Comité Mision Roja is pleased to announce the results of their very successful third annual Carrera Para La Cruz event in Huatulco, Oaxaca, on the 22nd of January, 2012.
Comité Chairwoman Valerie Verhalen announced that, “A record event total of just over $170,000 pesos has been raised in this year’s Rally. Thirteen teams competed for a grand prize of individual IPod Shuffles for each team member, with the second place team receiving a gourmet team breakfast at the Camino Real. I would personally like to thank all the participants, our platinum sponsors, cash donors, sponsors who provided services and supplies, raffle donors, food donors, and all the great volunteers and supporters who contributed to this year’s success.” Continue reading Fundraising Along The Riviera…→
Fábrica Mexicana, an exhibition presented in the Modern Art Museum (MAM) in Mexico City, made clear that Mexico must be placed high on the list of countries creating the most imaginative and environmentally friendly industrial designs. Featuring displays of industrial design and modern architecture in Mexico, the exhibition focused on the influence of Mexican art on shaping commercial products, buildings and whole neighborhoods. Continue reading Fábrica Mexicana→
Thanks to the readers who responded to our survey in January, we now know how so many of you stay healthy and fit. We asked you to tell us about the best forms of exercise on the beach, in the water and in other outdoor locations, in fitness centers and in your homes. We asked for advice about the best places for a long walk, for running or jogging, for fitness swimming, biking and hiking. And we also asked about foods to eat and overall recommendations to stay fit and healthy. Continue reading The Best Ways to Stay Healthy and Fit on the Oaxacan Riviera: You Told Us→
When most visitors to Oaxaca think of Oaxacan art, the first thing that usually comes to mind is folk art; alebrijes (carved, fancifully painted wooden figures), barro negro (black pottery), tapetes (hand-made wool rugs), and other craft products. They don’t realize that Oaxaca has a longstanding fine art tradition which continues to thrive today. Indeed Oaxaca has produced world renowned artists such as the late masters Rufino Tamayo, Rodolfo Morales, and contemporary artists Francisco Toledo and Demián Flores. Continue reading Oaxacan Art→
There are some spaces that demand to be noticed. They envelope you with their form and invite all your senses to awaken. The following are spaces that I believe stand out for their use of materials, their consideration for the area they inhabit and each one of them inspires me. As Philip Johnson wrote “All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.” Continue reading Inspired Spaces→
In this part of Mexico, the word palapa is used to describe a thatched roof house without walls. It is a word that is said to have its origin in Nahuatl, being a combination of words meaning, “butterfly in the water”. The palapa is a structure that has evolved in tropical climes. Universally, human shelter types have developed due to regional climate requirements and availability of material. The methods and materials in the evolution of construction have been intentionally combined to lend a majestic beauty to a well-constructed palapa. In Mexico, as in the rest of the world, aesthetics have closely followed function in human endeavors. Now modern palapa builders also try to use material that is harvested in a sustainable way, and create sensible designs that minimize waste. Continue reading The Art of the Palapa→
A trip to Palenque , Chiapas is to delve into the heart of Mayan design. Where in Oaxaca, one sees strong Zapotecan and Mixtec elements in their crafts, Chiapas represents the distinctly Mayan traditions.
Mayan traditions have contributed essential design ideas throughout the world, from jewelry designers, textile artists, painters to architects. A great example is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Angeles (1924) which reflects his deep admiration for Mayan architecture. When visiting Palenque, you are struck by the elements of architecture that continue to be used today: courtyards, square buildings, quadrangles, open space using platforms of various sizes and levels, and inclusion of landscape elements. As in the small river that was diverted around palaces at Palenque, and yet with wooden bridges, connects one area of Palenque with another. Color was most certainly part of this design, sadly we can only imagine now how those colors blended with the environment to create a unique, prototypical Mayan city. Continue reading Palenque Designs Today→
“Grandest, largest, biggest, oldest, most beautiful” are all adjectives that have been used to describe the architecture in El Centro Histórico, Mexico City.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, El Centro Histórico comprises 700 blocks wrapped around the 13-acre zócalo, the heart of the city and one of the biggest squares in the world–second only to Red Square in Moscow. In 1325, the Aztecs built their Venice-like city, Tenochtitlan, on this site, at the time an island in Lake Texcoco. Continue reading El Centro Histórico: A Cornucopia of Architectural Styles→
We all love the vast expanses of grass and those showy African tulip planted and maintained by the legions of FONATUR workers; mowing, weeding and watering constantly. However, there are numerous native and adapted species that require much less work and maintenance and can be clustered to take less work and water during the dry season. The term to describe this is xeriscaping, which refers to landscaping or gardening in a manner that reduces water use. It is often critical in dry climates where water may be scarce, hence the term ‘xeric’, meaning dry. Xeriscaping does not mean zeroscaping. I like to think of it as clustering plants with similar watering requirements; the idea is to be efficient with water. It is fine to have some grass, just consider size and shape as strips are very inefficient and hard to manage. Also consider fruit trees, they make a great focal planting, and make sure you have male and female plants according to the morphology of the species. Continue reading Landscaping→
March 21 marks the 205 anniversary of the birth of Benito Juárez. It is astounding that from his humble beginnings in Oaxaca, he became one of the most respected figures in Mexico’s history. Orphaned at age 3 and raised by his grandparents, Juárez moved to Oaxaca City at the tender age of 13. He arrived in the city illiterate and speaking only Zapotec, the language of his Indian heritage. He must have been both brilliant and charismatic to have acquired a Law degree, married a woman of high social standing and had a triumphant albeit turbulent political career. Continue reading Benito Juárez Life and Legacy→
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