MAMAZ at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center

The exhibition Maiz en el Umbral de la Agonía / Maiz in the throes of death opened at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center on June 25, 2011. The tittle derived from one of the selected pieces, a polychrome pottery piece by San Antonio artist Veronica Castillo. 

Exhibit invitation. Piece by Veronica Castillo and Patricia Castillo Hernandez, 'Blue Maize in the Throes of Death,' 2011. Polychrome pottery. 74 x 52 cm. 

Here are a few images documenting the creative process and the wonderful artists that participated in this exhibit at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Prepping for the show.

Artists selected for this show included Gloria Sanchez Hart, Kamala Platt, Nancy Klapp, Rosalyn Warren, Liliana Wilson, Martha Prentiss, Genevieve Rodriguez, Soledad Martha Hernandez Baez, Mary Agnes Rodriguez, Josie Méndez-Negrete, Veronica Castillo and Patricia Castillo Hernandez,Christa Klinckwort, Maddalena Forcella, Minerva Hernandez, Adriana Calatayud Morán,Yolanda Petrocelli,Emilia Sandoval, Maruch (María) Sántiz Gómez,Nadja Massun, Mari Seder, Jessica P. Gonzalez, Margarita de la Peña, Ana Gómez, and Marietta Bernstorff.

Putting the finishing touches for the exhibit at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

Finished galleries at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Piece by Genevieve Rodriguez, 'Once upon a time...' 2011. Acrylic paint, yarn and corn. 

Piece by Rosalynn Warren, 'Within our roots,' 2011. Textile collage / quilt, hand & machine sewn. 102 x 152 cm.

MAMAZ at VI International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art

We are pleased to announce that MAMAZ will be participating in this year's VI International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art with three collective pieces on the Wind Pollination of Maize Flowers. To learn more about the May 2011 exhibit and this year's Contemporary Textile Art exhibit visit World Textile Art.

Quilting and Patchwork in Oaxaca

San Agustin, Etla, Oaxaca.
Doña Olivo has been making sheets and bedcovers for her friends and family for years. Her work provides her and her family a much needed source of extra income. To read more about our quilt and patchwork collaborations with women in villages in Oaxaca visit our Quilt Project section!

Benefit for Oaxaca's MAMAZ Collective

BY CLAUDIA ALARCÓN

By pure chance, I heard that my colleague Claudia Zapata was the curator of "El Maíz Es Nuestra Vida/ Maize Is Our Life," a traveling art exhibit that features art from women concerned about Mexico's native maize seeds. This exhibit was created by Oaxaca's MAMAZ Collect­ive (Mujeres Artistas y el Maíz), a nonprofit women's arts organization that strives to raise awareness about our environment and our native seeds through art, food, and culture. Concerns about the fact that many varieties of maize are in danger of extinction due to the arrival of genetically modified seeds, as well as the GM seeds' effect on cultural memory and biodiversity, are at the heart of the exhibit and of MAMAZ's mission. If you missed the exhibit during its recent time in Austin, you'll be able to catch it in San Antonio in the fall. In the meantime, you can help MAMAZ's various initiatives, including "El Maíz Es Nuestra Vida," by attending the fundraising dinner at El Sol y la Luna this Monday. What better way to emphasize the importance of biodiversity than through our foodstuffs?

The evening's highlight will be the authentic five-course menu by guest chef Pilar Cabrera, executive chef and co-owner of the highly acclaimed downtown Oaxacan restaurant La Olla and La Casa de los Sabores cooking school. Cabrera, of indigenous Zapotec heritage, learned the basics and many secrets of the Oaxacan kitchen from her maternal grandmother. She has a degree in food sciences and nutrition from a university in Mexico City and worked for three years in research and development for the food giant Herdez prior to embarking upon her career as a chef. Her belief in slow food, the use of organic meats and produce, and a holistic approach to her work have earned her the respect of many – including celebrity chef Rick Bayless, who sends his staff to Oaxaca to learn from Cabrera at Casa de los Sabores – and features in publications such as Bon Appétit and The New York Times.

To complement her celebration-of-corn menu, there will be a cash bar featuring Mexican beer and El Sol y la Luna's signature margaritas. In addition, there will be door prizes and a raffle with items donated by women in the collective such as jewelry from Luisa Restrepo, a woven pillow from Lourdez Perez, cookbooks, foodie greeting cards by Austin's Blue Corn Press, MAMAZ market bags, and other unique items. MAMAZ will also have small graphics, bags, aprons, quilts, and tortilla cloth holders made by indigenous Oaxacan women for sale. Tickets are only $35 and are available at El Sol y la Luna, Tesoros Trading Company, and La Peña. Seating is limited, so you're encouraged to buy in advance. This is an amazing opportunity to sample cuisine from one of the gastronomic meccas of Mexico and contribute to a worthy cause at the same time