We’ll meet the weavers and spend two full days with them, learning about and experiencing their lives and daily rhythms of tending to their sheep, carding, spinning, dying and weaving wool. We’ll also attend the Festival Textil in the Sierra Zongolica.
Participate in our newest journey to witness and experience the Day of the Dead in the Maya world of Yucatan. Here, it is called, Hanal Pixan, or Food for the Souls. We’ll learn all about the special rituals dedicated to the memory of loved ones who have died. The culture of the Maya in Yucatan is singular and is alive to this day.
Cartagena is a beautiful walled city on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. From its colonial architecture, stone sea and land walls, bougainvillea draped walls, charming balconies and so much more, the architectural details and ornamentation of the historic center of Cartagena are favorite backdrops for local and visiting artists. Not only are the walls colorful, so are the people.
Frida Kahlo: Dress and Identity Many aspects of Frida Kahlo have been studied, pondered and admired. From her art, politics, love life, travails, and many others. A singular aspect of Frida Kahlo and her identity was her dress. Frida used dress consciously in the creation of her identity. Through dress, she crafted her image, displaying her cultural heritage from both Europe and Mexico.
Music is one of the most vibrant cultural expressions. And, in Colombia, it is a defining cultural attribute. From the marimba rhythms of the Pacific Coast, the Gaiteros de San Jacinto, the Vallenato and the upbeat rhythms of the Caribbean (champeta and mapale), it is hard to sit still in this country!…
December 29, 2017-January 10, 2018
Explore the ancient and living Maya of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico! Visit the former powerful Kingdoms of Tikal and Palenque and important satellite communities such as Quirigua, Yaxchilan, Bonampak and others. This educational journey promises to be rich in historical perspectives and understanding of the Maya civilization; its legacy and living cultures of today
On December 23, Oaxaca holds the largest radish carving contest in the world: The Night of the Radishes, where radishes weigh up to seven pounds! Primarily Nativity Scenes, the carvers now use their imagination and carve everything from famous Mexican revolutionaries…
Bogota and Medellin, December
This special travel program is designed around the singular Expoartesanias Colombia, the largest and most important gathering and showcase of Colombia’s artisans and their art. The Expoartesanias handcraft fair, is entering its 27th year and features the finest in Colombia’s diverse traditional and contemporary craft from the entire country.
February-2019
Veracruz, Chinantla, Oaxaca & Tehuacan, Puebla Visit the Port of Veracruz and the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa! We’ll view private textile collections, and travel on an extraordinary journey to a region rarely visited in Oaxaca’s Papaloapan Basin. The natural landscape is varied…
Maíz, Mole & Mezcal:
Oaxaca has become a “hot spot” for culinary travel, yet its foods are ancestral. From native corn, to the land of mole and mezcal, Oaxaca is a place to savor with all the senses. This culinary journey will take you on a veritable historic journey, beginning with the ancestral foods, the sustenance of Mexico today, and will also showcase contemporary expressions of these heritage foods.
Maya Textiles and Traditions:
The Guatemala countryside is beautiful and its people are warm. Surrounded by volcanoes, Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful places on earth. On this journey, we’ll travel to regions and communities in the Guatemala Highlands, home to the Maya people. Beginning in Guatemala City, we’ll visit the Ixchel Museum of Maya Textiles and Popol Vuh Museum of History, in order to get our grounding in the country we are about to visit.
Join us to Oaxaca and Veracruz on The WARP (Weave a Real Peace) Annual Meeting Trip: “In the Footsteps of Irmgard Weitlaner-Johnson”. The post-Tour: “The Art of the Ikat Rebozo: Traditions and Techniques”. And the Workshop: “Natural Dye One-Day” with the master dyers of the Centro de Arte Zapoteco Bii Dauu to learn of their ancient techniques and masterful use of working with natural dyes.
