Three more very large shipping boxes just arrived from Oaxaca and we’ve just listed their contents on the shop! We are featuring handwoven and densely embroidered huipiles and blusas, rebozos, neck ties and bandanas, handwoven palm baskets, beaded coin purses, and more. These are from the Oaxaca Coast, Chiapas, the Mixteca Alta, and Michoacan.
There are now 81 articles of clothing, 37 items in the home goods section, 13 handwoven wool tapestry rugs, a pair of handwoven cotton draperies, and 19 lovely pieces of jewelry in the shop — over 150 items to choose from. The shop is growing and we sell out quickly, so we hope you will take a look and make your choices. We are happy to combine shipments when we can.
Please measure carefully. All purchases are non-refundable and not-returnable.
Use your credit card or PayPal to purchase. No fees to you! Here are a few of the new items in the shop, many are perfect for spring and summer dressing, comfortable, lightweight linen and cotton. We hope you take a moment to browse the collection.
Posted onTuesday, June 6, 2023|Comments Off on This Weekend, Oaxaca Rug Sale in Nashville, TN
We are coming to Parachute Home in The Gulch neighborhood of Nashville this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 9, 10, 11, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Come join us if you live in Nash or nearby! Janet Chavez Santiago is representing her family of weavers from Galeria Fe y Lola in Oaxaca, Mexico. They work only in natural dyes using the finest hand-spun wool, proven to be the sturdiest for a lifetime of use! I will be bring some select back-strap loom woven garments, light and airy, designed to help you get through the hot and humid Nashville summer. Mark you calendar! Bring your friends!
Posted onSunday, April 11, 2021|Comments Off on Packing and Selling: Talavera + Art Glass
Sometime after May 3, after the movers come to empty my condo contents, I will take to the road west. For the next three weeks, I will be packing and reducing my collection. Here are a few pieces I’m offering for sale today, that include Talavera DO4 from Puebla, Mexico, and art glass. Six unique, one-of-a-kind pieces today. All hand-made. Talavera is hand-painted, perfect for dining or wall decor. Dishwasher safe. No lead.
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address, ZIP code and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $16 for cost of mailing ONE plate, $24 to mail TWO plates (based on weight and sturdy box). At check-out, please DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services. We also accept Venmo and Zelle. I can also send you a Square invoice (+3% fee) if you don’t use PayPal. All sales final.
SOLD #1 — Lexington Art Glass, Asheville, NC , 9-1/2″ diameter , brilliant gold — $187.25 or best offer
Art glass sales receipt — NEW
SOLD. #2 — Vintage Depression Glass Plate, Wall Decor, 9-1/2″ — $95 or best offer
Today, we are featuring three Ex-Votos, whimsical folk art paintings on metal. The vintage ones were painted on tin or whatever found materials the naive, untrained artist could find. They were offered at shrines and spiritual places for life-saving thanksgiving. I have one vintage piece for sale below. The other two are reproductions painted by Mexico City artist Rodriguez. Plus, hearts and mirrors, and more. 19 pieces total.
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 for cost of mailing. Please DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services at check-out. We also accept Venmo and Zelle. I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee) if you don’t use PayPal. All sales final.
19-3/4″ wide x 9-1/2″ tall. Reproduction ex-voto by Mexico City artist Rafael Rodriguez. $165
“Pascual Ortiz al estar trepado en la locomotora me calli de tatema y casi me la rompo y dedico esta laminita. Chihuahua a 4 de octubre 1937.”
Vintage rare ex-voto, 10″ w x 8-1/2″ tall. Was $595. Now $295
It says: Gracias a la virgencita y el niño por senar a mi hijo enfermo de Tifoidea a anto de morir. El sans infinitamente agracidas. (signed) Lupe Ma. Miraflores Lopez, Chapala, Jalisco. (Thanks to the little virgin and her son for saving my son from typhoid before he died. He is infinitely thankful.) Measures 10-1/4″ x 8-1/2″
SOLD. Set of 3 Zapatista wall plaques, Chiapas. 4-1/4″ high x 6″ wide. $25Venustiano Perez dedicates this ex-voto, 9-1/2″ wide x 7-1/2″ tall. Oaxaca 1938. $145
“Venustiano Perez dedica esta laminata por salvarme de una alimaña bien grandota. Oaxaca a 23 de Abril de 1938.” Reproduction by Mexico City artist Rafael Rodriguez.
Zegache is the workshop founded by Rodolfo Morales in Santa Ana Zegache near his home in Ocotlan. It was a training ground for woodworkers to create pieces in the style of the European colonial church decor with hand-carved pieces embellished with paint and either gold or silver leaf. The technique was used in the restoration of several churches funded by the Morale Foundation. These pieces are no longer being made. They are wonderful, reflective wall decor for any room.
SOLD. Zegache rare hand-carved wood with gold and silver leaf, 6″ round. $75
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 for cost of mailing. Please DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services at check-out. We also accept Venmo and Zelle. I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee) if you don’t use PayPal. All sales final.
SOLD. Chiapas, hand-wrought iron mirror, 7×9″ $55Huichol yarn art on wood, 6″ square. $75
Beautifully rendered, this yarn “painting” by the Mexican Huichol tribe from Nayarit depicts reverence for corn, the harvest and the spiritual, healing properties of peyote.
Chiapas, Los Leñateros paper mask. 10×9″ $40
Los Leñateros is the hand-made paper studio in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, where artisans make art books, boxes, and picture frames from recycled paper. They use a stationery bicycle to power the paper shredding and then put the paper mixed with flowers and seeds into bins to process. Sometimes, they create these colorful hanging masks that twirl in the breeze.
