Atlanta, GA friends of Oaxaca will host Eric Chavez Santiago and his sister Janet Chavez Santiago on October 3 and 4. They will present rugs (tapetes) hand-woven by their family on tapestry looms, and talk about the weaving, natural dyeing and textile traditions of Oaxaca. If you live anywhere nearby, please make your reservation to attend. We would love to see you. Special thanks to Lauren Waits, Art Gambill, Robin Blocker and Kim Drader Noelter for hosting us.
Eric is the director of education at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca. Janet is the coordinator of indigenous language education at Centro Academico y Cultural San Pablo. She speaks four languages including Zapotec!
Eric recently returned from Beirut and Paris where he participated in an exhibition of textiles from the collection of the Alfredo Harp Helu Foundation. He is now making a documentary video about young people who are continuing the indigenous weaving traditions in remote Oaxaca villages.
The museum quality rugs are woven by their family in Teotitlan del Valle using only natural dyes to color the wool that comes from churro sheep. The wool is hand-carded and hand-spun before it is dyed. The family prepares their own dye materials. It is a complex and labor-intensive process that yields amazing colors that are resistent to fading.
We are coming to Atlanta the morning after the October 2 opening reception for Days of the Dead: From Mexican Roots to Present-Day Practices in the United States, a Duke University exhibit that includes 25 photographs from our 2011 Day of the Dead Photography Expedition. Only ONE space left for this year’s expedition!
Several years ago Lauren and her family lived in Oaxaca for a year and she participated in a Oaxaca Cultural Navigator documentary film making workshop. Robin’s daughter, Ellie, was with us this past summer for a photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle. Thanks to the hosts for making this Atlanta visit possible!
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