This excursion will take the group to Santo Domingo Yanhuitlan, a village in the Mixteca region of the state, about 90 minutes from Oaxaca. In colonial times Yanhuitlan was an important center of trade. Our first stop will be at the magnificent church and monastery erected in the late 1500’s, built with the labor of 6000 native people. The stone for the edifice was quarried eleven miles from town and hauled to the worksite. The splendid antique pipe organ, built about 1700 and restored in 1998, is used now for occasional concerts. There will be an entrance fee of 70 pesos to go through the monastery cloister. Next we will visit the nearby home and studio of the famed ceramic artist, sculptor, and painter, Manuel Reyes and his artist wife Marisela. Reyes uses a gas kiln and fires his work at 900-1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, temperatures unusual for the region where most clay work is low fire. His distinctive figures can be found in many homes and businesses around Oaxaca and in museums around the world.

Leaving Yanhuitlan, we will travel to San Pablo Huitzo, the northernmost town in the Etla valley. We will stop for lunch there at a restaurant that offers comida corrida. Next we will visit the art studio (Taller de Grafica) of Enrique Flores, a prolific painter and printmaker who was mentored by the great artist Rodolfo Morales and taught by Maestro Juan Alcázar. Flores is influenced by multiple cultures, past and present. He explains that Huitzo was historically the frontier between the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures, providing a richness of worldviews and customs. Flores is also a philanthropist, donating work to support communities and causes he deems worthy. His workshop is open to students, another way that he gives back to the community.

There will be a joint purchase of work to be given to a raffle winner at lunch.

Notes:

Additional Costs:  Admission to Yanhuitlan monastery cloister is 70 pesos; 100 pesos for the raffle, lunch.

This tour will depart on time at 9:00 am  from Calle Los Libres behind the Grand Fiesta Americana Hotel. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before departure time. Unclaimed seats may be re-sold at boarding time.

Online ticket sales end at 7 pm the day before the tour. If the tour is sold out, you can take a chance that seats may be available and come to the boarding spot 15 minutes before departure. These seats must be paid for in cash.

No Refunds will be available. If you are not able to attend the event, you are welcome to sell your reservation to others. Please notify the library of change of name for reservation.