The Voz al Viento workshop, located next door to the popular Viva Mexico restaurant in San Juan Cosala, doesn’t attract many expat visitors.
“Many don’t even notice it’s here,” says artist Isidro “Chivo” Xilonzochitl Camarena.
Nonetheless, this tiny exhibition space sometimes holds as many as 20 children, adolescents and adults taking drawing, pottery, painting and graphic arts printing classes.
According to Chivo, the space — the property doubles as his home — began in 2005 as Cafetería La Rueda, a café/art workshop founded with Cristina Trejo, who taught art to children in the pueblo who weren’t going to school. Later, the workshop expanded to teach the children math, Spanish, science, music and art. Trudy Gallegaher also began teaching the kids’ mothers jewelry-making classes.
“Earrings made from beer caps sold well,” Chivo notes.
The program later evolved into “Colores Que Dan Vida” (Colors That Give Life), where artists worked with local children to paint murals based on the kids’ faces.
“This was an effort to unite different, poorer barrios that were in conflict with each other,” Chivo says.
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