We gathered in photographer Luvia Lazo Gutierrez’s studio this morning at 9:30 a.m. to start our three-day photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle. We are here to explore the Day of the Dead visual landscape of the village, gain creative insights and technical skills, and see the world through a more defined lens. I found myself noticing more details and finding the particularities of an object rather than stepping back to see the bigger picture.
This year, I sold a photograph to Scholastic Magazine and to a few others over the years. However, I’m not a professional. I always consider myself open to learning something new and to have my work (in whatever medium) evaluated with constructive feedback from others. That’s why I’m participating. Plus, it’s an inspiration and fun to walk around the village with Luvia, who was born and raised here. She has a lot of knowledge and is an excellent teacher. We trailed her like ducklings.
Apple flew Luvia to Cupertino recently to participate in the launch of the iPhone 16. They gave her a new phone (which behaves more like a point-and-shoot camera) plus a computer. At age 34, she is a success story. Her work has been featured in the New Yorker Magazine. She is recognized as an up-and-coming artist by Leica and Fujifilm, and she was selected for a five-month artist residency next year in New York. I’ve known Luvia since she was age 18, when she was first starting out in photography. She worked with me then to help organize Oaxaca programs taught by faculty from the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies. I’m proud to think I had a little something to do with getting her started.
Being part of a small group is very supportive and energizing. We also learn from each other, and while we notice the same things, we have different points of view. That can be very instructive as we share our work with each other.
After visiting the village market this morning and the cemetery this afternoon, we were asked to create a personal narrative through the photographs we will take over these three days. Luvia encourages us to tell a story to honor someone we love who has passed since we are here for Day of the Dead. She describes using photos to write a letter to a loved one rather than words. This could include images of favorite food and drink, flowers, colors. She says that when you learn to tell a story you have a tool for photography. With photography, your subconscious is always working.
Luvia also asks us not to be attached to every photograph we take and experiment. She suggests that we get closer, change angles, and choose a different perspective by photographing from below or above a subject. Photography can be conceptual rather than literal. She showed us photos of cactus leaves, for example, that looked like sculpture because they were close-ups and the eye saw the smooth skin of a corner of a plant rather than the whole.
If we want to take a photo of a person, Luvia reminded us to ask permission first: Puedo a tomar su foto?
Tomorrow, we plan to be at the market very early to capture the morning light, and then visit families where we will take portraits.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from today. I am using my iPhone. Others are using DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
For the black-and-white photos, I use an App called TinType. I like it because it plays with depth of field and shadows.
I’m smitten with indigo. I first fell in love with it years ago in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I discovered it is grown along the tropical, humid southern coast of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The type of indigo grown in Oaxaca is a different strain. The botanical name for the Oaxaca indigo plant is Indigofera suffruticosa, also known as Añil. This species is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, including southern Mexico. It is different from that grown in Asia or Africa, and yields a different intensity of blue. To go deeper into Oaxaca indigo, please read this piece I published in 2012.
Japanese Indigo, Persicaria tinctoria or Polygonum tinctoria (also known as Tadeai) is a frost-tender member of the knotweed family. Originally thought to be introduced from India and China via the silk trade, it likes to grow in warm, moist climates, often as a waterside plant. This plant thrives in the more temperate climate of Japan.
It was only natural that on this second trip to Japan (my first was in 2019), I would again pursue indigo. I took an indigo dye workshop and sought out a sashiko embroiderer who dyes her threads with indigo and stitches on naturally dyed indigo cloth. I should call this Japanese heaven. I was in my element!
Known in Japan as ‘aizome’, indigo dye is so integrated into Japanese society that this deepest, entrancing shade is often referred to as “Japan blue.” Evidence suggests that indigo production began in Japan as early as the 6th and 7th centuries. Because it was so difficult to produce, indigo was reserved for the wealthiest and most important members of society, particularly aristocrats and royalty. It was discovered, too, that Japanese indigo dyed fabric has many medicinal properties; its insect repelling and anti-bacterial qualities made it a popular choice for Samurai soldiers charging out into bloody battles.
Historically, it was also used to color workers’ garments and textiles for daily use. The traditional methods of fermentation and oxidization are used to achieve the various shades of blue. Color intensity is also controlled by the number of dips a yarn or textile is submerged into the dye pot. The indigo in Japan can yield a much stronger blue on plant fibers such as cotton or linen, than in Oaxaca. Yet, the color of Oaxaca indigo on wool is spectacular.