This piece reminds me of aboriginal painting from Australia or the pointillist style of the French Impressionists. It is from the studio of Arrazola artist Bertha Cruz Morales. Great for serving dried nuts.
SOLD. Is it an anteater? Chiapas miniature stuffed animal. $25
Gosh! Isn’t s/he cute? Hand-woven wool and embroidery is used to fashion this precious stuffed animal made in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas.
SOLD. Reindeer with red eyes. 3″ long x7″tall. $25
Oh, this one is made from handwoven natural sheep wool. Antlers are wrapped in shimmering gray yarn. Red embroidery outlines the black eyes and of course, there is a black nose just waiting to nuzzle you. Beautifully crafted.
What About These RUGS? When you purchase, you are supporting the weaver. Help me send funds back to Oaxaca with your purchase.
To Buy: Please email me normahawthorne@mac.com with your name, mailing address and item number. I will mark it SOLD, send you a PayPal link to purchase and add $12 for cost of mailing. Please DO NOT SELECT buying goods or services — so we don’t pay commissions. We also accept Venmo and Zelle. I can send you a Square invoice (+3% fee) if you don’t use PayPal. All sales final.
Shuko Clouse just opened her online shop Mano del Sur. She is a friend and I want to help give her a boost.
Shuko is from Japan. She loves Mexico and particularly Oaxaca. She combines her aesthetic for quality and simplicity with all unique, one-of-a-kind pieces she finds along the way during her travels south-of-the-border.
Shuko is dedicated to learning Spanish. She recently came to Oaxaca for a language immersion program. In her generous, kind and insightful multicultural approach, she communicates directly with artisans to identify and buy the best home goods and fashion accessories to pass along to discerning buyers via her new website.
Our textile study tours offer people like Shuko a guided opportunity to seek out some of the most outstanding artisans in a region. Shuko came with us to Chiapas and she is now returning for the Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour. She comes to Oaxaca city, too, where I take her to villages to meet some of the best artisans to buy their craft.
I am happy to work with Shuko, designers and retailers to introduce them to artisans. The makers appreciate being able to sell direct with no middleman and the buyers know they support artisans directly and pay a fair price for their quality workmanship.
We are filled for the Oaxaca Coast Tour, but we have space for
We know the culture! This is our land! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago is tri-lingual --Spanish, English, Zapotec.
Eric was founding director of education, Museo Textil de Oaxaca + folk art expert
Norma Schafer has lived in Oaxaca since 2005.
Norma is a seasoned university educator.
We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
63% of our travelers repeat -- high ratings, high satisfaction.
Wide ranging expertise: textiles, folk art, pottery, cultural wisdom.
We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico.
We organize private travel + tours for museums, arts, organizations, collectors + appreciators.
Creating Connectionand Meaning between travelers and with indigenous artisans. Meet makers where they live and work. Join small groups of like-minded explorers. Go deep into remote villages. Gain insights. Support cultural heritage and sustainable traditions. Create value and memories. Enjoy hands-on experiences. Make a difference.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. We create connection.
OCN Creates Student Scholarship at Oaxaca Learning Center Giving back is a core value. Read about it here
Meet Makers. Make a Difference
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university, textile and artisan development experience. See About Us.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your independent travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Arts organizations, museums, designers, retailers, wholesalers, curators, universities and others come to us to develop artisan relationships, customized itineraries, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Select Clients *Abeja Boutique, Houston *North Carolina Museum of Art *Selvedge Magazine-London, UK *Esprit Travel and Tours *Penland School of Crafts *North Carolina State University *WARP Weave a Real Peace *Methodist University *MINNA-Goods *Smockingbird Kids *University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
December 6-14: Oaxaca Textile Tour and Workshopsincluding dye and weaving workshops, Tlacolula market, spinning village visits, plus lots more. With Fiber Circle Studio, Petaluma, California. Registration open!
January 11-17, Deep Dive Into Oaxaca: Cooking, Culture + Craft.Take a cooking class and printmaking workshop, visit artisan studios, weavers, and potteries, eat street tacos, taste artisanal mezcal, shop at markets, and explore the depths. SOLD OUT
February 6-15:Guatemala Textile Study Tour: Cloth and Culture. Discover Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Panajachel, Chichicastenango Market, and visit Coban where they weave fine gauze cloth called pikbil. SOLD OUT
March 12-17: Deep Into the Mixteca Alta: Oaxaca Textile + Folk Art Study Tour 2025. This is cultural immersion at its best! Following the Dominican Route, we visit potteries, churches, Triqui weavers working in natural dyes, a cooperative in Tijaltepec that makes smocked blouses, the expansive Tlaxiaco Saturday Tianguis. Experience another side of Oaxaca.
October: Japan Folk Art and Textile Tour.ONE SPACE OPEN! Email us.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
When you visit Oaxaca immerse yourself in our textile culture: How is indigenous clothing made, what is the best value, most economical, finest available. Suitable for adults only. Set your own dates.
One-Day Tours: Schedule When YOU Want to Go!
Ruta del Mezcal One-Day Tour.We start the day with a pottery master and then have lunch with a traditional Oaxaca Cook, who is the mole-making expert. In Mitla, we meet with our favorite flying shuttle loom weaver, and then finish off with a mezcal tasting at a palenque you may NEVER find on your own! Schedule at your convenience!
Teotitlan del Valle Map with select rug weavers, restaurants, village attractions
Tlacolula Market Map -- where to find food, shopping, ATMs, and more
Our Favorite Things to Do in Oaxaca -- eating, shopping, gallery hopping + more
We require 48-hour advance notice for orders to be processed. We send a printable map via email PDF after your order is received. Please be sure to send your email address. You can click here to Buy Map. After you click, you can check PayPal to double-check you included your email address. We fulfill each order personally. It is not automatic.
