Yesterday we experienced an intense 7.4 magnitude earthquake here in Mexico, leading many to draw comparisons to the epic 8.0 earthquake of 1985. The earthquake took place in Guerrero state very close to the border with Oaxaca state, but here in Mexico City the buildings were shaking and the car alarms were sounding. Friends in … Continue reading
2012 – Changes On The Horizon!
Hello to our readers in 2012! Our new website will be up and running soon, just a few legal things to finish up and the new site will be launched! And this blog will be re-located to its proper place within the website rather than as the homepage. The website went through a total redesign … Continue reading
VisitMexico Oaxaca video: alebrijes!
Thanks to Travel and Leisure, I was alerted to a new ad campaign by VisitMexico, with the tag line: “Mexico, The Place You Thought You Knew”. They have some terrific videos and produced one per state so of course I checked out Oaxaca’s. Watching the video, you get a sense why many say “Oaxaca is … Continue reading
Alebrijes: Num 1 Most Representative Mexican Craft
Exciting news from the magazine México Desconocido: readers of the magazine voted on the top 10 most representative Mexican crafts and alebrijes came in at number 1! Yay alebrijes! You can read the article here (in Spanish). Have a great night! Whitney
Our Alebrijes at Home
I thought I would share some photos of our alebrije collection to start my posts for the day! Our collection at home currently stands at 2 and is growing! We have a small toucan and a medium-sized porcupine. The toucan is carved by Martin Santiago from the town of La Union Tejalapan and is typical … Continue reading
International Women’s Day: Thank You
Since it is International Women’s Day (and its’ 100th anniversary!) I want to take a moment to thank the women of Oaxaca for all they do and for all that they give the world. Their creativity inspires people around the globe who view and collect their work – whether they paint alebrijes, make pottery, embroider … Continue reading
Alebrije Book Review: Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees
Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees by Shepard Barbash and Vicki Ragan (this link will take you to the Amazon page for the book) This book is considered one of the authoritative guides to the woodcarving communities and the stories of their artisans. It is an interesting and engaging look into the lives of … Continue reading
Alebrije Book Reviews: Introduction
On this blog I also want to review and pay tribute to the books and pamphlets that have taught me so much about alebrijes and Oaxacan folk art in general – plus mention any newly published work that I want to get my hands on! And while I am writing about books in general, I … Continue reading
Alebrijes and The National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago
http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/ The National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) in Chicago has one of the largest collections of Mexican art in the United States, numbering over 6,000 pieces. According to their website, “It has become the premier repository for Mexican art in the nation.” The NMMA is home to a large collection of “Arte Popular” or … Continue reading
Alebrijes and Museums: Introduction
Many museums are home to alebrijes, or at least so I read everywhere in books and magazine articles. So once a week I am going to write about one of these museums. At first this will be easy as some names recur in the books and articles, but I have a feeling a lot of … Continue reading