The family of weaver Erasto “Tito” Mendoza Ruiz are wonderful subjects for portrait photography. Rather than explain, I will show by introducing you to Tito, his wife Alejandrina, and their two children Liliana and Santiago. Here are my best portraits of the day.
Thanks so much to Tito, Alejandrina, Liliana and Santiago for participating with us. Ale and Tito own El Nahual a folk art gallery in Oaxaca city. It is filled with some of the best treasures of the villages along with Tito’s stunning, award-winning Saltillo-style tapestry weaving and Francisco Toledo‘s lithographs and etchings. Please visit when you are in town.
For me, it is much easier to photograph one person than four people! So patience, humor, taking plenty of breaks, asking your subjects to stretch, and taking more photos than you think you need is the key to getting a selection of really good shots.
Posted onSaturday, September 24, 2011|Comments Off on University of Wisconsin Hosts Oaxaca Weaver Tito Mendoza, October 7-12, 2011
News and Events: Oaxaca, Mexico weaver and artist Erasto “Tito” Mendoza will be in Madison and Whitewater, Wisconsin, October 7-12, 2011, to discuss and demonstrate tapestry weaving techniques.
***
For weaver Erasto “Tito” Mendoza, weaving is more than a skill passed down through the generations of his Zapotec family. It is an art form that combines complexity of design, integration of traditional, ancient indigenous patterns with imagination and a contemporary sensibility. The result is a magnificent rendering of color, texture, pattern and interpretation.
Tito with his award-winning rug, Aires Zapotecos
The singer-songwriter Lila Downs has commissioned numerous pieces from Tito that are used in her performances and for public relations events. His work, “Aires Zapotecos” was a finalist in the VI International Biennale of Contemporary Textile Art. In 2010, Tito was invited to the juried and very selective Santa Fe International Folk Art Festival to show and sell his work. Carolyn Kallenborn, faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chose Tito to feature in her documentary film Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives about Oaxaca and its weaving culture. He was one of six great Oaxaca weavers who were selected.
Lila Downs wearing a Tito Mendoza sarape, photo by Norma Hawthorne
Tito and his wife, Alejandrina Rios, who own the El Nahual Gallery on Av. 5 de Mayo in the Centro Historico of Oaxaca. will be in Wisconsin for the week of October 7-12. If you live anywhere in driving distance, I urge you not to miss this opportunity to meet them, chat and hear about their work.
An innovative tapestry by Tito Mendoza
Schedule of Events
Friday, October 7, 5:00 p.m. — Centro Hispano, Madison, WI, 810 Badger Road, http://micentro.org/ — Free and open to the public. A conversation with Tito and Ale and filmmaker Carolyn Kallenborn. At 6:00 p.m. there will be a screening of the film Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives in Spanish with English subtitles.
Friday, October 7, 7:00 p.m., Madison Weaver’s Guild — Oakwood Village, 5565 Tancho Drive, Madison. Contact Pat Hilts, vlhilts@wisc.edu, with discussion and screening of Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives in English. The event is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, October 11, 3:30 p.m., University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, University Center Room 266, film screening and discussion, free and open to the public.
Wednesday, October 12, 1:20-3:50 p.m., UW-Madison Design Studies Department Weaving Class — Tito Mendoza will give a demonstration of tapestry weaving.
Carolyn’s film also features Federico Chavez Sosa, master weaver of Teotitlan del Valle. Translation assistance was provided by Eric Chavez Santiago, director of education at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, and Janet Chavez Santiago, education coordinator at the Centro Académico y Cultural San Pablo.
We arrived late in the afternoon at that magic hour between daylight and sunset when everything is aglow. Village people had been gathering on the mountainside behind the village since last night, many of them camping overnight. There are some shallow caves there that are holy altars and each year a pilgrimage takes place to this spot where families gather, eat, take the rocks from the hillside and build miniature structures that represent the grand houses they wish for. Everyone wants a house and everyone wants their house that is under construction to be complete. This is what dreams are made of and the biggest dream for a Teotiteco family is to have a large casa where all the extended family of multi-generations can live together comfortably.
As we got in line to make our wishes at the altar, I saw this stunning, tall woman coming out of the small hillside chapel. She was dressed like an angel in a gorgeous handwoven silk and wool sarape. I got as close as I could to take photos of this incredible garment, which you will see in the gallery above. Today, I found out that this was woven by my friend Tito Mendoza and the person wearing it was none other than Lila Downs.