In Oaxaca, indigo dyeing has a long history, dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Indigenous Oaxaca Zapotec and Mixtec weavers used this amazing blue for traditional ceremonial textiles as well as for clothing worn by royalty. The dyeing process is deeply tied to local crafts and cultural heritage here, too.
When Annie and I returned to Tokyo for a week after visiting Kyoto and Takayama, we took an indigo dye workshop in a neighborhood on the city’s outskirts. It took us about a half-hour train ride to get there. We took the workshop organized by Aikuma Japanese Dyes–Japanese Dyeing Workshops. The owner is Yuta Yasuda, and his family has owned the company that supplies dyers since the late 1800’s. Yuta speaks excellent English and arranged for his colleage, dye master Morito, to lead the workshop. Yuta translated, but it was easy to pick up the techniques just by watching.
We used a rice paste resist and stencils made with Japanese washi paper. To make the rice paste Morito used three parts of rice bran to two parts of rice flour. Rice bran is a by-product of sake production, so nothing is wasted! The labor to harvest rice and indigo crops immigrate from Vietnam, Kurdistan, Turkey and China. Farms need lower cost labor, just as we do in the United State of America.
Three Days — October 27, 28, 29, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Arrive just before Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead to explore the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle as preparations begin for this grand celebration to honor the ancestors. We take you inside people’s homes and workshops where you might never have access on your own. We explore the 17th century church, ancient archeological sites, the local market, and wander cobblestone streets to find hidden treasures that you will capture with your camera. We arrange portrait sessions with local families where we take you on an insiders journey to document how locals live and work.
We welcome novice and experienced photographers who want to capture people and place. We focus on portrait and street photography, how to look for that great shot and compose it for greatest impact. We do NOT teach you how to use your camera. We teach you what to look for, how to frame a photograph, perspective, how to determine what to shoot close-up and from a distance. We will discuss editing techniques, too. We welcome all types of cameras from DSLRs to iPhones.
Our workshop day is from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will meet each morning as a group to discuss process and technique, show our work, give and receive feedback. Then, we will venture out into the village to explore.
Your instructor is Luvia Lazo. She is featured in The New Yorker magazine. You can read more about Luvia and see her work on her website. You can also do a Google search to see and read more!
Luvia is described this way: Photography is her way of portraying the worlds to which she belongs. Her work aims to capture reality from the perspective of the contemporary Zapotec woman, creating a constellation of images through time and spaces in Oaxaca, documenting the generational gaps and the transformation of identities across ages.
She is a recipient of the Jóvenes Creadores grant of the FONCA 2020 (National Fund for the Culture of the Arts, Mexico) and inaugural recipient of the Indigenous photo grant 2021 supported by Leica and Photoville.
Cost: $995 per person. This includes three workshop days, all instruction, three lunches, and one Grand Finale Dinner where we present our best work.
The cost does not include lodging, breakfast or transportation. We recommend several bed-and-breakfast inns where you can book your lodging directly with the innkeeper at your own expense, once you register for the workshop. These are Casa Elena, La Cupula, and Las Granadas.
The workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. We will send you meeting location and other details in late September. We suggest you book your lodging to arrive October 26 and depart on October 30.
Photos by Luvia Lazo
How to Reserve Your Space — We are limiting participation to 10 people.
We request a $995 payment in full to reserve. Payment can be made with a Zelle transfer (we will send you a request for funds when you send us how your Zelle account is registered), or we can send you a Square invoice to pay with a credit card (4% service fee added). Please advise which payment method you prefer.
Cancellations. If you cancel on or before August 15, 2024, we will refund $500 of your fee. After August 15, there are no refunds. You may consider purchasing international travel insurance that would allow you to file a claim in the event you are unable to attend.
If we cancel for whatever reason, we will offer a 100% refund of all amounts received to date, less the non-refundable deposit.
NOTE: Please bring one Covid test kit and a face mask to use in crowded spaces and inside homes where there is no air circulation. Local people do not have wide access to effective vaccines and are very vulnerable to Covid. We urge you to be up-to-date with all vaccines, including influenza and RSV.
Walking and Group Courtesy: We are at almost 6,000 feet altitude. Streets and sidewalks are cobblestones, and narrow. We will do a lot of walking. We will walk a lot — up to 10,000 steps per day at a moderate pace. We recommend you bring a walking stick and wear sturdy shoes.
NOTE: If you have mobility issues or health/breathing impediments, please consider that this may not be the program for you.
Traveling with a small group has its advantages, and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedule. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own if you wish.
