our other artists:
Luis Gonzalez
Jaslico, Mexico
Tzopelli
Puebla, Mexico
The Calvo Family
Oaxaca, Mexico
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Featured artists: BIENHI
a society of silk producers
Deep in the high Sierra of Oaxaca, about three hours Northeast of the capital on a local bus or less than two hours by car, you will find San Miguel Cajonos. In this village, a family "society" has been working for the last three years on raising silk worms, extracting the cocoons and silk thread, dying it with natural colors and producing some of the most beautiful Rebozos (Shawls) in the state. They are sold at exclusive stores in the state's capital as well as in Mexico City.
The process involved in the making of the Rebozos is highly involved and time consuming. However, they have received support from the Economy Secretariat in Mexico to help them improve the operation of the group. The most recent addition has been the construction of a processing center in the middle of town to increase production and to centralize all activities for the society. Currently they are producing about 25 to 30 Rebozos per month, this amount will increase significantly once the center is at full production. They have a representative in Oaxaca city who handles PR as well as scouting for stores to sell their product. Natividad Estela Zarate, the brains behind the operation, sees the operation as an attempt to halt immigration to the US and a to also bring back some of those villagers who have left. She wants to show that there is a viable economy in town and that anyone involved in the society can prosper without having to go on dangerous journeys to earn a living.
Read an article (in Spanish) about them in
Cimac Noticias. |
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Sisters, Natividad Estela Zarate and Esperanza Zarate at the recent AMFAR fair in Mexico City |
