Alebrijes: Tilcajete

Mystical art, history, culture, and practice. Oaxacan alebrijes are surreal dream-like wooden sculptures composed of elements of different animals and mythical creatures, painted with brilliant colors and patterns. Mastering this process requires dedication, patience, and a keen attention to detail. Join us in venturing to Tilcajete to immerse yourself in this artform.

Paint & Sip: Alebrijes (Oaxaca Centro)

Join us in one of our favorite partnering small businesses for our original Tlayudona experience–alebrije painting. This experience offers you a brief explanation about this treasured Oaxacan folk-art from a fourth-generation member of an alebrije-painting family before you delve into painting your own.

Paint & Sip: Alebrijes for Families (Oaxaca Centro)

Like our other Paint and Sip experience, this family-oriented event is mostly hands-on. You´ll begin the experience by learning a bit about colors and patterns as you choose your alebrije and paint your base coat. Then you´ll get to sip agua de sabor (or coffee or mezcal, if you´re an adult) while you decorate your alebrije and munch on cookies.

Hands In Clay

There are few things more satisfying and pure than creating art with earth. That being said, we are excited to work with three generations of women in this studio to bring to you our new “Hands in Clay” experiences, where we have the opportunity to do just that.

Socio-cultural Highlights: Women in Weaving

Josefina founded the Women’s Weaving Cooperative in Teotitlán, which when it began, was the first and only women’s collective in her village. It was a long, hard road toward autonomy for her and the other widows and single-moms she worked with. They were up against many obstacles, not the least of which often being their own families and men in their communities.

Open-Air Dyeing and Weaving

Our dyeing host from Teotitlán, Doña Josefina from the women´s collective, is hosting this multiple day hands-on workshop in which you will be able to dye a range of natural colors from organic pigments, and then weave your own small piece to take home. We can arrange this experience for a minimum of two complete days, and up to a week of intense learning. Information below is based upon two days of immersion. Discounts apply for longer immersion periods.

Two-Day Dye Workshop: Create the Rainbow

Join Tlayudona at a dye studio conveniently located in downtown Oaxaca City. They offer a variety of natural dyeing workshops using cochineal, pomegranate, wild marigold, indigo, and brazilwood. They are also an experimental studio where natural dyes can be applied on fabric, yarn, paper, etc. Its wife/husband team of hosts has many years of combined experience in techniques from around the world.