertos are beginning. This past week, we, members of the Mexico Travel Photography Facebook group, were issued a 5-day “Day of the Dead” photo challenge by moderator, Norma Schafer. There are always so many favorite images from so many events that I never get around to posting, so this was my opportunity. My five…
Panteón, Santa María Atzompa, Oaxaca on Oct. 31, 2015
Offering on tomb in Panteón Municipal de Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca on Nov. 1, 2015
Muerteada, morning after the night before, Nov. 2, 2014, San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca
Sun sets on Santa María Atzompa panteón, Oct. 31, 2014
On the Alcalá in Oaxaca City, Oct. 31, 2014
And, five more, just because…
Santa María Atzompa, Oct. 31, 2015
San Pablo Villa de Mitla, ofrenda with pan de muertos, Nov. 1, 2014
Chocolate calaveras at Villa de Etla, Oct. 31, 2014
Cempasuchil (marigold) vendor at Villa de Etla, Oct. 31, 2014
Casa de las Artesanías de Oaxaca, Oct. 31, 2015
That’s all folks, for now. Stay tuned for more to come from this year.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged cempasuchitl, chocolate skulls, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, marigolds, Mexico, muerteada, Oaxaca, pan de muerto, panteón, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Santa María Atzompa, skeletons | 6 Comments »
October 27, 2016 by spixl
Before I become completely immersed in the myriad of activities related to and surrounding Day of the Dead, I want to write a post about Porfirio Gutiérrez Contreras, another of the talented and creative weavers from Teotitlán del Valle I have come to know.
I first met Porfirio via my blog and we soon became Facebook friends. However, we didn’t actually meet in person until last November’s, Feria Exposición Maestros del Arte in Chapala, Jalisco. I made a beeline for his booth and introduced myself to him and his sister, Juana Gutiérrez Contreras. Porfirio’s recognition and warmth made me feel truly welcome — like we were long-lost friends.
Juana Gutiérrez Contreras, grinding anil (indigo). She cleans wool, spins yarn, gathers herbs, master of natural dyes
Porfirio Gutiérrez, with paddles of nopal cactus housing cochineal from which the dye carmine is derived. He designs, weaves, promotes, educates, demonstrates
Skeins of hand-spun and naturally dyed yarn at the Porfirio Gutiérrez y Familia workshop.
While, as you can see from the video, The Weaver From The Place of Gods, Porfirio is soft-spoken, he is exceedingly passionate about his Zapotec heritage and the preservation of the textile traditions of his village. His knowledge, talent, and dedication led him to be one of four native artists to be chosen to participate in last year’s, Artist Leadership Program sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.
Vat of the natural dyestuff, bejuco (dodder).
Plants used to produce natural dyes.
Vat of the natural dye, cochinilla (cochineal).
A key component of the Smithsonian program was, following their residency, each artist was charged with returning to their community to share their knowledge, with the goal of preserving the wisdom and techniques refined and handed down from their ancestors. I had the privilege of attending the awarding of certificates and exposition that concluded the 9-day workshop, given in Teotitlán by Porfirio and Juana. The exposition was entitled El Ritual de los Sueños and took as its inspiration the traditional fiber mat, known as the petate. It is on the petate where babies are delivered, dreams occur, and in which bodies are wrapped before being placed their grave.
“When preparing food and drinks, reverence is made before the metate.”
Image of Porfirio and Juana’s parents as they kneel to receive the blessing on their wedding day.
“With the joy or grief of each ritual, life is shared with food as well as the sharing of experiences; to perform such an act the woman sits on the mat.”
The family’s studio is located at Calle Simon Bolivar #6, Teotitlán del Valle and I can assure you, visitors will be warmly welcomed. And, who knows, you may come away with beautiful new, naturally dyed, hand-loomed treasure.
I already have a place on the wall reserved for one of Porfirio’s distinctly designed tapetes and am now saving my pesos.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Exhibitions, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism | Tagged El Ritual de los Sueños, exhibitions, Juana Gutiérrez Contreras, Mexico, natural dyes, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Porfirio Gutiérrez Contreras, rugs, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle | 9 Comments »
October 23, 2016 by spixl
Yesterday, a sidewalk still life seen walking home from the market…
We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. — Paulo Coelho
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Posted in Creativity, Culture, Religion, Travel & Tourism | Tagged calaveras, Mexico, Oaxaca, Paulo Coelho quote, photographs, photos, posters, skulls | Leave a Comment »
October 21, 2016 by spixl
Dressed in their best festival finery…
The Catrinas have begun arriving in town…
You see them loitering on street corners…
Hanging out on balconies (I think she’s in drag)…
All the better to see and be seen.
