"La Vida Nueva" Zapotec Women's Collective Weaving Exhibit and Sale
June through September 2008

Tuesday, September 23, 6-11pm
Oaxacan Dinner and Latin Dance Party
A Benefit for La Vida Nueva

Oregon Contact: Juanita Rodriguez (541)745-5690

"La Vida Nueva" is a women's weaving cooperative from the Zapotec community of Teotitlan del Valle, in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca. This traditional indigenous community is known world wide for its long line of weavers. Patterns, techniques, tools and the "habit" of weaving have been passed down through the generations.

Pastora Gutierrez, the young director of this collective, has represented the other women at our Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, Oregon. She comes from her dirt floored, thin bamboo walled home, where she lives with her Grandmother, Mother and 4 younger sisters (not to mention the chickens and a pig), to exhibit and sell her fine quality, handcrafted rugs or "tapetes". They are all 100% wool, and these women use only natural dyes made from herbs, barks, seeds and insects they harvest themselves. Some of these concoctions take up to 3 months to exact the desired hue.

Each rug that they weave has a story that reflects pride in their personal and collective strength and power. One traditional design, "Greca Escazonada", emphasizes the strength that comes from solidarity....the light and dark colors represent strength and protection; they interlock to become stronger, just as we are stronger when we join hands with one another.

"La Greca de la Fuerza" is another traditional Zapotec design showing the many layers of protection around the center diamond shapes. These diamonds represent power in the Zapotec community... the power of the individual, the family, the community...the outer layers represent the generations that have come before us that shield and protect us with their experience and wisdom. Their energy is directed inward, to nourish and vitalize the center.

La Vida Nueva is a weaving cooperative of women who have been singled out for ridicule, humiliation, and personal violence because they have acted on their own collective strength and power. They are determined to stand on their own, to sell their rugs directly to the consumer, thereby avoiding the exploitation of the store owners.Pastora Gutierrez has periodic exhibitions at Wildfire...to be informed of this and other exhibits, subscribe to FireWorks' email newsletter. Pastora will have a translator with her at all times, and delights in answering questions, and sharing her culture and expertise. You will find that she is a very warm, wise and personable young 32 year old woman.

For more information or to place orders of these beautiful rugs, contact Juanita Rodriguez at (541)745-5690

Weaving #1 - "Diamonds and Spikes of Grain" 23 1/2" x 40 1/2" Rust, beige, burnt orange, and browns....includes the traditional Zapotec arrows and design of liberty.	Weaving #2 - "Lightening and Liberty" 23 1/2" x 39 1/2" Burnt orange, lavender, greens...an original design implementing traditional symbols.
Weaving #3 - "Diamonds and Triangles 23 1/2" x 36" Browns, muted orange, beige...a traditional Zapotec design.	Weaving #4 - "Zapotec God of Life and Death" 27 1/2" x 42" Brightly colored, a traditional design made by "Maria" who is 76 years old and the eldest (and probably the poorest) woman in the collective...
Weaving #5 - "The Mitla Cross" 23" x 41" Brightly colored, red, yellow, maroon, black, and green...a traditional design. You can still see rocks carved with the Mitla design around Teotitlan del Valle.	Weaving #6 - "Birds of Liberty" 3' x 5' This is in all natural wool colors, (no dyeing), and is a traditional PRE-HISPANIC Zapotec design. A very handsome weaving.
Weaving #7 - "Goddess of Corn" 32" x 58" Green and maroon 'tweed" with colorful figures of red, yellow, rust, brown and orange....Zoraida admired a Navaho picture she saw, and created this rug.	Weaving #8 - "God's Eye" 6' x 8' An original design implementing traditional symbols....Very colorful and beautiful
Weaving #9 - "Life's Pathways" 6' x 8' A colorful and beautiful original design (the photo colors not do it justice!) depicting the hills and valleys of life.