Tag Archives: art

Huatulco

Enrique Flores Workshop and Artists of Oaxaca

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By José Palacios y Román—

In the mid-twentieth century, Mexican muralism experienced a turning point. Yet by then, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo had already secured a central place in modern art. Among them, Rufino Tamayo, a native of Oaxaca, stood out not only for his artistic genius but also for his generosity.

In Oaxaca City, Tamayo’s deep commitment to culture lives on in the Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art of Mexico, a carefully curated collection he donated in January 1974. That same year, through the initiative of Roberto Donis, the Rufino Tamayo Workshop of Visual Arts was founded. Tamayo contributed resources to create a space dedicated to the artistic training of young people from rural communities. From its first generation, the workshop became an important reference point for artistic education in Mexico and Latin America. Among those early students was Enrique Flores.

In 1981, Rufino Tamayo and his wife, Olga Tamayo, made another extraordinary gift to the nation: the Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico City. Their collection includes works by many of the great masters of twentieth-century art — Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Bacon, Dubuffet, Calder, Warhol, Vasarely, Magritte, and others. Today, the museum is recognized as one of the finest in the world.

This legacy is closely tied to the ongoing vitality of Oaxacan art. Enrique Flores, painter and educator, has built an extensive career that he combines with the work of the Enrique Flores Cultural Center and Workshop, which he has sustained for over thirty years in San Pablo Huitzo, near Oaxaca City. The workshop has become a vital meeting point for the teaching and exchange of artistic techniques — printmaking, stained glass, ceramics, sculpture, and high-quality editions in engraving.

Now, Copalli Art Gallery in Huatulco is honored to present, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Enrique Flores Workshop, a new exhibition featuring recent works by the master. On this occasion, he is joined by ten internationally recognized Oaxacan artists, reflecting the strength and diversity of contemporary art from the region.

The exhibition, “Enrique Flores Workshop and Artists of Oaxaca,” opens on December 21 at 6:30 p.m. and will remain on view until January 18, 2026, at Punta Tangolunda (across from the entrance to the Golf Club). The opening event will feature Chef Eusebio Villalobos and live music.

San Miguel de Allende

The History of Fabrica La Aurora

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Rebecca Desiree C. —

Before becoming the center for creativity and culture known locally as La Aurora Centro de Arte y Diseño, La Aurora was once just a simple textile factory. Originally launched in 1902, Fabrica La Aurora operated as a major producer of fine cotton textiles in San Miguel de Allende.

For about nine decades, the factory would go on to provide a source of livelihood to hundreds of locals, but it would later shut down in 1991 due to declining demands for local fabrics and rising production costs.

For more than a decade following its shutdown, the factory lay abandoned until the descendants of its founders chose to put the property up for sale in the early years of the 21st century. This article will share a bit of the history of Fabrica Aurora and its transformation into one of San Miguel de Allende’s most celebrated centers for art, culture, and creative expression.
A Brief History of Old Fabrica La Aurora
Fabrica La Aurora was one of the largest and most important textile factories in central Mexico. According to local accounts, at its height, the factory employed more than 300 people and was a major player in the thread and textile market in Mexico.

The factory remained in business for most of the 20th century, dominating the textile market in central Mexico, spreading its products to the rest of the country. From the end of the 1970s, however, the factory began to face challenges that eventually lead to its gradual decline and closure. Some of these challenges included increased global textile competition, outdated machinery that struggled to keep up with modern production standards, and the economic instability that struck Mexico during the 1980s. The factory would continue to struggle for one more decade before finally closing down in 1991. While definitive archival records are scarce, local histories attribute the closure in 1991 to rising global competition, out-dated machinery and broader economic pressures in Mexico’s textile sector.

Upon the factory’s closure, most of its infrastructure was left in place, the entire facility abandoned. Things would stay this way until, over a decade later, the decision was made to sell the property. This single decision would go on to set the stage for one of the most creative and inspiring transformations in Mexico’s history.