This year, Federico and Stephen gathered rocks helped by Dolores, Janet and me, and completed the houses we have had under construction for two years as miniatures right before our eyes, complete with garden, roofs, courtyards, driveway and fencing surrounding the property. Others sat alongside their completed rock houses, nibbling on sweets or drinking beer, or lighting bonfires and shooting off firecrackers. By the time it was dark, the hillside was aglow with firelight, families gathered together, contemplating their dreams.
This is my friend Alejandrina Rios Sanchez who owns El Nahual Gallery on Av. Cinco de Mayo with her husband Tito Mendoza. She is wearing the collar de cuello — the neck collar I designed and made. It is my gift to her. It is red coral beads each individually hand sewn onto a handmade fabric cord, with ties finished off with coral bead tips. Doesn’t it look great on her?
Posted onSaturday, August 15, 2009|Comments Off on Oaxaca Shopping: New El Nahual Gallery Showcases Tito Mendoza Weavings
Husband and wife team Tito Mendoza and Alejandrina Rios Sanchez are creative, talented and have a flair for design. Tito, cousin of the famed Arnulfo Mendoza, is an excellent weaver in his own right and his intricate handwoven textiles are extraordinary. Ale knows how to put together fabrics, whimsical animalitos, hand-wrought metal decor, and folkloric touches that create a magical space with unusual and interesting design elements. Their modest adobe casita in Teotitlan del Valle, where they retreat on weekends, is full of antiques, collectibles, handmade furniture, and contemporary art. The mix is beautiful and Ale has replicated this feel in their new gallery, El Nahual.
Now, after years of working in the gallery at El Mano Magico on the main cobblestone pedestrian thoroughfare of Macedonio Alcala in the historic center of Oaxaca, Ale is expressing herself through a new venture that she and Tito have embarked upon.
El Nahual is located on Avenida 5 de Mayo, parallel to Macedonio Alcala, and just down from where 5 de Mayo intersects with Gurrion, the side street that borders the iglesia Santo Domingo. You will find lovely wool and silk handbags woven by Tito, intricately woven cotton handbags formed on a backstrap loom from one of the premiere weavers of Santo Tomas Jalieza, the silvercast jewelry made by Frenchwoman Brigitte of Kanda Designs, personally selected and highest quality alebrijes of all shapes and sizes, little mirror hearts that are perfect to reflect light from a bathroom or hallway wall, and giant red hearts with wings that makes my heart sing. The two-room shop is full of surprises and the quality of everything is the best you can find anywhere in town. The prices are fair and do not have an exorbitant mark-up.
The best thing for me when I drop by, is to be greeted by Ale and her lovely daughter Liliana, who give everyone who enters a warm welcome.
Why We Left, Expat Anthology: Norma’s Personal Essay
Norma contributes personal essay, How Oaxaca Became Home
Norma Contributes Two Chapters!
Click image to order yours!
Norma Schafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university program development experience. See my resume.
Study Tours + Study Abroad are personally curated and introduce you to Mexico's greatest artisans. They are off-the-beaten path, internationally recognized. We give you access to where people live and work. Yes, it is safe and secure to travel. Groups are limited in size for the most personal experience.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Designers, retailers, wholesalers, universities and other organizations come to us to develop customized itineraries, study abroad programs, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Our Clients Include
*Penland School of Crafts
*North Carolina State University
*WARP Weave a Real Peace
*Methodist University
*MINNA-Goods
*Selvedge Magazine
We offer textile experiences in our studio where we weave and work only in natural dyes.You can see the process during our textile tours, dye workshops or customized weaving experiences. Ask us for more information about these experiences, customized scheduling, and prices.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
1-Day OaxacaCity Collectors Textile Tour.Exclusive Access! We take you into the homes and workshops of Oaxaca State's prize-winning weavers. They come from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Mixteca, Mixe, Amuzgos and Triqui areas and represent their weaving families and cooperatives here. For collectors, retailers, buyers, wholesalers, fashionistas.
1-Day Oaxaca Textile Walking Tour 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.
2022 Going Deep, Not Wide--Extended Tours
July 25-31, 2022. Oaxaca Textile Adventure Tour: Sierra Norte Mountains. Visit two remote mountain villages where silk and cotton are woven into glorious cloth and dyed with natural plant materials. Come early or stay later for Guelaguetza! Not too late to join!
October 28-November 4, 2022: Women’s Creative Writing Retreat in Teotitlan del Valle — Memory and Tradition. Click this link to read about it. ONE SPACE OPEN FOR SHARED ROOM.
October 29-November 4, 2022:Day of the Dead Culture Tour. We meet locals and visit 4 villages to experience this mystical pre-Hispanic observance, awesome and reverent. Still space for a few more!
