Art Immersion Oaxaca 2019

Art Immersion Oaxaca

March 22-31, 2019

Join us for 10 Days and 9 nights of art making and touring

in Oaxaca, the creative center of Mexico.

What makes this tour special?

• A small group of like minded creative people (max 10)

• A focus on art and art making in one of the culturally richest areas of Mexico

• An opportunity to study closely with Rogene Mañas and learn her mixed media techniques, 

• Private visits with sculptors, painters, and printmakers in their home studios

• Spectacular meals at some of Oaxaca's best restaurants (we take food very seriously)

 

Plus an unusual, inspiring, soulful, and art-filled home away from home to make art, enjoy Oaxacan cooking, socialize, have fun, meet new friends and rejuvenate. 

Rogene will be teaching her 3rd workshop in Oaxaca - These workshops are designed for people of all skill levels who want to work with mixed media. This year our art making will take inspiration from the traditions of carving and mark making of indigenous Oaxaca. We'll make dimensional art pieces using paper clay, create collage cards of saints, guardians and angels and create retablos and nichos for displaying them with mixed media materials. At the end of our time we’ll have a small exhibition of our work at the Casa.

I T I N E R A R Y  (may be updated as we work out details)

Friday March 22nd - Today we'll gather at our home away from home and get settled.  We'll arrange to pick you up at the airport and have a light meal for you upon arrival

Famous Frida look-alike at a local mercado.

 Saturday March 23rd - Art making in the morning followed by a  home cooked meal at the Casa.  Afternoon outing to explore the town and visit  the Church of Soledad (the patron saint of Oaxaca), Beber Jimenez Museum, our two favorite artisan co-ops and enjoy a fabulous welcome meal and rooftop dining at one of Oaxaca's best restaurants.

Sunday March 24th - Art making in the morning followed by the best Sunday brunch in the City at one of Oaxaca's finest followed by visits to the world class Textile Museum and San Pablo Cultural Center and time in the wonderful zocalo. Dinner at the Casa

Monday March 25th - Morning art making and lunch at the Casa. Afternoon visits to the 20 November Market including stops at the chocolate grinders, the Hall of Smoke, the grasshopper vendors and more. This bustling city market is so alluring.  Find chilies, incense, pinata's, handicrafts, whatever your heart desires. Dinner at the Casa 

Tuesday March 26th - Morning art making followed by picnic lunch at San Augustin Cultural Center and visit to a local papermaking factory in the village of Etla. Dinner at NYT rated and one of my favorite restaurants in Oaxaca El Criollo (meaning Homegrown) where we'll enjoy a 7 course tasting menu.

Wednesday March 27th - Today we'll switch it up and leave in the morning to visit the hilltop village of Atzompa where we'll hike the ancient ruins and visit the charming community museum, followed by a visit to the home of ceramic artist Angelica Vasquez. Part storyteller, part potter, Angelica's demonstration is kind of performance art. Then her children make us a meal, showcasing some of the finest Oaxacan home cooking I have encountered. Late afternoon and evening at the Casa.

Thursday March 28 - Art making in the morning followed by lunch at the Casa and a lovely afternoon stroll into town. A visit to the Rufino Tamayo Museum, collective printmaking studios, and galleries that may include day drinking and mezcal. Get a feel for the richness and diversity of art in Oaxaca. Dinner in town.

Friday March 29th - A full day of folk art and touring. We'll start at  the indigenous market in Ocotlan and taste prehispanic fermented drinks, have our fortunes told by a canary, peruse leather belts, wooden combs, machetes, horse saddles, and shop for the popular Mexican peasant blouses and maybe find the famous chile de agua. On the way back visit makers of the alebrijes, the mythical carved animals and stop in San Bartolo Coyotopec where we'll have a demonstration of making the black pottery the town is famous for. It's a chance to see a thousand year old craft in action. Dinner will be at the Casa.

Saturday March 30th - Our final day and you're free to explore on your own, go shopping or finish up your final art projects. And we can arrange a trip to Mt Alban, horseback riding in the country, a cooking class, a massage and temazcal, or whatever your heart desires. Then an early evening Fiesta at the Casa featuring live music in the gardens and outdoor dining.

Sunday March 31 - Time to pack your bags  and  bid farewell - If needed we'll arrange airport transport. 

 This tour runs March 22-31

Cost is $2,195 

Includes: lodging in a shared room, all meals, transportation to and from the airport, plus in and around Oaxaca, all art instruction, some materials, tour admission fees and guide fees.