From Abandoned Textile Factory to Hub of Creativity
In many ways, La Aurora’s transformation into one of the biggest cultural centers in San Miguel came as the result of a shared vision and a willingness to do what it takes to make said vision a reality.

The property was put up for sale in the early 2000s. Having been abandoned for over a decade, its machines corroded and its infrastructure in a clear state of disrepair, the sale was not a highly competitive one. However, this would end up working in favour of a small group of artists, designers, and investors, who shared a similar vision for the site’s revival.

For this group, the goal wasn’t to revive the factory to its glory days or even restore its facilities and infrastructure; it was to inspire. By turning this abandoned, local landmark into a cultural center, the group hoped not just to preserve a piece of San Miguel’s history but also to prove that even broken things can be transformed into something new and beautiful.

In 2004, the factory officially reopened, now under new management. Gone were the days of Fabrica La Aurora, the textile factory. In its place stood La Aurora Centro de Arte y Diseño, a haven dedicated to art, culture, and creativity.

La Aurora’s transformation from an abandoned 20th-century textile factory to the 21st-century creative and cultural powerhouse it is today didn’t happen by chance; it was the result of shared vision, determination, and unwavering belief that art could breathe new life into history.

Behind La Aurora’s transformation stand the bold artists and designers who chose to reimagine what was once a relic of industry into a living canvas of creativity. Notable names here include Christopher Fallon, Mary Rapp, Merry Calderoni, and DeWayne Youts, amongst others. Where most people saw heavily deteriorated infrastructure and machinery that had accumulated over a decade’s worth of rust and decay, these men and women saw the chance to build something extraordinary from the remnants of the past.

La Aurora Today — More Than Just a Renovated Factory
Today, the transformation of La Aurora is an inspiring example of cultural regeneration. In just two decades, the formerly abandoned factory had transformed into a creative sanctuary for artists and designers that houses a collection of art and design studios, galleries, and workshops.

Since its reopening the property has gone through a few renovations to fit its new purpose. Halls and corridors that used to house rows of looms and spinning machines now proudly display galleries and studios showcasing paintings, sculptures, furniture, and handcrafted designs from various artists and designers.

In just two decades, La Aurora had successfully reinvented itself. A quick look at the Cultural Center of Art and Design, La Aurora, today, and you’d be hard-pressed to see that century-old factory that was left unattended for over a decade. Instead, what you’d see is a thriving cultural landscape rich with art, design, and imagination; proof that even once-abandoned things can be given new life and made relevant again.

La Aurora Centro de Arte y Diseño is located just north of San Miguel’s historic center and is open to the public year-round, with regular art walks, exhibitions, and cafés within the old factory walls.

Huatulco

Poker of Queens

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By José Palacios y Román

Any time is a good time to bring together talents. Just as in ancient times, Alexandria gathered wise men in its library; beautiful Athens, thinkers and philosophers; Florence was the cradle of the Italian Renaissance with artists, political scientists, inventors; and so, more recently, Silicon Valley, with technologists and innovators…

In Huatulco, four talented local women who love the art of painting and who have come to paint through different paths will converge to exhibit half a dozen of their most recent works on Friday, November 14th at 6:30 p.m. at the Copalli Art Gallery in the Tangolunda hotel zone. Each one will present their own creative proposal, creating a synergy that fosters recognition, enjoyment, and reflection, sharing their most recent creations with the local population, seasonal residents, and visitors or tourists.

The four female figures resemble each other and join together to share the exhibition title “Poker of Queens,” a symbolic game where, like a Tarot deck, there are hidden messages, subtle intuitions, chance, and the connection to other realities. The conjunction of the painters: Edna Guzmán, Julieta Valadéz, Aranza León, and Alma Drew, each with her own unique style, offers original pieces with the healthy desire to come together and exhibit their paintings, carefully chosen for this art show.

With this first exhibition, the Copally Art Gallery inaugurates the 2025-2026 season of the Weekend Art Show series for three consecutive years. This edition focuses primarily on local artists. This time, the artists are Edna Guzmán, recognized for her extensive career; Julieta Valadéz, from a family of artists and expressive in her painting; Aranza León, trained in academia with great creative force; and Alma Drew, versatile in her proposals and tireless in her pictorial work.