February 5-13, 2023: Bucket List Tour: Monarch Butterflies + Michoacan. Spiritual, mystical connection to nature. Go deep into weaving, pottery, mask-making and more! We haven't offered this tour since 2019 and we anticipate it will sell out quickly. TWO SPACES OPEN
February 21-March 1, 2023: Chiapas Textile Study Tour--Deep Into the Maya World Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, we travel to distant pueblos to meet extraordinary weavers --Best of the Best! Just a handful of spaces open.
Stay Healthy. Stay Safe. In Oaxaca, wear your mask. Questions? Want more info or to register? Send an email to Norma Schafer.
Maps: Teotitlan + Tlacolula Market
We require 48-hour advance notice for map orders to be processed. We send a printable map via email PDF after order received. Please be sure to send your email address. Where to see natural dyed rugs in Teotitlan del Valle and layout of the Sunday Tlacolula Market, with favorite eating, shopping, ATMs. Click Here to Buy Map After you click, be sure to check PayPal to ensure your email address isn't hidden from us. We fulfill each map order personally. It is not automatic.
Dye Master Dolores Santiago Arrellanas with son Omar Chavez Santiago, weaver and dyer, Fey y Lola Rugs, Teotitlan del Valle
University of Wisconsin Hosts Oaxaca Weaver Tito Mendoza, October 7-12, 2011
News and Events: Oaxaca, Mexico weaver and artist Erasto “Tito” Mendoza will be in Madison and Whitewater, Wisconsin, October 7-12, 2011, to discuss and demonstrate tapestry weaving techniques.
***
For weaver Erasto “Tito” Mendoza, weaving is more than a skill passed down through the generations of his Zapotec family. It is an art form that combines complexity of design, integration of traditional, ancient indigenous patterns with imagination and a contemporary sensibility. The result is a magnificent rendering of color, texture, pattern and interpretation.
Tito with his award-winning rug, Aires Zapotecos
The singer-songwriter Lila Downs has commissioned numerous pieces from Tito that are used in her performances and for public relations events. His work, “Aires Zapotecos” was a finalist in the VI International Biennale of Contemporary Textile Art. In 2010, Tito was invited to the juried and very selective Santa Fe International Folk Art Festival to show and sell his work. Carolyn Kallenborn, faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chose Tito to feature in her documentary film Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives about Oaxaca and its weaving culture. He was one of six great Oaxaca weavers who were selected.
Lila Downs wearing a Tito Mendoza sarape, photo by Norma Hawthorne
Tito and his wife, Alejandrina Rios, who own the El Nahual Gallery on Av. 5 de Mayo in the Centro Historico of Oaxaca. will be in Wisconsin for the week of October 7-12. If you live anywhere in driving distance, I urge you not to miss this opportunity to meet them, chat and hear about their work.
An innovative tapestry by Tito Mendoza
Schedule of Events
Friday, October 7, 5:00 p.m. — Centro Hispano, Madison, WI, 810 Badger Road, http://micentro.org/ — Free and open to the public. A conversation with Tito and Ale and filmmaker Carolyn Kallenborn. At 6:00 p.m. there will be a screening of the film Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives in Spanish with English subtitles.
Friday, October 7, 7:00 p.m., Madison Weaver’s Guild — Oakwood Village, 5565 Tancho Drive, Madison. Contact Pat Hilts, vlhilts@wisc.edu, with discussion and screening of Vidas Entretejidas–Woven Lives in English. The event is free and open to the public.
Tuesday, October 11, 3:30 p.m., University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, University Center Room 266, film screening and discussion, free and open to the public.
Wednesday, October 12, 1:20-3:50 p.m., UW-Madison Design Studies Department Weaving Class — Tito Mendoza will give a demonstration of tapestry weaving.
Carolyn’s film also features Federico Chavez Sosa, master weaver of Teotitlan del Valle. Translation assistance was provided by Eric Chavez Santiago, director of education at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, and Janet Chavez Santiago, education coordinator at the Centro Académico y Cultural San Pablo.
For information, contact:
Carolyn Kallenborn, cmkallen@wisc.edu
Film Website: www.wovenlivesoaxaca.com
Tito and Ale’s Oaxaca Gallery: www.elnahualfolkart.blogspot.com
and their email address: elnahual75@prodigy.net.mx
Like this:
Comments Off on University of Wisconsin Hosts Oaxaca Weaver Tito Mendoza, October 7-12, 2011
Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Textiles, Tapestries & Weaving
Tagged art, blogsherpa, culture, Film, Lila Downs, Mexico, Oaxaca, tapestry, Tito Mendoza, University of Wisconsin, weaving, Woven Lives movie