The Visiting Mexican
Artists Program

The program presents master Oaxacan woodcarver Ventura Fabian and his son Norberto in a series of presentations about their craft to diverse communities in the greater Boston metropolitan area. Over a four-week period in the fall of 2006, to coincide with Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday, the artists will visit elementary schools and art centers in Cambridge, Boston and surrounding towns to share the allure and vibrancy of Mexican artistic expression.

The project touches upon numerous themes, such as the art of Oaxacan woodcarving, the daily life of a rural artisan family, how children participate in helping the family survive economically, and how family members create a balance between subsistence agriculture and craft work. An educator's outreach packet is provided to all the participating schools prior to the visits.

In our 2003 tour, the artists gave workshops and their work was exhibited at several prominent venues throughout their stay. This fall we hope to return to: the Boston Children's Museum, the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, Nomad's, Club Passim's Culture for Kids Program, and WBZ-TV's Centro segment on their Saturday morning news program.

The School Presentations consist of five 45-minute sessions at each school. The visiting artists set up a basic "workshop" and proceed throughout the school day to create from raw wood a complete, highly detailed work of art. At an adjacent table, a wide array of their crafts is laid out for viewing. Throughout the session, as Ventura and Norberto work on their original carvings, all phases of their craft are shown.

The presentation begins with an introductory 10-minute video produced by Nina Hasin about the artists and their village that features animated segments of Ventura Fabian's carvings. This is followed by a 15-minute talk about the history and craft of Oaxacan woodcarving, the daily life of the artists and their family in their woodcarving community, and a description of each phase of the process that culminates in the hand-carved, hand-painted figures. Examples of the work are passed through the audience in order to view the detail in the figures more closely.

Nina Hasin coordinates the event and translates for the artists as they answer the questions from the audience in the 20-minute Question & Answer period that ends each session. As the children leave, they file one by one past the table display to view the artwork. A carving that was completed that day is presented to the school as a parting gift. The school staff and any parents attending the sessions are permitted to purchase the figures on display at the end of the school day.

For more information please contact Nina Hasin at (617) 522-4008 or ninah36@yahoo.com

The program is funded in part by grants from the Cambridge Arts Council, a local chapter supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Roxbury Highland Charitable Foundation.

 Contact Nina Hasin at ninah36@yahoo.com or (617) 522-4008 for more information