The opening will feature live music by Ilhui LomeVal, a welcome cocktail, and the presence of the four artists for a shared love of art. Poker de Reinas will be on display from November 14th to December 6th, 2025.

Huatulco

Psilocybe mexicana: The Art and Culture of Mushrooms in Oaxaca

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By Michael Garroni

Oaxaca, long celebrated for its vibrant traditions, cuisine, and biodiversity, is also home to one of the richest legacies of mushroom use in the world. Known locally as hongos or setas, mushrooms have been an integral part of Oaxacan culture for centuries, woven into rituals, medicine, and the kitchen alike.
The Sierra Norte and Sierra Mazateca regions are blessed with diverse ecosystems where dozens of edible, medicinal, and even sacred fungi flourish. For the Mazatec people, mushrooms have long held spiritual significance. Their ceremonial use, led by healers known as curanderos or curanderas, traces back to pre-Hispanic times. These ceremonies use mushrooms as a sacred bridge between the natural and spiritual worlds, a tradition still respected and protected in many indigenous communities.

Perhaps the most renowned figure associated with this tradition is María Sabina, a Mazatec curandera from Huautla de Jiménez. Through her ceremonies with sacred mushrooms, she became an international symbol of the deep spiritual knowledge held by indigenous peoples. “There is a world beyond ours, a world that speaks,” she once said, describing the voices she heard through the mushrooms. Though her story is complex—marked by reverence, cultural misunderstanding, and the influx of outsiders—María Sabina’s legacy continues to shape the way the world views Oaxaca’s spiritual relationship with fungi.

Beyond their ceremonial role, mushrooms also play a vital part in Oaxacan cuisine. During the rainy season, markets across the state come alive with baskets of freshly gathered mushrooms: hongos de encino, setas de burro, nanches, and the prized hongo amarillo. Each variety carries unique flavors and is prepared in soups, tamales, or simply sautéed with garlic and chile, showcasing the Oaxacan talent for elevating local ingredients. Alongside these wild mushrooms, Oaxacan cooks also treasure huitlacoche, the dark, earthy fungus that grows on corn. Sometimes called the “Mexican truffle,” it is folded into tamales, sautéed with chile and onion, or stirred into soups, prized for its deep flavor and cultural significance. As one market vendor in Northern Oaxaca explains with pride: “Cada hongo tiene su secreto y su sabor. Aprenderlos es como aprender una lengua antigua”—“Each mushroom has its secret and its flavor. Learning them is like learning an ancient language.”

For many families in rural Oaxaca, mushroom gathering is also a way of life—a seasonal activity that teaches respect for nature and the forests that provide food and medicine. Elders pass down knowledge of which mushrooms are safe to eat, how to harvest them responsibly, and how they can heal the body or nourish the soul. This living heritage is celebrated most vibrantly in Huautla de Jiménez, where the Festival de los Hongos (Mushroom Festival) takes place every July. Visitors gather to taste local mushroom dishes, join guided walks through the lush Mazatec forests, and participate in cultural events that honor the sacred and culinary value of fungi. The festival is both a celebration and an act of preservation—keeping ancestral wisdom alive while inviting respectful dialogue with the wider world.

Today, interest in Oaxaca’s mycological traditions is only growing. Researchers, chefs, and travelers come seeking knowledge from communities that have safeguarded this wisdom for generations.