Jump into the magic of Oaxaca, Mexico, from January 11 to 17, 2025. During this six-night, seven-day immersion tour you will discover (almost) everything this UNESCO World Heritage city has to offer. You will take a hands-on cooking class from a traditional chef who uses an outdoor wood-fired kitchen to prepare acclaimed pre-Hispanic dishes, visit the bustling Mercado de Abastos to shop, taste and savor artisanal mezcal especially distilled from rare wild agave, visit outstanding makers of craft and textiles that distinguish Oaxaca and elevate her above and beyond any place in the world, sample street tacos, take a graphic arts and printmaking workshop from a renowned artist, and enjoy the best that Oaxaca has to offer. Recap it all at our Grand Finale Dinner at one of Oaxaca’s top restaurants. A perfect Oaxaca Visitor’s Tour.
We will be based in one of Oaxaca’s most trendy, vibrant neighborhoods where murals will dazzle you, coffee bars will delight you, restaurants will tempt you, and galleries will excite you.
PRELIMINARY ITINERARY
Day 1 – Saturday, January 11. Arrive to Oaxaca, check into our comfortable hotel located in one of the city’s most captivating neighborhoods filled with murals, galleries, coffee bars. Meet for a no host dinner at 6:00 pm. We suggest you arrive before 3 p.m. today. Meals included: none.
Day 2 – Sunday, January 12. Today we start with an orientation and introduction during breakfast. Then we get in the van for a short trip to Santa María Atzompa, where we will meet a traditional cook who specializes in pre-Hispanic food prepared in an outdoor smoke kitchen called Cocina de Humo. First, she takes us on a culinary shopping tour of Mercado de Abastos, the largest Oaxaca market, to procure all the ingredients we need. After our workshop and delicious lunch, we will visit our friend Rufina who specializes in making pottery with lead-free glazes and oxygen reduction techniques. We will return to the hotel in time for you to enjoy Margaritas and dinner on your own. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 3 – Monday, January 13. After breakfast, our luxury van takes us deep into the Ocotlan Valley. We call this the Handcraft Route since it takes us through black pottery studios, embroidery workshops, and wood-carving spaces. We introduce you to the famed painter Rodolfo Morales who created extraordinary murals of rural life in the municipal building and then move on to meet a cooperative of embroiderers where we will learn about the different techniques used for ceremonial garments in San Antonino Castillo Velasco. Our lunch is at an outdoor kitchen in San Martin Tilcajete, one of our favorite spots for relaxed al fresco dining. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 4 – Tuesday, January 14. Wear your comfortable shoes for a city walking tour – we will cover a lot of territory! First, we stop to meet our artist friends at a printmaking collective gallery, learn about the rich graphic art movement in Oaxaca, and take a deep dive into learning more about lithography by taking a workshop. We guide you every step of the way. After a lunch of street tacos at one of our favorite taquerias, we recharge and refresh, then carry on to the Benito Juarez Market, the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, and a noted folk art gallery. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 5 – Wednesday, January 15. Weaving is Us! Today we travel to Teotitlán del Valle, the famed tapestry weaving village forty minutes outside the city to meet our family of weavers who create outstanding traditional and contemporary designs using all natural, sustainable dyes. Then, we visit a cooperative of women who specialize in making bags and purses from leather and tapestries. After lunch on the way to Mitla, we will meet up with our friend Arturo for a demonstration on flying shuttle land back strap loom weaving techniques. Home goods are his speciality!
Then we will stop at our favorite Palenque – the distillery — to learn everything about how artisanal mezcal is made, ending our day with a tasting of rare wild and espadin agave spirits. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 6 – Thursday, January 16. After breakfast you are on your own to explore the city at your leisure until we meet at a top-rated Oaxaca restaurant for our Grand Finale Dinner. Meals included: breakfast and gala dinner.
Day 7 – Friday, January 17. Depart to home. We will help you arrange transportation at your own expense to the Oaxaca airport, or extend your stay independently, or add-on a one- to three-day natural dye workshop (lodging not included). Meals included: breakfast.
What’s Included:
6 nights lodging at a comfortable hotel in the heart of one of Oaxaca’s most artistic neighborhoods
6 breakfasts
4 lunches
1 Gala Grand Finale Dinner with complimentary Margarita
Luxury transportation to artisan villages
Cocina de Humo cooking class
Printmaking workshop
Mezcal tasting
Demonstrations and market visits
An immersion experience beyond your dreams!
