Metamorfosis Documentation Project has organized an exclusive Arts and Culture Tour of Oaxaca City and nearby towns and villages in the Central Valleys at the end of September through the beginning of October in 2010.
During the last four years in which Metamorfosis Documentation Project developed and completed La Danza de la Pluma Project, Armando Espinosa Prieto and Craig Johnson spent several months in Teotitlan del Valle, the Zapotec village where we documented this ritual dance. Our interests in art, folk art and culture led to many side adventures in Oaxaca City and the surrounding area -- meeting artists, exploring the museums and archaeological sites, visiting the colonial churches, and enjoying long mornings in weekly markets in smaller towns in the Central Valleys.
As an extension of the cultural interchanges promoted by Metamorfosis Documentation Project, along with the interest expressed by people in Santa Fe to visit these artists and places, we have personally developed this Arts and Culture Tour of Oaxaca City and the Central Valleys. The tour will be intimate, limited to ten participants, and will be guided by Armando and Craig, both fluent in Spanish and knowledgeable of the area and the culture.
Oaxaca's cultural richness and diversity are well known, the folk art produced in Oaxaca is some of the best in Mexico, and the contemporary art scene is rich and diverse. Oaxaca has one of the largest concentrations of indigenous populations in all of Mexico, and the grandeur of their early civilizations is evident in several protected archaeological sites, with Monte Albán at the top of the list. The Spanish Colonial period brought its own art and architecture, with a plenitude of exquisite churches throughout the area, and a historical colonial center in the city of Oaxaca that, together with Monte Albán, earned Oaxaca City UNESCO’s designation as a World Heritage Site in 1987. Oaxaca is home to several world class museums; and its cuisine, whose origins date back to pre-colonial times, is equally famous.
On this tour we will take you into the fascinating and authentic studios, workshops, lives and ritual celebrations of artists, artisans and traditional Zapotec villages of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, seeing things and meeting people that other visitors seldom or never experience. We will be staying almost exclusively in the best first class boutique bed and breakfasts, and you will be treated to our personally planned offerings of delicious local and regional Oaxacan cuisine in a variety of settings including urban gourmet restaurants, local traditional restaurants and private homes. Our travelers should bring with them a willingness to get off the beaten path and a curiosity to see this area of Oaxaca in its true and wondrous colors.