Carrying this cultural thread into the present, the Huatulco Art Gallery is proud to host Psilocybe mexicana, an art exhibition celebrating the role of mushrooms in Oaxacan society. Opening on November 28th and 29th, 2025, and running for one month, the exhibition gathers a diverse group of artists whose work reflects the spiritual, ecological, and aesthetic dimensions of fungi. Featured artists include Tomás Pineda, Ixrael Montes, José Alberto Canseco, Irving Cano, Michelle Anderst, Manuel Trapiche, Abdias García Gabriel, Chilango en la Baja, Edna Guzmán, Chris Isner, Edwin Fierros, Paola Mar, Horacio Jiron, Miguel Jiménez, José Aquino Azúa, Albert Von Kitsch, Memo Malo, Ernesto Robles, Andrew Osta, Mario Hernández, Benjamín Sánchez, Liann Aranza León, Gustavo Silva, Michael Garroni, Caesar Rodriguez Martínez, Marco Cortes, Clove Guzmán, and Tania Guzmán.

With painting, sculpture, and mixed media works inspired by mushrooms, Psilocybe mexicana extends the conversation beyond the forest and the kitchen, into the realm of contemporary art. It reflects how the cultural legacy of fungi continues to inspire creativity and dialogue in Oaxaca today—linking tradition with innovation, the sacred with the modern, and the local with the global.

In Oaxaca, mushrooms remind us that tradition is alive in every season’s harvest. They are symbols of the profound connection between land, people, and spirit—an inheritance as rich and diverse as the forests themselves, and now also a source of inspiration for art and community in Huatulco.

Huatulco

Huatulco, an Enclave of Cultures

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By José Palacios y Román

Long before the arrival of the Aztec (Nahuatl) people in the Valley of Mexico—and centuries before the Spanish conquest— the Oaxacan coast was home to thriving civilizations. The bays of Huatulco and their surrounding forests were dotted with human settlements and centers of high culture.

One of the most remarkable sites is the Copalita Eco-Archaeological Park, with its sanctuaries, ritual ball court, astronomical observatory, and sacred spaces for solar and lunar ceremonies. Archaeologists believe this was a cosmopolitan hub where diverse pre-Hispanic cultures—the Chontal, Zapotec, Mixtec, and even the Maya—converged. Much remains to be studied, but the late anthropologist Raúl Matadamas identified more than 180 unexplored vestiges in the region, including significant remains at the stunning Cacaluta Beach.

While written history only scratches the surface of this region’s cultural richness, Huatulco continues to evolve. Just fifty years ago, the local population relied primarily on fishing, corn farming, and seasonal coffee harvests. Today, tourism drives the economy, yet a new generation—rooted in ancestral traditions—is emerging with fresh artistic energy.

The natural beauty of Huatulco has long inspired artists from around the world, but it is the local painters who have given the region a distinct cultural identity. Masters such as Rafael Ortega, Abdías García, Edna Guzmán, Hergón, Heriberto Palafox, Susana Rubín, and Aranza León have established a lasting legacy, exhibiting in the few but growing number of local galleries.

Foreign collectors from Canada, the United States, and Europe have also played a role in elevating the region’s art scene, acquiring works that capture the pulse and emotion of Mexican creativity. Beyond its aesthetic power, art here has become a meaningful investment and a bridge connecting cultures.

For those eager to experience this creative spirit, the Copalli Art Gallery in Tangolunda offers a curated selection of works by local, national, and international artists. It stands as a testament to Huatulco’s unique blend of history, nature, and artistic expression—an open invitation to discover all this coastal enclave has to offer.

Info: http://www.facebook.com/copalligallery

 

Huatulco

The Political Art of José Guadalupe Posada

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By Jane Bauer

Most people know this image but don’t know its significance—La Calavera Catrina. La Calavera Catrina serves as a critique of Mexico’s upper class. Created around 1910, this skeleton, dressed in a fancy European-style hat, mocks the Mexican elite who sought to adopt European customs while neglecting their own cultural roots. The image later became a symbol of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), representing the idea that wealth and social status are fleeting.

The artist, José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913) was a Mexican illustrator and printmaker known for his politically charged and satirical caricatures. His work, often featuring calaveras (skeletons), critiqued the social and political inequalities of his time. Through his art, Posada gave voice to the struggles of the working class and exposed the corruption of the elite, making his work an enduring symbol of Mexico’s revolutionary spirit.

