details

publisher: the mexican museum a
smithsonian affiliate
format: paperback
english isbn:  978-0-578-92598-8
spanish isbn: 987-0-578-92984-2
size: 8” x 8”
page count: 96
illustrations: 62
language: english and spanish editions
publication date: october 1, 2021
price: english edition $19.95 usd
price: spanish edition $15.95 usd
u.s. shipping: $3.50 usd
international shipping: $23.00 usd

this book is reviewed in the
october 31, 2021 special edition,
design section, page 2, panorama,
view from mexico interpreting malady

Oaxacan Folk Art: Response to Covid-19 grew out of a fundraising drive and competition to help the beleaguered folk artists in Oaxaca, Mexico when Covid-19 cut off the tourism on which their livelihoods depend. The book focuses on Covid-inspired creations by 25 folk artists from six villages surrounding the City of Oaxaca. Part One of the book explores the world of the indigenous Oaxacan people—their heritage, and culture, and the villages where their families have lived for generations. Part Two features the entries from the competition and interviews with the artists that open a window into the artists’ imagination and the sorrow and humor they express as they cope with the coronavirus. This richly illustrated and inspiring book reveals the experimental and innovative body of work as we search for solutions to today’s challenges and cope with the effects of the pandemic.

These are whimsical pieces that straddle myth and reality. This collection will leave an indelible mark on generations to come.
Marta Turok, Mexican Anthropologist

Beautiful illustrations of a difficult subject, treated in a very straightforward way, as naturally as life itself.
Santiago Fernandez de Caleya, Director, Turner Publisher

I found this book fascinating – images of these objects and their makers are truly wonderful and touching.
Museum Director of Exhibition and Programming

Oaxacan Folk Art: Response to Covid-19 is a visual celebration of Oaxaca’s folk art heritage in a time of pandemic.
Curator, Arts of America Collection

This is clearly an important and timely topic.
Curator, Latin American Arts

Alan Goldberg has navigated pot-holed roads to remote, sleepy Mexican villages in pursuit of folk art for almost 60 years. What started out as a vacation trip resulted in a 1,000-piece Mexican folk art collection that he donated to the Mexican Museum in San Francisco. Goldberg’s architectural practice exposed him to the work of Charles Eames and Alexander Girard who integrated folk art with their modern designs. In recent years, Goldberg, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, has turned his interests to curating exhibitions, editing, and writing on architecture and Mexican folk art.

Judith Haden has spent years traveling and photographing village life and cultural details in developing countries, particularly Latin America. A former Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador, Haden has had numerous one-woman shows, and her photographs have appeared in national magazines. In 1999, she received the Lente de Plata award from the president of Mexico.

Marta Turok is one of the foremost anthropologists in Mexico. Through research, government work, education, and advocacy, she has worked to raise the prestige of Mexican handcrafts and folk art and to help artisans improve their economic status. Her work has been recognized with awards from various governmental and nongovernmental agencies. Turok is currently the curator for the Ruth D. Lechuga Center for Folk Art Studies at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City

Gwen North Reiss, poet, writer, and communication consultant, has a degree in Literature from Yale University. She was in book publishing for ten years before becoming a freelance writer. In addition to poetry published in literary journals, her articles on art and architecture have appeared in national publications including the New York Times.