In February 2020, a group of travelers came to together for a Oaxaca Cultural Navigator textile tour in Chiapas. We gathered in San Cristobal de las Casas and spent the next week together exploring weaving villages around this historic colonial city. In the process, many became good friends. It was only a week after the tour ended and everyone went home that we went into Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown. The group continued to communicate via WhatsApp messaging and formed a strong support for each other during those dark-day years. About a year ago, there was the sentiment to have a reunion, which materialized this past weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We decided to gather together for the International Folk Art Market, staying at the historic Hacienda de Chimayo, about thirty minutes north of the capitol city. We came from Denver, Texas and North Carolina and it was so satisfying to be together again.
Still a few spaces open for Chiapas 2023!
We spent a lot of time with Amalia Gue from Coban, Guatemala, and Olga Reiche from Antigua, Guatemala because we are enamored with what they weave.
We are planning a winter 2025 textile tour to visit them. Let us know if you are interested in going with us by sending an email to Norma Schafer.
Eric is busy in Oaxaca preparing for the July 19 and July 20 day tours to Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec and San Pedro Cajonos. We still have spaces open, so if you are in Oaxaca this summer, please come with us. These are two special destinations where weavers create extraordinary cloth from natural dyes in cotton and silk.
Norma leaves on July 12 for the WARP international textile conference in Kent State University, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. She’ll be doing a presentation on Sunday featuring the textiles of Chiapas and the Oaxaca coast. We will be posting about this conference while it’s happening!
Here is extraordinary pastillage pottery from Santa Maria Atzompa, Oaxaca, made by Enedina Seferina Vasquez Cruz. She was at the Folk Art Market this year. Leslie volunteered in her booth.
