Wood Carvers from Oaxaca
On Wednesday, April 25, Pat Picciano, Education Outreach Coordinator for Margaritas Mexican Restaurants, brought Epifanio Fuentes and Laurencia Santiago to the Ray School for the day.
Epifanio is a wood carver from San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca, Mexico. Many families in his village carve whimsical figures out of wood. Their inspiration comes from the twisted wood itself as well as religious, decorative and traditional designs. Epifanio is known for his daring use of color and imaginative figures. Epifanio is one of several artists mentioned in the May 1991 edition of Smithsonian Magazine. His story and work are also featured in Oaxacan Woodcarving; The Magic in the Trees, by Shepard Barbash. Epifanio has won numerous awards and he has exhibited his work at the Smithsonian Institute and the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, NM.
On the day of his visit, Epifanio demonstrated his carving techniques and his wife, Laurencia, showed students her unique painting method of these sculptures. A video portraying scenes from village life in Mexico was shown. All Ray School students had the opportunity to meet and observe the artists, view the video and ask questions.
We had a fabulous day with our Oaxacan guests from Mexico! All students were WOWED by the beautiful carvings that Epifanio Fuentes and Laurencia Santiago made and the Ray School is now the proud owner of one of their armadillo sculptures which will be on display in the library. The artists' last event before heading home is an evening demonstrating their craft at Margaritas Mexican Restaurant located at Centerra Park. Don't miss the opportunity to visit with these extraordinary folk artists on Thurs., May 17 from 4 - 9 p.m. For more information about this event, call Margaritas at (603) 643-8800.