The Role of Satire in Posada’s Work
Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Posada began his career as a printmaker and political cartoonist. He honed his skills in lithography and engraving, producing thousands of illustrations for newspapers, pamphlets, and broadsides. His ability to blend humor with biting social commentary made his work highly influential, particularly during the turbulent years leading up to the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920).Posada’s caricatures often depicted the stark class divisions in Mexican society. He used skeletons—an iconic element of his work—not only as a reminder of mortality but as a way to strip away superficial differences and highlight universal human conditions. By portraying both the rich and the poor as calaveras, he revealed the absurdity of class hierarchies and the inevitability of death, which rendered all distinctions meaningless.

Another significant piece, Calavera of Don Quixote, reimagines Miguel de Cervantes’ literary hero in contemporary Mexico. In this print, Don Quixote is in battle, much like the poor struggling against the oppressive forces of industrialization and political corruption. Posada’s use of the famous character serves as a metaphor for the struggles of the underprivileged against an unjust system.

Posada’s influence extended far beyond his lifetime. His work inspired generations of Mexican artists, including Diego Rivera, who prominently featured La Catrina in his mural Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central). Rivera and other members of the Mexican Muralism movement admired Posada’s ability to blend art with social criticism, using visual storytelling to advocate for political change.

Today, Posada is celebrated not only for his artistic talent but also for his fearless critique of class disparities. His calaveras remain a powerful reminder of Mexico’s history of social struggle, and his legacy endures in the country’s cultural consciousness. Through his bold and unflinching work, Posada continues to speak to issues of inequality, reminding us that the fight for justice is eternal.

Huatulco

The Legacies of Emiliano Zapata: Apparently, the Personal was NOT Political

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By Deborah Van Hoewyk

Even if you don’t know much about Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919), you’ve probably heard of the Zapatista movement he inspired (see Julie Etra’s article elsewhere in this issue). Dedicated to the proposition that land should be returned to the people, Zapata, as commander of the Liberation Army of the South, is one of the best-known heroes of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20). When Francisco Madero successfully ousted the dictator Porfirio Díaz and made himself president in 1911, however, he failed to implement any of the land reforms Zapata and like-minded revolutionaries expected.

Zapata went home to Ayala in Morelos (south of Mexico City) and wrote his “Plan de Ayala,” castigating Madero and ensuring that the peasants of Morelos would benefit from land reform. The Plan de Ayala was instrumental to creating Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution, which establishes indigenous land rights in communal holdings (ejidos and comunidades agrarias); it is considered a fundamental text for the Zapatista movement.

The Mexican Revolution was marked by chaos: coups, assassinations, hostilities between northern and southern factions in what was basically a-civil-war-within-a-civil-war. Zapata was a thorn in the side of Mexico’s various presidents – none of whom implemented any meaningful land reform, despite the 1917 Constitution. The Constitution had been promoted by Venustiano Carranza, governor of the state of Coahuila; in the wake of the Constitution, Carranza became president of Mexico.

Once in office, he was determined to get rid of Zapata, who took his ragged peasant soldiers into battle whenever his demands were ignored. On April 10, 1919, Carranza’s military organized an elaborate ruse to get Zapata to a supposedly secret meeting at Hacienda Chinameca (about 18 km, or 11 miles, south of Ayala). He arrived on horseback and saluted the military lineup; they promptly murdered him in his saddle.

Zapata’s Political Legacy

Politically, Zapata left behind a peasant movement that lives on today, mostly in Chiapas. The lengthy dominant-party role of the PRI party (Partido Revolucionario Institucional – see Randy Jackson’s article elsewhere in this issue) left many people, especially younger people, feeling there was no political avenue open to them except Zapata-style resistance. As the Revolution faded (it took quite some time for the fighting to stop), the Zapatistas began a long and complicated history of representing the indigenous peoples of southern Mexico, often clashing with northern anti-government groups.

Three events crystallized the Zapatista identity and firmly located it in the Lacondon jungle area of Chiapas as the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (National Zapatista Army of Liberation, or EZLN).

