ART DIVISION AND THE OAXACA EXCHANGE

The present in Oaxaca is as vital as the past where ceramics, weaving and painting remain integral parts of daily life. In August 2022, seven Art Division students traveled to Oaxaca to make etchings, visit local artisans and study ceramics.

Three of those students worked alongside master printmaker Fernando Sandoval in his studio--Taller Sangfer--where he has guided artists in the medium of printmaking since 1987.

Two students were hosted by the Centro de Las Artes San Agustín Etla (CaSa). Two more studied ceramics with master ceramic artist Claudio Jerónimo López, also in San Agustín Etla. This town sits 20 kilometers north of Oaxaca towards the Sierra Madre Mountains, an area lush with greenery and water. Rather than missing secure Wi-Fi coverage and restaurants, the students very happily and seriously dedicated themselves to these extraordinary learning experiences.

Over the years, roughly ten of our students have sent designs to weaver Jerónimo Hernández and his family in Teotitlán de Valle, a rural Zapotec town with an ancient weaving tradition. It is exciting when our students have the  opportunity to meet the Hernández family and see where and how their carpets were made.

The students who travel and work in Oaxaca gain an invaluable experience while connecting to a culture that is both familiar and unfamiliar. We trust the same will be true when the student/artists from Oaxaca travel to work with us at Art Division as part of this exchange program.

Thank you to The Fred Croton Oaxaca Fund, The James and Alexandra Brown Travel Fund and the Crossed Purposes Foundation Inc. for making this exchange a reality.

Catherine Hess and Dan McCleary