Cynthia Weill joined Global Language Project (GLP) as a consultant
this spring. As a writer of bilingual
children’s books, she spends every summer with artisans in Oaxaca
(Wah-hah-kah), Mexico. Below is her story of her most recent trip, during which she collected pieces for a Mexico "culture kit" for use in GLP's programs.
Cynthia and figurative ceramist Guillermina Aguilar.
The artisans of Oaxaca
supply the figures for my work, which teach the bilingual alphabet, colors,
opposites, numbers etc. The books impart basic concepts while exposing children
to Mexican art forms (see www.cincopuntos.com
and www.cynthiaweill.net.
The cover of one of Cynthia's books.
My wish when starting was that the books would bring
the artisans involved more recognition.
Many of these artisans, such as the Aguilar sisters - creators of
figurative ceramists - are considered “Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art”
(Fernández de Calderón 2012). However,
even in Mexico, they are known to only a handful of folk art enthusiasts,
anthropologists and academicians. I also
hoped by virtue of exposing these
handicrafts to a wider audience that readers
travelling to Oaxaca would visit the artisans and purchase their
work.
Sadly, this did not happen.
In 2006, a civil disturbance landed Oaxaca on the
U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory list. Just as things were starting to improve, fear
of the swine flu epidemic kept people away. Today, I feel perfectly safe in Oaxaca;
however the terrible press about the violence relating to Mexico’s drug cartels
currently frightens off most international tourists.
Artisans who made their livelihood for years from
their ceramics, wood carving, tin figures and baskets by selling them to
visitors are trying to supplement their meager incomes with farming or tortilla
making or whatever else they can do for a cash income. These craftspeople used to be able to employ
their children insuring that there would be a new generation of artisans. The
adult children of some of the most famous artisans in Mexico - the successors
of these ancient traditions - are now laying bricks and driving moto-taxis to
support their families.
When I was asked to create a "culture kit" for the
Global Language Project based on Mexican artifacts, I saw an opportunity. From my book projects, I knew that many
artisans were producing work that used appropriately had tremendous educational
value for young children.
The kits contain several different types of crafts.
There are two types of ceramics: black and red. The artisan who made the black
animal figure whistles for the project, Carlomagno Pedro Martinez, is
considered a “Great Master of Mexican folk art.”
Although his pieces are in major museums throughout the world, he loved making the whistles as they reminded him of the work he used to do as a child.
Carlomagno Pedro Martínez makes black pottery whistles.
Although his pieces are in major museums throughout the world, he loved making the whistles as they reminded him of the work he used to do as a child.
Another clay worker, Josefina Aguilar, probably
Mexico’s most famous artisan, made the ceramic market ladies. If you go to her
town of Ocotlán on Fridays, when women bring their wares to market, you will
see how they inspire her.
Josefina Aguilar, figurative ceramist, shows “Mercadera” figure or lady at the market.
Wood carver, Jesus Sosa Calvo made a special iguana
for the kit. It’s less delicate than some
of his other pieces but he felt this one could withstand the wear and tear of
many little hands.
Jesús Sosa Calvo and wife Juana, wood carvers, show lizard wood carvings.
Women’s collaboratives in Oaxaca made the
pre-hispanic figure in the collection as well as the woven baskets that house
the artifacts.