· In 1992, Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution (which had been repealed in 1991) was amended, basically eliminating any official recognition of the need for land reform and halting any efforts at protecting communal lands of indigenous or campesino groups.
· On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, leading the EZLN to declare war on the Mexico government. The EZLN occupied four towns in Chiapas, including San Cristóbal de las Casas; after 11 days of bloody fighting, during which 300 people died, the Mexican government started negotiations with the EZLN. It took two years, but in 1996, the Mexican government and the EZLN signed the San Andres Accords, granting autonomy, recognition, and rights to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. In other words, the Accords ostensibly restored some portions of Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution.
· Also in 1996, the EZLN convened an Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, becoming the de facto leader of leftist activists around the world.

As time has passed, the Zapatistas have had less impact on political issues; the EZLN still exists, and still fights for indigenous rights, but their activities are mostly confined to Chiapas. They are opposed to mega-infrastructure projects in the region and maintain ties with European activists. Drug cartels have used violence against local Zapatista governments, causing the EZLN to reorganize in more local collectives aligned with broader Assemblies of Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments” (ACGAZ).

Zapata’s Personal Legacies: Men???

Zapata, an icon of machismo, had twenty or so kids with either 9 or 14 women (he only married one of them); he may also have been bisexual, a possibility that has recently been reexamined because of a painting.

A Controversial Painting. On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, protesters stormed the usually staid and monumental Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City’s historic center. Many of the protesters were indigenous farmers – those for whom Zapata had fought. Their target was one particular painting in the exhibition Emiliano. Zapata Después de Zapata (Emiliano. Zapata after Zapata), held to mark the centennial of Zapata’s death.

Three events crystallized the Zapatista identity and firmly located it in the Lacondon jungle area of Chiapas as the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (National Zapatista Army of Liberation, or EZLN).

· In 1992, Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution (which had been repealed in 1991) was amended, basically eliminating any official recognition of the need for land reform and halting any efforts at protecting communal lands of indigenous or campesino groups.
· On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, leading the EZLN to declare war on the Mexico government. The EZLN occupied four towns in Chiapas, including San Cristóbal de las Casas; after 11 days of bloody fighting, during which 300 people died, the Mexican government started negotiations with the EZLN. It took two years, but in 1996, the Mexican government and the EZLN signed the San Andres Accords, granting autonomy, recognition, and rights to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. In other words, the Accords ostensibly restored some portions of Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution.
· Also in 1996, the EZLN convened an Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, becoming the de facto leader of leftist activists around the world.

As time has passed, the Zapatistas have had less impact on political issues; the EZLN still exists, and still fights for indigenous rights, but their activities are mostly confined to Chiapas. They are opposed to mega-infrastructure projects in the region and maintain ties with European activists. Drug cartels have used violence against local Zapatista governments, causing the EZLN to reorganize in more local collectives aligned with broader Assemblies of Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments” (ACGAZ).

Zapata’s Personal Legacies: Men???

Zapata, an icon of machismo, had twenty or so kids with either 9 or 14 women (he only married one of them); he may also have been bisexual, a possibility that has recently been reexamined because of a painting.

A Controversial Painting. On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, protesters stormed the usually staid and monumental Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City’s historic center. Many of the protesters were indigenous farmers – those for whom Zapata had fought. Their target was one particular painting in the exhibition Emiliano. Zapata Después de Zapata (Emiliano. Zapata after Zapata), held to mark the centennial of Zapata’s death.

Three events crystallized the Zapatista identity and firmly located it in the Lacondon jungle area of Chiapas as the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (National Zapatista Army of Liberation, or EZLN).

· In 1992, Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution (which had been repealed in 1991) was amended, basically eliminating any official recognition of the need for land reform and halting any efforts at protecting communal lands of indigenous or campesino groups.
· On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, leading the EZLN to declare war on the Mexico government. The EZLN occupied four towns in Chiapas, including San Cristóbal de las Casas; after 11 days of bloody fighting, during which 300 people died, the Mexican government started negotiations with the EZLN. It took two years, but in 1996, the Mexican government and the EZLN signed the San Andres Accords, granting autonomy, recognition, and rights to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. In other words, the Accords ostensibly restored some portions of Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution.
· Also in 1996, the EZLN convened an Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, becoming the de facto leader of leftist activists around the world.