Basically all your expenses are covered except your airfare, your alcohol, your shopping purchases and optional tipping for the guides and hotel staff.

 

Optional single supplement is an additional $395  

If your spouse or partner wants to come but doesn't want to do the studio art instruction piece, deduct $295.

Trip Details - 

$2,195 includes pretty much everything (lodging, transportation, meals, guides, entrance fees, etc) Not included is airfare, personal shopping, alcohol, laundry, and tipping, which is totally optional but recommended. All deposits and payments are non refundable so we ask that you be committed to this trip.  Email me or use the contact form to the right of the blog for additional information about deposits and further details and questions you might have. jewel.murphy@gmail.com

To find out more about Rogene and her special brand of artwork and teaching click here. 

To find out more about past trips to Oaxaca, art making and otherwise, click here.

 From Jewel....

This will be my 8th tour and I am not exaggerating when I say they keep getting better and better!

I first traveled to Mexico & Guatemala in 1979 on a wanderlust/walkabout during my college years. Since then I've concentrated my travels on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chiapas,  & Oaxaca and leading tours to Oaxaca since 2011. 

I like gathering together and traveling with packs of inquisitive and engaged, creative people.  I like putting our tourist dollars directly into the hands of local people. I like taking it slow. And I like to eat good food. I like seeing what happens when people from different parts of the world encounter one another. I like building a bridge between my country and our neighbors to the south.  When I'm not otherwise obsessed with all things Mexico, I can be found watering plants, bird watching, swimming and making art in Eugene, Oregon. 

 

2018 Oaxaca Art Immersion Tour

Join us for 10 Days and 9 nights

of art making and touring

in Oaxaca, the creative center of Mexico.

APRIL 6-15, 2018

What makes this tour special?

• A small group of like minded creative people (max 10)

• A focus on art and art making in one of the culturally richest areas of Mexico

• An opportunity to study closely with Rogene Mañas and learn her mixed media techniques, 

• Private visits with sculptors, painters, and printmakers in their home studios

• Spectacular meals at some of Oaxaca's best restaurants (we take food very seriously)

 

Plus an unusual, inspiring, soulful, and art-filled home away from home to make art, enjoy Oaxacan cooking, socialize, have fun, meet new friends and rejuvenate. 

This year our art making will take inspiration from the rich textile traditions of Oaxaca. We'll make saint cards, milagro prayer flags, and little cloth and clay dolls. The itinerary is as follows and subject to change based upon changing circumstances, whims, and opportunities that might arise.

I T I N E R A R Y  (may be updated as we work out details)

Friday April 6 - We'll gather at the Casa in the evening for a light meal and have a chance to get acquainted with each other and our lovely lodgings.

Saturday April 7th - Art making all morning. Typically we'll have studio time from 9:30 to 1:30. Followed by lunch at the Casa and then head into town mid afternoon. We'll take a spin around the zocalo and then have a fabulous welcome fiesta in one of Oaxaca's best restaurants.

Sunday April 8th - Art making in the morning, where we'll  work on our projects. Late brunch at one of Oaxaca's best restaurants.  Afternoon visits to local galleries, artists, and printmakers, or stay in the studio and continue working on your art pieces.


Monday April 9th - The morning art practice takes us into creating our own personal saint/guardian angel/goddess using mixed media techniques. Afternoon visits to some of our favorite textile and artisan stores. Rogene and I both love to shop and we have sourced the best places for you.

Tuesday April 10th - We'll continue working on our art projects followed by a nourishing lunch at the Casa. Afternoon time at the world class textile museum and one or two other Oaxaca favorites.

Wednesday April 11th - Today we'll switch it up and take the morning off from art making to get outside of the city and visit some Oaxacan artists operating their own gallery, school, & studios. We'll return to the Casa for a late afternoon evening of art making.

Thursday April 12th - More art making in the morning. Free time in the afternoon to continue working or stroll into town for shopping, people watching, plus church and gallery hopping. Dinner tonight is a tasting menu created by one of
Mexico's most famous chefs who just so happened to recently open a restaurant down the street from our B&B.

