Oaxaca Textile and Folk Art Study Tour
January 3-12, 2023
Oaxaca, Mexico
Escorted Group Tour
Esprit's Inaugural Trip to a New Destination: Oaxaca, Mexico
We invite you to join us next January on an unparalleled, eclectic travel experience in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the Esprit tradition, we will focus on diving deeply into Oaxaca’s vibrant culture through exclusive meetings with artisans who create the finest textiles and folk art that Oaxaca has to offer, and exploration of the city’s colorful neighborhoods, markets, and architectural treasures. We will also savor flavors from mole to cactus ice cream and other regional delicacies. Oaxaca is a walkable city that is surrounded by beautiful mountains, has mild, pleasant winter weather, and is buzzing with creative energy.
On this 9-night tour, we will introduce you to artisans in both the city and surrounding villages, so you can support them and their families directly. This experience, designed for Esprit’s travelers, is open to collectors, lovers of art and folk art, artists, photographers, foodies and anyone with curiosity and an open heart who wants to learn more about Oaxaca’s creative traditions. Even if you have been to Oaxaca before, we promise you that there is still much to discover.
Norma Schafer and Eric Chavez Santiago of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, (OCN) will be your expert resource leaders, joining Esprit’s Nancy Craft to give you this unparalleled travel experience. Nancy has visited Oaxaca many times and it has become one of her favorite places, reminding her of Kyoto in many ways. Eric and Norma know each artist personally and have cultivated their trust and friendship over many years. In homes and workshops, we will learn about the value and importance of continuing their traditions, and the special techniques they have developed to become masters. Norma and Eric will introduce us to the best of the best.
In addition to the rich program that we have prepared for the group, you will also have plenty of time to discover Oaxaca on your own, photographing mural art, people watching in one of the many public squares, sampling local beverages at the magical sunset hour at rooftop restaurants, seeing museum shows at your leisure, shopping, with our curated suggestions, visiting graphic art workshops and touring the ethno-botanical garden. You might even get to see a wedding celebration in the plaza of one of Oaxaca’s historic churches!
Norma Schafer is a retired university administrator and founder of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator. She divides her time between Teotitlan del Valle and Taos, New Mexico. In 2006, Norma started offering weaving and natural dye workshops, and cultural and textile study tours, concentrating on Oaxaca and Chiapas. She is a contributor to the textile guidebook, Textile Fiestas of Mexico, has been featured in The New York Times, and has published articles in the international Selvedge Magazine and literary magazines. She writes the blog Oaxaca Cultural Navigator about life and art in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico.
Eric Chavez Santiago is an expert in Oaxaca and Mexican textiles and folk art with a special interest in artisan development and promotion. He is a weaver and natural dyer by training and a fourth-generation member of the Fe y Lola textile group. He and his wife Elsa are founders of Taller Teñido a Mano dye studio. Eric is trilingual, speaking Zapotec, Spanish and English and is a native of Teotitlan del Valle. A graduate of Anahuac University, Eric founded the Museo Textil de Oaxaca education department in 2007 and went on to become managing director of the folk art gallery Andares del Arte Popular, a post he held until late 2021. He has intimate knowledge of local traditions and culture.
Frost for the warp and dewdrops for the weft are too weak—
no sooner is the mountain brocade woven
than it scatters in tatters.
Fujiwara no Sekio (c 1200)
Oaxaca Textile and Folk Art Study Tour
From our base in Oaxaca, we will...
φ Be welcomed into the homes of artists and craftspeople in both the city and in small villages;
φ Study age-old weaving and natural dye techniques and see fine contemporary interpretations;
φ Experience village life and have a hands-on natural dye experience in Teotitlan de Valle, a rug weaving village;
φ Explore lively local markets and colorful neighborhoods;
φ Savor the richly varied world of Oaxacan cuisine
Daily Itinerary
Tuesday, January 3
Depart Home/Arrive Mexico
Travel to Oaxaca (there are direct flights from Houston and Dallas) and transfer the short distance to the downtown area via secure shuttle or private taxi (we’ll give you instructions) and check in to our hotel. Our base in Oaxaca de Juarez city will be a centrally located, small and charming boutique hotel. The evening is free.
Meals included today: none
Wednesday, January 4
Oaxaca
We set out after breakfast for a morning Oaxaca city meander. We will have an introduction to folk art, and textiles shops and learn how to discern and differentiate quality and understand pricing. You’ll learn about Oaxaca’s back-story – history, social and economic forces, craft development and evolution.
We’ll taste some quintessential Oaxacan dishes at a leisurely welcome luncheon. The reminder of the day is free. We will offer ample ideas for time on your own, including museum shows, galleries and shops, and local markets.
Meals included today: breakfast and lunch
Thursday, January 5
Oaxaca
This morning, we will visit the studio of a printmaker. Oaxacan graphic artists use traditional block printing methods to express compelling and timely political and social themes. From noon, we will join a unique walking food tour where we will sample different types of Oaxacan cuisine at selected restaurants. The tour will conclude in the late afternoon.
