We’ll gather and set our intentions and do short introductions this morning before heading up to potter and Gran Maestro Angelica Vásquez where she will regale us with stories as she demonstrates her work. Afterwards a homemade lunch with her family. Find out the origins of the chía pet. Afterwards we head out to the home of cultural curator and activist Marietta Bernstorff to discuss the intersection of art and social justice. Dinner at the Casa 

Sunday in Tlacolula is the biggest market day in the Oaxaca Valleys. People come from all over to eat, pray, shop and peddle their wares.  Get your fortune told by a canary, sample pre Hispanic beverages, shop for red pottery or embroidered aprons, maybe an ox yoke or a grinding stone?  It’s all here. We’ll finish at the town church which is a Baroque masterpiece and current day pilgrimage site before we head to Teotitlan de Valle, a famous weaving village.  A simple village lunch at the family home of a famous master weaver  where we’ll learn about natural dyes and weaving - they call it Zapotec magic.
Dinner back at the Casa.

A glorious morning in the studio as Mija introduces us to stencil techniques and we begin to fill our journals. We contemplate different ways to use art to tell a story. Lunch at the Casa.  Late afternoon we head over to the Tamayo Museum filled with five rooms of pre Hispanic artworks carefully chosen by the maestro and his wife. A jewel box of a museum. Afterwards we’ll wander into town and enjoy a lovely meal in the zocalo. 

Another joy filled morning with Mija making art in the studio. We'll explore several mixed media art techniques followed by a nourishing lunch at the Casa.

Late afternoon we head downtown to visit with an artisan chocolate maker and learn about this important prehispanic tradition. Evening in town to dine and explore on your own.

We start our day at the early colonial church of Tlacohuyauha and learn about the recent restorations including stenciling with cochineal and indigo. Then a special day as we head out to visit with “The Embroidering Ants of Tanivet” and learn about this beautiful, socially empowering art project. There are often tears involved. The women will teach us their applique embroidery technique, we’’ll have a meal & a chocolate drink together and learn about each others lives while sharing stories and making art. Lunch on our way home and dinner at the Casa.

We’ll spend the morning in the studio, continuing to explore new techniques and work on our art journals. After lunch at the Casa, free time to continue working in the studio or explore town. Dinner on your own. 

It's our final day in the studio. Today we’ll share our stencil art with each other and refine our journals. After lunch we head out to the always fabulous San Pablo Cultural Center including the Museo Textil but not before a visit with our friend and award winning weaver Odilón Merino Morales. His shop is brimming with stacks of some of the finest textiles in all of Mexico. Hear his story, find yourself something amazing & support indigenous makers.  Then a specially prepared dinner for us at Casa Crespo.

Today we’ll have free time to do last minute shopping, visit archeological sites, take a temescal or continue making art. In the evening we put on our festive finery and celebrate with an all out fiesta with live music and fireworks (for real). We come as tourists, we leave as a community of friends.

We‘ll help you to arrange transport to the airport for your flight home or you can stay on and keep the adventure going. We hope you leave with a renewed  creative spark, deeper faith in humanity and a sense of joy filled connection. We love sharing Mexico with you!