Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on July 9, 2020| 7 Comments »
A sampling of sites seen from the streets that have saved my sanity while living in the age of Covid-19.
Barrio de Xochimilco
Marcos Pérez/Lic. José Vasconcelos neighborhood
Calle Independencia entrance to Mercado IV Centenario
Calle Santo Tomás at the corner of José Lopez Alavez
Calle Marcos Pérez
Casa de Barro, Av. Reforma
These streets are made for walkin’ and that’s just what I do!
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.
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!
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| 4 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.
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.
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 »
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?
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!
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.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Health, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged Batman, Benito Juárez, 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!
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Callejón Hidalgo, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, street art, urban art, wall art on April 16, 2020| 6 Comments »
I think I’m not alone…
Callejón Hidalgo, Oaxaca de Juárez – (Signed by, “Prost”)
If you need a haircut, raise your hand.
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged goat image, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, sheep image, street art, urban art, wall art on February 19, 2020| 4 Comments »
There is a new mural in town. After five years, The gods are watching mural (my name for it) has been replaced by the watchful eyes of a goat and a sheep. 
Together they stand outside La Madriguera taller on Tinoco y Palacios (between Morelos and Matamoros).
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Culture, Signs, Travel & Tourism, tagged abandoned buildings, crumbling buildings, dilapidated buildings, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on February 7, 2020| 14 Comments »
I am, at long last, back in home sweet home Oaxaca. The weather is warm, the garden looks great, and the building at the end of the block that has looked to be on the verge of collapse since I first laid eyes on it thirteen years ago, has had a new paint job — announcing in a very creative way that, despite its dilapidated condition, it is not for sale.
And, don’t just take my word for its neglected and decrepit condition. There is a precaution notice from the city of Oaxaca warning passersby that the building is in a bad state.
All one has to do is peek through one of the broken windows to see there isn’t much there, there.
Located at the corner of Crespo and Matamoros, it is one of the more than five and a half thousand historic structures in the state of Oaxaca listed by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).
There is currently a building boom going on in the city, especially of upscale hotels, to meet the snowballing tourist demand. I suspect that restrictions and costs related to remodeling these cataloged buildings is why the much-needed renovation to this one hasn’t happened.
However, the owner of this building, whoever she or he may be, has let it be known, in a variety of designs, fonts, colors, and in no uncertain terms, that it is NOT FOR SALE!
The artwork covering the building is quite an improvement. However, I can’t help thinking of one of my grandmother’s sayings, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, Mexico, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on January 8, 2020| 8 Comments »
The Jalatlaco neighborhood always yields artistic surprises…
November 13, 2019
November 13, 2019
November 13, 2019
October 22, 2019
October 22, 2019
Happiness is wandering the streets of Oaxaca.
Mexican Peso Converter
A day without women
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Politics, Protests, Travel & Tourism, tagged #ParoNacionaldeMujeres, #UnDíaSinMujeres, #UnDíaSinNosotras, A Day Without Us, A Day Without Women, art, International Women's Day, Mexico, National Women's Strike, Oaxaca, photos, political art, political commentary, protest, stencil art, street art, urban art, wall art, women's rights on March 8, 2020| 4 Comments »
Today, March 8, women around the world are celebrating International Women’s Day with marches, forums, exhibitions, and more. The mass media is filled with stories about extraordinary women and companies catering to women are using references to International Women’s Day in their advertising, though, I might add, very few mention its revolutionary past.
However, it isn’t today’s demonstrations, expositions, and other special events that has women in Mexico talking. It is the call for women to disappear for a day to protest the staggering amount of violence perpetrated against them. Government statistics report that 3,825 women met violent deaths last year, 7% more than in 2018. That works out to about 10 women slain each day in Mexico, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for females. Thousands more have gone missing without a trace in recent years.
Using the hashtags #ParoNacionaldeMujeres (National Women’s Strike), #UnDíaSinNosotras (A Day Without Us), and #UnDíaSinMujeres (A Day Without Women), organizers have reached out to the women of Mexico that on Monday, March 9, nothing moves: Don’t go out, don’t shop, don’t go to school, and don’t consume — become invisible, simulating the thousands of women who have been murdered or disappeared.
As three female legislators wrote in an article expressing their support for the strike, Women are responsible for about half of the compensated economic activity in the country, and relied upon disproportionately for unpaid work in the home, which is roughly equivalent to 15% of Mexico’s GDP. In exchange, our rights are impaired or ignored. Women have become the protagonists of thousands upon thousands of stories of violence and impunity at the hands of men who, in public and in private, feel they have a right to decide over our lives and our bodies…. That and many, many reasons more are why Mexico’s women will march in protest on March 8, and stop everything – stop working, stop asking, stop accepting – on March 9.
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