Tour Cost:
$2,790, Single—one-traveler in room with one bed and private bath
$2,190, Double—two travelers in room with either two beds or one Queen or King bed, private bath
Add 10% for a ground floor room and eliminate the stairs
Discounts: Oaxaca snowbirds and residents with your own lodging, take $500 off tour cost!
Send a $500 non-refundable deposit (first payment) to guarantee your place.
The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before September 1, 2024. The third payment, 50% balance, is due on or before November 15, 2024. We accept payment using Zelle cash transfer or a credit card with Square. For a Zelle transfer, there is no service fee. We add a 4% service fee to use Square. We will send you a request for funds to make your reservation deposit when you tell us you are ready to register. Please tell us how your account is registered (email or phone number).
After November 15, 2024, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before November 15, 2024, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date (less the $500 non-refundable deposit). After that, there are no refunds UNLESS we cancel for any reason. If we cancel, you will receive a full 100% refund.
Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health insurance that includes $50,000+ of emergency medical evacuation insurance. Check out Forbes Magazine for best travel insurance options. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/
Proof of insurance must be received at least 45 days before the tour start date.
Add from 1 to 3 days of a natural dye workshopeither before or after the tour for a deeper dive into textile arts. Work with indigo, cochineal, wild marigold, tree bark and other plant dyes. Create your own sampler and record formulas to carry home with you.
Posted onThursday, June 27, 2024|Comments Off on 10/30/24 Day of the Dead Tour in Oaxaca: Hands-on Bucket-List Experience
On October 30, 2024, we give you a wide-ranging, immersion Day of the Dead experience of a lifetime! Construct a Day of the Dead Altar. Participate in a workshop using wild marigold botanical dyes. Savor traditional tamales made with mole amarillo with a local Zapotec family. Taste artisanal mezcal. Discuss culture, traditions, and Zapotec history. Finish the day with a visit to outstanding weaving and candle-making studios.
Visit the Dia de la Muertos market in Teotitlan del Valle to gather altar decorations
Buy fresh flor de muerto — Day of the Dead flowers, candles, homemade chocolate,j altar bread
Build a Day of the Dead Altar with expert guidance
Make a Day of the Dead napkin using wild marigolds botanical dyes
Savor traditional Muertos tamales with yellow mole
Taste artisanal mezcal made from wild agave
Discuss traditional altar preparation in this community, culture and traditional
End the day with visit to weavers and candle makers
What’s Included:
Enjoy a traditional lunch with a local Zapotec family
Make a wild marigold dyed textile in a hands-on dye workshop
Understand traditions and culture with clear, complete translation
Travel from the city to the village in a luxury van
Why you want to travel with us:
We know the culture! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago, is your cultural navigator. He is born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle.
We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
63% of our travelers repeat — high ratings, high satisfaction.
We have wide ranging expertise in community, craft and culture.
We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico
Registrationand Cancellation. Tour cost is $175 per person. This includes transportation in a luxury van, bilingual guide services with translation, market meander, altar and studio visits, and lunch. Payment in full is required to reserve. In the event cancellation is necessary, we request a 10-day notice (by October 20) to receive a 50% refund. We accept payment with Zelle (no fees) or with a credit card (4% fee). Tell us when you are ready to register and we will send you a request for funds.
The artisans we visit in Teotitlan del Vallenot only talk about and demonstrate their craft, they discuss their personal experiences and traditions growing up and honoring their ancestors during Day of the Dead. When you participate with us, you will go deep into a rich Zapotec history and culture that pre-dates the Spanish conquest of Oaxaca in 1522, and the settlement of Oaxaca as a colonial capitol.
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
Our Shop is UNABLE TO ACCEPT ONLINE PAYMENTS until we migrate to a NEW WEBSITE. Stay tuned! If there is something you want to purchase, send us an email.
January 8-15, 2026: Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour Plus Workshops with Taos Wools. Participate in weaving, natural dyeing workshops, and hand-spinning experience. Explore the Tlacolula Market, meet artisans, immerse yourself in Zapotec culture and history. In collaboration with Taos Wools.
January 22-February 2, 2026:Guatemala, Here We Come. A cultural immersion tour into the textiles and folk art of Mayan people. Off-the-Beaten-Path. Adventure travel. Into the rainforest. Indigo dye workshop and MORE!
March 3-11, 2026: Chiapas Textile Study Tour: Deep Into the Maya World. Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, we introduce you to some of the best weavers in the region, into off-the-beaten-path remote villages where culture and tradition remain strong.
Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour -- January 2026
Michoacan Monarch Buttterflies, Folk Art + Textiles -- Early February 2026
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.
