Lokkal- todo SMA

At long last, Eric Mindling is coming to San Miguel to share, through slides and lecture, his unique appreciation of the traditional indigenous pottery and textiles of Oaxaca. It took Eric eighteen years to even find all of the sixty-eight barely accessible Oaxaca villages where beautiful pots are created, and traditional indigenous dress is still being worn every day, “sixty-eight golden nuggets of tradition and skill,” as he says.

Eric beautifully conveys his reverence for the working pots that keep the village kitchens functioning, and for the potters who create them. Holding a beautiful round pot in his hands, he said, “I put my nose deep into its heart and drew a long full breath . . . It tasted of moist earth, smoke, the oak wood, and hills where it had come from; of the open fields and reaches of corn around the village. It smelled of stone, of soil, and of the matter we are all made from. I drew in . . . the perfection of this round pot, made just so for nearly four thousand years to sit over countless morning fires.”

Mindling is the author of two gorgeous and informative books: Clay and Fire and Oaxaca Stories in Cloth. In both of them, he invites us to experience Mexican culture in its pure form, the Mexico that is disappearing all too fast but that lives on in these isolated villages, where indigenous languages are still spoken, ancient traditions are still followed, and artists’ skills are still passed on to the next generation.

This slide presentation will educate your eye and deepen your appreciation of the traditional “market pots” still sold at Indian markets and still used in indigenous communities to cook and carry water, to store grains, and to preserve food. You will learn that “clothing is a language through which a people can tell stories about themselves, their community, and their place in the universe. History, myths, cultural patterns, and the gifts of the natural world are transformed in women’s hands to create the costume that identifies their village.” A garment might reveal “ . . . a weaver’s origins, her family ties, and even her desires and fears.” Through all the changes and modernizations of recent decades, “the cultural roots of Mesoamerica run so deep and strong that the First Nations have been able to hold on to elements of their heritage in spite of European colonization.”

We have been trying for years to entice Eric Mindling to San Miguel for a presentation. Don’t miss this rare chance to meet him and to hear his stories and see his breathtaking photographs. Share in his truly deep dive into a Mexican experience available only to the most intrepid and patient travelers. His books will be available for purchase.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, October 19 at 2:00 PM in the Santa Ana Theater in the Biblioteca. Tickets at $100 pesos are available at the Santa Ana box office or at the door, but arrive early to buy a ticket at the door or to purchase a book.

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