Friday April 13th  - This is one of our favorite days on the tour where we'll visit the Ocotlan market where you'll find all manner of country folk selling everything from food to straw hats to homemade machetes. The Mexican markets are unforgettable.  We'll follow this up with a visit to the home of famous Oaxacan painter Rodolfo Morales. Last year we were super lucky to actually be able to go into his painting room where he painted until the day he died and all the brushes and canvases have been left in place. Very special. Then an awesome lunch and an afternoon of visiting folk artist and artisans including potters, weavers, and woodcarvers. Evening in the Casa finds us having a show and tell of our work from the past week.

Saturday April 14th - Packing up the studio and getting ready to go, plus a free day to enjoy at your leisure. We can arrange a trip to  the ruins at Mt. Alban, an in-room massage, a Oaxacan cooking class or whatever suits your fancy. We have a final farewell outdoor fiesta in the gardens at the Casa. Always an awesome party!

Sunday April 15th - We'll arrange transportation to the airport and send you off on your next journey.

To find out more about Rogene and her special brand of artwork and teaching click here. 

To find out more about past trips to Oaxaca, art making and otherwise, click here.

This will be my 7th tour and I am not exaggerating when I say they keep getting better and better.

This tour runs April 6th to 15th

 Cost is $2,195 

Includes: lodging in a shared room, all meals, transportation to and from the airport, plus in and around Oaxaca, all art instruction, some materials, tour admission fees and guide fees.

Basically all your expenses are covered except your airfare, your alcohol, 

your shopping purchases and optional tipping for the guides and hotel staff.

 

Optional single supplement is an additional $395  

If your spouse or partner wants to come but doesn't want to do the 

studio art instruction piece, deduct $295.

Oaxaca Art Immersion April 2018

We are delighted to welcome you to our 

Early April 2018 Oaxacan Art Immersion Tour 

THIS YEAR'S TOUR DATES ARE APRIL 6-15, 2018

We are still finalizing our plans, but you can see below to get an idea of what we did last year. This year we will be inspired by the colorfully creative textile arts of Oaxaca as we visit museums, galleries, marketplaces and indigenous artisan workshops.

What makes this tour special:  A small group (max 10), a focus on art and art making in one of the culturally richest areas of Mexico, an opportunity to study closely with Rogene and learn her mixed media and paper clay techniques, chances to have private visits with local artisans, spectacular meals at some of Oaxaca's best restaurants, plus an unusual, inspiring, soulful, and art-filled home away from home to make art, enjoy Oaxacan cooking, socialize, have fun, and rejuvenate.

The 2017 itinerary follows. It will give you an idea of how our days are spent. This year, with our emphasis on Oaxacan Textiles, we will incorporating what we see into our mixed media art. Projects will include a Cloth and Clay Frida Doll, Embellished Saint Cards, and Milagro Prayer Flags.

Be sure you are on our email list so we can send you the new itinerary when we have it nailed down!
Send to: jewel.murphy@gmail.com

Friday March 17th - We'll gather at the Casa in the evening for a light meal and have a chance to get acquainted with each other and our lovely lodgings.

Saturday March 18th - Art making all morning. Typically we'll have studio time from 9:30 to 1:30.  Today we dive into learning the basics of paper clay.  Late lunch and siesta at the Casa.  Early evening we'll head into town for a spin around the zocalo and a fabulous welcome fiesta in one of Oaxaca's best restaurants.

Sunday March 19th - Art making in the morning, where we'll continue to refine our paper clay techniques and make small folk art milagros. Leisurely lunch at the Casa.  Afternoon visits to local galleries, artists, and printmakers, or stay in the studio and continue working on your art pieces.

Monday March 20th - The morning art practice takes us into creating our own personal saint/guardian angel/goddess using paper clay and other mixed media techniques.  Afternoon visits to some of our favorite galleries and artisan stores.

Tuesday March 21st -  We'll finish up working on our Santos today followed by a nourishing lunch at the Casa.  Afternoon time at the world class textile museum and one or two other Oaxaca favorites. Dinner in town to celebrate the first day of Spring!

Wednesday March 22nd - Today we'll switch it up and take the morning off from art making to visit the local town of Huyapan.  We'll start by visiting their church which has a wonderful collection of ex votos (paintings people have made to thank god for a miracle) and find inspiration to create our own personal altars. Then, if luck is on our side, we'll visit two artists who have made their homes in Oaxaca.  American Jean Foss, who uses magical realism to paint whimsical versions of Mexican life and Hungarian expat, Susana Wald, who is a dedicated surrealist painter. We'll return to the Casa for lunch and a late afternoon evening of art making and begin planning ideas for our altars.

