Local Women Artists

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Arts in the Schools:
Arts for the most part are absent in public schools. And private schools are much better. They are not part of the regular school program, unless it’s a “special” school. Otherwise, it’s usually an extracurricular activity that costs a lot of money.

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Tonight's presentation was on women in the arts. The first one wove cloth, the second painted, and the third played a small guitar and acts in local theater. They came to talk about their art. Mostly they said how much artists struggle to survive. The situation sounds similar to the one in the U.S., but, of course, things are always much more difficult here. The economy, like elsewhere, is suffering, too.

One came to Mexico from Guatemala. She and her husband weave to make clothes, bags, belts, and other things. It’s a traditional art that’s handed down from generation to generation. Children learn by watching. Around 6 to 8 years of age they begin practicing weaving, making small objects like belts. In the first phase they are allowed to make mistakes, but in phase two they are expected to become proficient.
She and her husband came to Mexico in 1983. This was a time of turmoil in Latin American. She talked about the war in Guatemala and how unsafe it had become. Some people were abducted by the government or paramilitaries because of their views against the conditions in the country. They were called the “Disappeared Ones.”
It’s as difficult to immigrate to Mexico as it is in the U.S., perhaps worse. The Mexican government only allowed them to enter if they would not take jobs away from Mexican workers. They sell mostly at language schools like the Spanish Language Institute.

The second artist began to paint after her children left home. She had no experience in painting. It wasn’t until she started taking lessons that she learned that all the colors are made from three basic colors. She loves to paint nature. Often when she notices a tree or leave, she wonders how to paint it. Painting has been a transcending experience for her. When she sells a painting, she feels like she is selling one of her children.

The third plays a jarana (?). The arts are sisters, she says, all related to each other. She talked about the different music played in different areas of Mexico. I tried to download the video I made of her singing, but I think the file was too big.

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Photos

Demonstration of weaving
It's traditional the way this apparatus is designed that one end is attached to a pole and the other is wrapped around her waist and pulled tight.

Comments

[Trish Mateer]

Wow!
I love Painting #3!!

[Gail Fischbach]

Our Disappeared
My brother-in-law is a documentary film editor. In 2008 he co-produced and edited a film called "Our Disappeared" by Juan Mandelbaum. It tells the stories and talks with the families of people who disappeared b in Argentina between 1976-83. Thousands of people were kidnapped, tortured and murdered by the military dictatorship. They would go off to work or school and never be seen again.

[wim huijsmans]

Dear Paul, Interesting to read about arts in the schools. I have to think of micro-credits to enable things like that. Is that known also in Mexico? Our princess Maxima is very active on that domain. With kindest regards, Wim

[Joan W.]

Butt Shot Successful?
Hey, Paul: The butt shot must have succeeded, since you're back to traveling and blogging. Hope you're cured! Fabulous photos, BTW.