As time has passed, the Zapatistas have had less impact on political issues; the EZLN still exists, and still fights for indigenous rights, but their activities are mostly confined to Chiapas. They are opposed to mega-infrastructure projects in the region and maintain ties with European activists. Drug cartels have used violence against local Zapatista governments, causing the EZLN to reorganize in more local collectives aligned with broader Assemblies of Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments” (ACGAZ).

Zapata’s Personal Legacies: Men???

Zapata, an icon of machismo, had twenty or so kids with either 9 or 14 women (he only married one of them); he may also have been bisexual, a possibility that has recently been reexamined because of a painting.

A Controversial Painting. On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, protesters stormed the usually staid and monumental Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City’s historic center. Many of the protesters were indigenous farmers – those for whom Zapata had fought. Their target was one particular painting in the exhibition Emiliano. Zapata Después de Zapata (Emiliano. Zapata after Zapata), held to mark the centennial of Zapata’s death.

Three events crystallized the Zapatista identity and firmly located it in the Lacondon jungle area of Chiapas as the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (National Zapatista Army of Liberation, or EZLN).

· In 1992, Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution (which had been repealed in 1991) was amended, basically eliminating any official recognition of the need for land reform and halting any efforts at protecting communal lands of indigenous or campesino groups.
· On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed, leading the EZLN to declare war on the Mexico government. The EZLN occupied four towns in Chiapas, including San Cristóbal de las Casas; after 11 days of bloody fighting, during which 300 people died, the Mexican government started negotiations with the EZLN. It took two years, but in 1996, the Mexican government and the EZLN signed the San Andres Accords, granting autonomy, recognition, and rights to the indigenous peoples of Mexico. In other words, the Accords ostensibly restored some portions of Article 27 of the 1917 Constitution.
· Also in 1996, the EZLN convened an Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, becoming the de facto leader of leftist activists around the world.

As time has passed, the Zapatistas have had less impact on political issues; the EZLN still exists, and still fights for indigenous rights, but their activities are mostly confined to Chiapas. They are opposed to mega-infrastructure projects in the region and maintain ties with European activists. Drug cartels have used violence against local Zapatista governments, causing the EZLN to reorganize in more local collectives aligned with broader Assemblies of Collectives of Zapatista Autonomous Governments” (ACGAZ).

Zapata’s Personal Legacies: Men???

Zapata, an icon of machismo, had twenty or so kids with either 9 or 14 women (he only married one of them); he may also have been bisexual, a possibility that has recently been reexamined because of a painting.

A Controversial Painting. On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, protesters stormed the usually staid and monumental Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City’s historic center. Many of the protesters were indigenous farmers – those for whom Zapata had fought. Their target was one particular painting in the exhibition Emiliano. Zapata Después de Zapata (Emiliano. Zapata after Zapata), held to mark the centennial of Zapata’s death.

It wasn’t this one …

 

 

 

 

 

Nor was it this one, odd as it may be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was this one. Note that the stilettoes seem to be revolvers, Zapata’s sombrero is pink with painted flowers, and the horse is – um – aroused. The title is La Revolución.

Antonio Medrano spoke for the protesters: “This isn’t freedom of expression, it is debauchery! It’s degrading. They can’t exhibit our history that way … they can’t permit this kind of mockery.” Perhaps the strongest protests came from Zapata’s descendants, who said they would sue to have the painting removed. Jorge Zapata Gonzalez, Zapata’s grandson, asserted that “We are not going to allow this,” said Jorge Zapata Gonzalez. “For us as relatives, this denigrates the figure of our general – depicting him as gay.”