Thursday March 23rd - More altar making, using paper clay, painting, and collage. Free time in the afternoon to continue working or stroll into town for shopping, people watching, plus church and gallery hopping. Dinner tonight is a tasting menu created by one of Mexico's most famous chefs who just so happened to recently open a restaurant down the street from our b and b.

Friday March 24 - Folk art day takes us on the southern route to visit alebrije makers (carvers and painters of mythical animals), backstrap loom weavers, and potters. Plus a chance to enjoy one of the best chile rellenos of your life.  Evening in the Casa finds us having a show and tell of our work from the past week.

Saturday March 25th - packing up the studio and getting ready to go, plus a free day to enjoy at your leisure.  We can arrange a trip to Mt Alban, massage, cooking class or whatever suits your fancy. We have a final farewell outdoor fiesta on the grounds at the Casa.

Sunday March 26th - We'll arrange transportation to the airport and send you off on your next journey. 

To find out more about Rogene and her special brand of artwork and teaching click here. 

To find out more about past trips to Oaxaca, art making and otherwise, click here.

This tour runs March 17 to 26th 

 Cost is $2,195 

Includes lodging in a shared room, all meals, transportation to and from the airport, plus in 

and around Oaxaca, all art instruction, most materials, tour admission fees and guide fees.

 

Cost does not include airfare, alcohol, discretionary shopping (which there will be loads of temptation), side trips and optional tipping for hotel staff. 

Optional single supplement is an additional $395

Join Our Oaxaca Creative Retreat Next Spring!

Our Lady of Being Authentic

Inspired by the wealth of color, flavor and culture of Oaxaca, Jewel Murphy and Rogene Mañas have designed an art workshop and tour that captures the essence of Mexico with days of fun filled creativity.

Join us in one of Mexico's most exotic locations while staying in the comfort of a classic hacienda, right in the center of town. Enjoy the local cuisine with home cooked meals in the beautiful dining room and on outings to Jewel's favorite restaurants and markets.

Learn Rogene's flexible and forgiving mixed media techniques as she leads you on an excursion of artistic self discovery. Each art project will be infused with the richness of our surroundings, incorporating what we see into what we make.

In Need of a Miracle  

 
Hosted and curated by Jewel Murphy with Art Workshop lead by Rogene Mañas.

A small creative group, only 10 participants, plus Jewel and Rogene

$2,195 per person/shared room, + $395/private room.  
Includes 9 nights accommodations, all transportation, all meals, art instruction, guides and more! Small additional materials fee. Cost does not include transportation to Oaxaca (airfare), laundry, personal shopping purchases, alcoholic beverages, and tips to guides (which are completely optional). 

We are still finalizing this year's itinerary, so in the mean time, see what we did last year below:

Paper Clay Milagros in shadow boxes

Workshop Agenda:
Classes take place in a lovely private studio with an adjacent garden away from other guests. Each day begins after breakfast at the casa with hands-on sessions in the morning. In the afternoon we break for a delicious late lunch in the Mexican tradition, prepared at the casa. Afternoons and evening are open for independent studio work and exploring this creative city. All projects will incorporate our travel experiences so that your artwork will reflect your wonderful time in Oaxaca.

Days 1-2 Making Milagros
Make your own Mexican Milagros to honor the magic of miracles with a new spin on an ancient tradition. Learn all the basics of working with paper clay, including imprinting, sculpting, layering, painting, casting, and making multiples of your own work. Some materials included.

Our Lady of Taking Care of Yourself

 Days 3-4 Mis Santos (my saints)
Honor your personal path by creating your own angels, saints, guardians and goddesses to remind you of your goals and aspirations. These creative figures of affirmation will bring your dreams to life as you design, develop and decorate each art piece. Learn a host of mixed media techniques including painting, collage work, embellishment making and attachment methods. Some materials included.

Days 5-6 Nichos and Retablos Assemblages
Reach inside and bring out your best intentions for the future by creating and constructing little alters to your dreams and desires. Use all your newly learned mixed media and paper clay techniques in these mindful assemblages. Some materials included.

No previous art experience necessary.  All projects work for beginning and experienced artists alike.

Just Imagine

Check back at this site for updates as we develop the details of our trip.  

Be sure to check out the photo gallery of our previous trips to Oaxaca at the tab at the top of this page.

To reserve your spot, or if you have questions, contact Jewel at: jewel.murphy@gmail.com.