However, in the end, no matter how fancy their finery and glittery their jewels, as José Guadalupe Posada wrote,
La muerte es democrática, ya que a fin de cuentas, güera, morena, rica o pobre, toda la gente acaba siendo calavera
(Death is democratic, because after all, light-skin, brown, rich or poor, everyone ends up being a skull)
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged calacas, calaveras, Catrinas, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, José Guadalupe Posada, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, skeletons, skulls | 5 Comments »
October 18, 2016 by spixl
Marigolds have begun appearing in the city. The yellow of this flor de muertos (flower of the dead) will help guide the difuntos (deceased) home to feast with their families during the upcoming Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. Known as cempazuchil (also spelled cempasúchitl), flower pots and/or vases of marigolds may find their way onto ofrendas (the offerings on home altars for the difuntos). Some scatter the petals on their muertos altar, others in a trail leading from the street into the house and up to the ofrenda.
Next week, seasonal Day of the Dead markets will spring up and shopping will go into high gear. Needless to say, I will join in buying the traditional fruits, nuts, flowers, and sugar skulls to place on my ofrenda. And, along with friends, I will pay my respects to the difuntos of friends in Teotitlán del Valle. It’s a special time of year in Oaxaca.
Once a librarian, always a librarian, thus a few resources about Day of the Dead:
A brief note: Celebrations vary throughout Mexico and, even in the valley of Oaxaca, traditions differ from village to village, but the above articles will give you a general idea. You can also click HERE for my Día de Muertos blog posts from previous years.
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged cempasuchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, Día de Muertos, flowers, marigolds, Oaxaca, photographs, photos | 1 Comment »
October 15, 2016 by spixl
Returning to Casita Colibrí last Sunday afternoon, I unlocked the door, set down my way-too-heavy backback, and, having been away for a month, I savored the scene my Oaxaca home presented. There was my new Tree of Life tapete hanging on the wall of my dining area looking like it had always been there; on the floor, separating living spaces, the beautiful mohair rug woven for me by Antonio Ruiz Gonzalez presided.
AND (drum roll, please), in front of the sofa, my most recent purchase — a stunning rug from Casa Cruz in Teotitlán del Valle.
Maria Luisa Mendoza, wife and partner of weaver Fidel Cruz Lazo, displaying their wares in their taller in Teotitlán del Valle.
Metates leaning against the wall, waiting to to be used to hand grind the natural dyes.
An array of some of their brilliantly colored naturally dyed yarns.
After much indecision on my part (they were all SO beautiful), Fidel displays my final choice.
My rug in its new home in the living room area of Casita Colibrí.
It wasn’t until I took this photo, that I realized the design on the cover of the book, The Colors of Casa Cruz, is the same as my new rug.
The yarns of my new rug were dyed using indigo, cochinilla, nuez (walnuts), musgo (moss), achiote (annatto), and cempazuchil (marigolds) and the primary design element is the diamond, representing the four cardinal points, and symbolizing the continuity of life.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Culture, People, Textiles, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Casa Cruz, Fidel Cruz Lazo, Maria Luisa Mendoza, Oaxaca, photographs, rugs, tapetes, Teotitlán del Valle | 6 Comments »
October 12, 2016 by spixl
Street art in Oaxaca comes, goes, and appears anew…
After being away for a month…
New art greeted me on the walls and poles of Calle de Tinoco y Palacios…
As I made my way up the hill on Monday’s grocery shopping trip to the Mercado Sánchez Pascuas…
One of the delights Oaxaca brings to the mundane…
And, being car-less, one of the joys of errand walking!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged graffiti, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, street art | 2 Comments »
October 10, 2016 by spixl
Back in the land of putting TP in the wastebasket and non-potable tap water. However, grocery shopping at my local mercado more than makes up for it with warm greetings from my favorite vendors and its rich bounty of fruits, vegetables, tortillas, salsas, tamales, and cheeses.
The larder has been restocked with the above high quality essentials, all for only 230 pesos — that’s $12.18 (US) at the current exchange rate. It’s good to be back!
Posted in Food, Travel & Tourism | Tagged alimentos, grocery shopping, Mercado Sánchez Pascuas, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations | 4 Comments »
It’s been a wonderful Bay Area visit, but Saturday at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass the performance by Los Cenzontles with Max and Josh Baca of Los Texmaniacs brought a wave of homesickness for Mexico.