The artist, Fabián Cháirez, says he was surprised by the cries to take it down, hide it away, or burn it. Cháirez, gay himself, shows a number of similar paintings on his website – La Revolución was painted in 2014. At the time of the exhibition, the artist told the BBC he conceived of the painting as a counterpoint to the predominant image of masculinity as a white fortachón (strongman – Zapata was called el caudillo del sur, another way to say “strongman”); he said he thought issues of sexuality “had already been overcome or [were] under control: inclusion, respect for diversity or difference. Issues such as machismo, misogyny, homophobia.” Those who disagree with the protesters see the painting as an exercise in artistic freedom, or as an effort to quell the negative Mexican attitude towards anything effeminate.

 

Huatulco

Sergio Valadez Estrada: A Visionary’s Lasting Legacy in Art

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By Tania Guzmán

In the world of art, few have managed to blend the vibrancy of Mexican heritage with the enigmatic charm of Parisian nights as masterfully as the late Sergio Valadez Estrada. The Huatulco Art Gallery in Plaza Chahue proudly houses ten of Valadez’s final masterpieces. In this article, we intend to celebrate and illuminate the profound impact of Valadez’s work.

Born with the challenge of color blindness, Valadez turned this into an artistic strength, demonstrating that true art transcends the conventional spectrum of colors. A graduate of the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas (National School of Plastic Arts) of Mexico and first-prize winner of the Valores Jóvenes (≈ Youth of Merit) award in 1964, Valadez’s journey was nothing short of remarkable.

His art, heavily influenced by his Mexican roots and the atmospheric nightscapes of Paris, speaks volumes of his dual heritage. Valadez, an expressionist at heart, drew inspiration from the likes of famed political muralist José Clemente Orozco, yet he maintained a unique touch, a testament to his resilience in preserving his cultural identity despite his long residence in France.

Joining the Taller de Gráfica Popular (People’s Graphic Workshop) in 1963, Valadez worked under the tutelage of another major muralist, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Workshop co-founder Leopoldo Méndez. Valadez’s career burgeoned, leading him to international acclaim in Mexico, France, the United States, and Belgium. His art, deeply connected to the lives of ordinary people, vividly captures the essence of communal celebrations and struggles, often displayed in spaces like cabarets and bars.

Valadez’s acclaim is not limited to his paintings. He was a celebrated musician, imbuing the old cafes of Le Marais in Paris with the soulful melodies of his accordion, blending French and Latin American tunes. His interactive musical performances, in which he improvised instruments and distributed lyrics to the audience, were a unique, immersive experience for his appreciative audiences.

Huatulco Art Gallery, now the custodian of ten of Valadez’s last works, invites you to experience the depth and breadth of his artistic genius. Each piece is a gateway into the world of Valadez – a world where expressionism, Mexican vibrancy, and Parisian subtlety coalesce into a symphony of visual delight.

Valadez’s journey from the streets of Mexico City to the heart of Paris is not just a story of geographical transition but an odyssey of artistic evolution. His work serves as a bridge between cultures, capturing the parallel lives and vibrant atmospheres of two distinct worlds.

His artistic signature, often playfully concealed within the intricate details of his works, is a humble reminder of his belief in art for art’s sake. This playful element adds another layer of engagement for the viewer, inviting them to delve deeper into the narrative woven into each canvas.

As we remember Sergio Valadez Estrada, we do not merely recall an artist who painted, sculpted, and played music; we reminisce about a visionary who saw the world in a different light and painted it in hues only he could perceive. His works, now on display and available for acquisition, are not just pieces of art; they are fragments of a legacy that continues to inspire and captivate.

The life and work of Sergio Valadez Estrada are a testament to the enduring power of art to bridge cultures, transcend barriers, and touch the human spirit. We invite art enthusiasts and collectors alike to experience this magical fusion of cultures and emotions, to own a piece of history, and to keep the legacy of this extraordinary artist alive.

The Sergio Valadez Exhibit is on display until March 1, 2024.

Huatulco Art Gallery
95 Benito Juárez Blvd
Plaza Chahue, Local S2
Sector P

Monday to Saturday 10 am to 2 pm
Email: taniaguzman.art@gmail.com
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Tel: 958-174-9964