Meals included today: breakfast and sampling on the food tour
Friday, January 6
Oaxaca
We’ll travel along the Ocotlan artisan route to the black pottery-making village, San Bartolo Coyotepec and visit a nearby cochineal farm. Next, we will meet the maker of amazing carved wood and painted whimsical figures in San Martin Tilcajete. After lunch, we’ll visit a grand master who creates primitive figures from local clay and meet an embroiderer who creates flower gardens on cloth.
Meals included today: breakfast and lunch
Saturday, January 7
Teotitlan del Valle
After breakfast, we head out for two nights with overnight bags to the small and traditional weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. En route, we stop in Santa Maria del Tule to see a massive 3,000-year-old cedar tree, the oldest in Mesoamerica. We will visit the home workshop of a noted weaver who makes cotton home goods for the best hotels and restaurants. We will arrive in Teotitlan del Valle and have lunch and later, you will meet a family of weavers who work in natural dyes.
Our accommodations in the village are at a comfortable guest house.
Meals included today: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Sunday, January 8
Teotitlan del Valle
We set off early to spend time at the massive Tlacolula Market, which is held every Sunday. Streets are closed and filled with hundreds of stalls selling food, crafts, tools, plants, dried chilies and seeds and more. People from the surrounding villages wearing their traditional dress come to buy and sell at this amazing market.
Returning to Teotitlan del Valle we will meet a cooperative of women who make handbags, and another weaving studio. Later, we will participate in an indigo dye workshop at the Tenido a Mano studio, followed by dinner at Norma’s house.
Meals included today: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Monday, January 9
Oaxaca
After breakfast, our first stop is in San Marcos Tlapazola to visit a renowned red-clay pottery cooperative. Continuing south on the Pan-American highway, we will meet a weaver known for his work with natural dyes and ikat. In Mitla, we will tour the famed archeological site, then enjoy a mezcal tasting in nearby Matatlan, known as the Mezcal capital of the world. We’ll return to Oaxaca City in the late afternoon and the evening is free to settle back into our hotel.
Meals included today: breakfast and lunch
Tuesday, January 10
Oaxaca
This morning, we have arranged for a private expoventa for our group. We’ll invite four outstanding artisans to talk about their work and offer some amazing pieces for sale. They will represent weaving villages that are six to twelve hours distance from the city, not easily accessible to tourists. The afternoon is free.
Meals included today: breakfast
Wednesday, January 11
Oaxaca
If it is still required, and you are returning to the US tomorrow, we will assist you with getting a Covid test this morning.
At Andares del Arte Popular, part of the Alfredo Harp Helu Foundation that supports artisan development, we will see an excellent selection of quality handicrafts from the different regions of Oaxaca and throughout Mexico.
At the Museo Textil, we will see the current show and browse their beautifully curated gift shop. Changing exhibits highlight the different fibers, dyes, techniques, and designs produced throughout the state. The remainder of the day is free to do some last-minute shopping and packing until we meet for our farewell dinner at one of Oaxaca’s most highly rated restaurants for a meal created especially for us.
Meals included today: breakfast and dinner
Thursday, January 12
Depart
We will help you make transportation arrangements to the Oaxaca airport for your homeward flight.
Meals included today: breakfast
Pricing
Price: $4450 sharing a room. The supplement for a single room is $500.
What Is Included
• 9 nights lodging
• Meals as indicated
• Entry fees to included sites
• Transportation by local taxi and hire van
• Informative guide services and exclusive access to artist homes and studios
Not included
· Airfare
· Airport transfers
· Guide tips
· Travel insurance
· Alcoholic beverages
Reservations and Cancellations:
A $500 non-refundable deposit will guarantee your place on the tour.
The balance will be due on October 1, 2022. We accept credit cards.
For registration information and Terms and Conditions, call 800-377-7481 – ext. 1, or email nancy@esprittravel.com.
Please review our Terms and Conditions and Cancellation Policy:
https://www.esprittravel.com/esprit-terms-conditions
Since there are no exceptions to our cancellation policies, we strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance.
Terrain and Walking:
The altitude of Oaxaca is 5100 feet. Streets and sidewalks are uneven and can be slippery. We will do a lot of walking and you must be reasonably fit to join this tour.
Covid 19 notes:
(This information is current as of April 2022. We will continue to update this information.)
For the protection of both our group and our Oaxaca hosts we will ask for your proof of vaccination when you register, and we will wear masks during all indoor visits on this tour. Most residents of Oaxaca wear masks both indoors and outdoors, and strict hand sanitation procedures are followed everywhere. Although masks may not be mandated, we ask you to respect the local practices that are being followed both indoors and outdoors.
Currently, regardless of vaccination status, proof of a negative antigen test taken the day before you return to the US is required. You may bring your own video supervised antigen test kit, or have the test done by a local laboratory who will come to our hotel. If you are extending your stay in Oaxaca, we will give you information on how to get tested the day before you return.
Note: Actual visits and events will be finalized approximately 30 days prior to departure to allow for the inclusion of special exhibitions, visits and events, and are dependent on the schedules of our Oaxacan colleagues. A final itinerary will be sent to you about two weeks prior to tour departure. The itinerary is subject to change at any time.
** Some photographs are courtesy of Norma Schafer.
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