Guess it’s time for me to go… Next stop, Mexico City!
Posted in Culture, Music, Travel & Tourism | Tagged Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2016, Los Cenzontles, Los Texmaniacs, Max & Josh Baca, music festival, photographs, photos, San Francisco | Leave a Comment »
September 26, 2016 by spixl
It’s been two years since that tragic night in Iguala, Guerrero when busloads of students (normalistas) from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College were violently attacked. Six students were killed, 25 were injured, and 43 disappeared. It’s been two years of agony for families and friends. It’s been two years of questions and discredited answers for the people of Mexico. And, it’s been two years of artists around the world doing their part to not let us forget.
Images of some of the missing by Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca (ASARO) seen June 18, 2016 on Av. Morelos in Oaxaca, including 18-year old Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica from Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, People, Politics, Tragedy, Violence | Tagged Asaro, Ayotzinapa, Cristian Tomás Colón Garnica, Escuela Normal Rural Raúl Isidro Burgos, graphic arts, Iguala, Mexico, normalistas, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, student teachers | 2 Comments »
September 20, 2016 by spixl
Despite 2000 miles between here and there, similarities abound between the two places I call home.
Art on walls. (Left) A massive new mural in Mill Valley, above the side wall of the Sequoia Theater, by Zio Ziegler. (Right) One of the many murals by Sanez (Fabián Calderón Sánchez) in Oaxaca. By the way, I’ve previously posted murals by both artists: click Sanez and/or Zio Ziegler.
Agave. (Left) Of course in Mill Valley (California), it’s solely ornamental for those meticulously landscaped gardens. (R) Whereas in Oaxaca, it’s vital crop — land without agave means life without mezcal!
Fluttering swags of flags. (Left) Cloth Tibetan prayer flags flying outside the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley welcome patrons to the Mountainfilm festival. (Right) Ubiquitous papel picado found inside and out in Oaxaca, in paper or plastic, for events special or just because.
Sacred mountains. (Left) Mt. Tamalpais, the Sleeping Lady and mountain of my childhood dreams, teen driving lessons, and adult peace, joy, and renewal. (Right) Cerro Picacho (in Zapoteco, Quie Guia Betz), brother/sister mountain — the sacred mountain in Teotitlán del Valle, where, among other times, villagers make a pilgrimage to the top on Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross).
And, last but not least, colorfully costumed couples. (Left) Soon after arriving at the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, I ran into this twosome. Turns out, in the “it’s a small world” universe, they are actually friends of a couple I know in San Miguel de Allende. (Right) During July’s Guelaguetza in Oaxaca, the delegation from Putla de Guerrero representing their celebration of Carnaval, is garish and gaudy and wild and wacky — in other words, fantastic!
Creativity is a challenge. It requires us to be fully human — autonomous yet engaged, independent yet interdependent. Creativity bridges the conflict between our individualistic and our sociality. It celebrates the commonality of our species while simultaneously setting us apart as unique individuals. —Greg Graffin
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Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Science and Nature, Travel & Tourism | Tagged agave, California, Cerro Picacho, costumes, Mexico, Mill Valley, Mount Tamalpais, murals, Oaxaca, papel picado, photographs, photos, Zio Ziegler | Leave a Comment »
September 16, 2016 by spixl
I know, it’s been a week since a new post has appeared on this blog. My excuse is that I flew up to the San Francisco Bay Area last Saturday — an all day event that, under the easiest of circumstances (and this was), is exhausting. However, an email this morning from Margie Barclay (formerly of Oaxaca Calendar) alerted me to the next Waje dinner.
What is Waje, you ask? It is a monthly pop-up dining experience created by two young (early 20s) Oaxacan chefs, José Daniel López Delgado and Maday Alexander Luis Garfias — both recent graduates of Universidad Anáhuac.
With an appreciation of, and dedication to, the bounty and traditions of Oaxaca, they create themed dinners that fill the senses, educate, and encourage communication.
Traditional ingredients are married in new and innovative ways and artfully presented.
With amazing energy and pride, both chefs emerge from the kitchen to describe the ingredients, preparation, and thought behind each course.
Their creativity and attention to flavors extends to the beverage pairings. For the July dinner, a different flavored pulque was presented with each course and in August, mezcal cocktails were served.
The venue for the dinners was a secret and, in both instances, we were picked up at a pre-arranged location and taken to the final destination. The photos are from the July dinner, which was held on the front lawn of a stunning private home in San Andrés Huayapam.
