Xi-Guia: Making Handbags in Teotitlán del Valle
I spent the morning with Estela Montaño and Edith Montaño Martínez at their home and workshop in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. Xi-Guía is the name of the town in Zapteco, the indigenous language here. We were filling out a grant application to WARP (Weave a Real Peace). They needed my help since they are not […]
Folk Art Makers in Oaxaca Artisan Villages: Kinship, Work and Compensation
I subscribe to a website named academia.edu that recently published a paper by Alanna Cant, an academic from Kent University, United Kingdom. Dr. Cant spent almost a decade studying and writing about the relationship between the owners of a large, successful wood carving and painting workshop in San Martin Tilcajete and the people who are employed […]
Harvesting Espadin Agave for Mezcal in My Front Yard: Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
Only in Oaxaca do you wake up to find a guy cutting down agave cactus for mezcal in your front yard, Kalisa Wells told me yesterday morning. Kalisa is house-sitting for me in Teotitlan del Valle while I’m sojourning in Durham, North Carolina. Kalisa is really there to puppy sit until Luz and Sombra come […]
India Journal: Fill in the Blanks, Stencil Art
Remember when you were a child and got a set of crayons and coloring book? The book was printed with figures and designs. It was your job fill in the color between the lines. Be careful, a parent or teacher would say. Be neat. Don’t go outside the lines. There were no blank pages on […]
Grits and Urban Revitalization, Durham, North Carolina
My North Carolina visit is coming to a close and I return to Oaxaca on Saturday, April 30. While I’ve been here, I’ve eaten a lot of grits, tomato gravy and fried green tomatoes. I love grits. A particular pleasure is catch up time with important friends with whom I have a deep, long and connected […]
Cultural Continuity in Oaxaca: Survival Despite Globalization
http://wp.me/pRHvb-Ir This post from CasitaColibri just landed in my inbox as I wait in the RDU airport to begin my “one-way” journey to Oaxaca today. It was refreshing to get my mind (and heart) centered on Oaxaca culture after having to repack (2x) my bags at the check-in counter because of extreme overweight (not me, […]