Their next offering, September 24, 2016 at 7 PM, is to be a cena of six desserts paired with coffee cocktails in a collaboration with Axiom Coffee Ventures and Viajero Café Arte. Seating is limited and prepayment is required. Reservations can be made by calling 951 236-868 or 951-124-9090 or sending a message from the Waje Facebook page.
By the way, both times, my friend and I were the only gringos and oldest people in attendance. You will definitely meet some young hip and very eloquent Oaxaqueños. I wish I could be there… Alas, I’ll still be in el norte. ¡Buen provecho!
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Posted in Creativity, Food, Travel & Tourism | Tagged fine dining, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, Waje | 3 Comments »
September 9, 2016 by spixl
Mexico’s El Mes de la Patria (the month of the homeland) is upon us and overnight, as August turned to September, the streets erupted in green, white, and red.
Mexico celebrates September 16, 1810 as the beginning of its fight for independence from Spain.
Flags are flying everywhere and are for sale on every other street corner, along with all manner of patriotic tchotkes.
From buses in the city to moto-taxis in the villages, everything is decked out in the green, white, and red of the Mexican flag.
As for Oaxaca? The five-month renovation project at Mercado Benito Juárez has been completed and vendors have moved from their temporary stalls on the surrounding streets back into the market; Sección 22 teachers have returned to their classrooms and 80% of the encampment in the zócalo has been disassembled; the governor will give his final Grito de DoloresGrito de Dolores at 11:00 PM on September 15th; and the annual patriotic parade will fill the streets of the Historic District with participants and observers on the 16th.
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Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Holidays, Travel & Tourism | Tagged El Mes de la Patria, Mexican flag, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, street vendors | 4 Comments »
September 7, 2016 by spixl
While waiting for yesterday’s convite to begin, the Danza de la Pluma subalternos, Florentino Martínez Ruiz and Juan Bautista Ruiz, knew how to keep young, old, all those in between, and the photographers entertained.
A little “splendor in the grass” for Juan?
And, the fun didn’t stop there, once the convite began, Florentino snatched a marmota from one of the little boys to give it a try.
And, everyone laughed, especially the boy! That’s entertainment, Teotitlán del Valle style!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged convite, Danza de la Pluma, Fiesta a la Natividad de la Virgen María, Mexico, Oaxaca, Subalternos, Teotitlán del Valle | 2 Comments »
September 3, 2016 by spixl
For ten years, since the 2006 teacher uprising in Oaxaca, with scissors, paper, paint, and talent, the Lapiztola collective has been cutting through propaganda and meaningless phrases to lead, provoke, and inspire with their art. Looking across the Alcalá from Santo Domingo, a new stenciled mural in front the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO) caught my eye…
There she was, beckoning, much like the beautiful and haunting mural, We sow dreams and harvest hope on the Tinoco y Palacios wall of Museo Belber Jimenez (before it, along with others, was unceremoniously ordered removed by the city government). Another mural by Colectivo Lapiztola.
The symbolism of the corn, the bandana, and a young indigenous girl is rich in the layers of rebellion and resistance of modern-day Oaxaca. And so I went up the stairs of IAGO and into the courtyard where Benito Juárez presided over the entrance to the exhibit, Corte Aquí (Cut Here), by the Lapiztola collective.
Lapiztola consists of three artists: Rosario Martínez, Yankel Balderas, and Roberto Vega. This small exhibit (3 stencils and 7 graphic works), with its larger-than-life images, covers three rooms and stimulates our hearts and our minds.
Over the past ten years, as the exhibition demonstrates, Lapiztola has taken on the issues of social protest, disappearances, the protection of natural resources, and drug-trafficking — the latter, as evidenced below.
Also included, is one of the first Lapiztola images that fascinated me. It covered the front of the Espacio Zapata in 2012 and speaks volumes about modern society.
If you go to the exhibition, don’t miss the third room; in it hangs the three massive stencils (below) used to produce the brilliant mural I named the Art of Agave, celebrating the human face of agave cultivation. It once educated and enlivened the wall of Piedra Lumbre on Tinoco y Palacios, before it, too, was painted over.
I’m not sure how long the exhibition will last. However, if you are in Oaxaca, I encourage you to pay it a visit and to all, when you are in Oaxaca, make sure to pay attention to the walls — they have something tell you.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism | Tagged exhibitions, Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), Lapiztola, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, urban art | 4 Comments »
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