Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Welcomes Folk Art from Oaxaca, Seven Artists, Seven Voices Exhibition

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum will host an exhibition titled Folk Art from Oaxaca, Seven Artists, Seven Voices through Sept. 30. An opening reception for members and the public will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 23.

Located in southwestern Mexico, Oaxaca is the country’s most “artsy” cultural state, where folk art is made and sold in numerous venues in Oaxaca City and in the surrounding valleys and villages. Marilyn Wheaton, Museum Director, said she was smitten both by Oaxacan folk art and by the artists, with their gentle ways, love of life, and intuitive, creative nature. “After meeting the artists and seeing their work, I was confident that a sculpture exhibition of folk art by some of the artists I had met would be well received at Saginaw Valley State University and by Great Lakes Bay Region residents,” Wheaton said. “Visitors will not want to miss seeing these fifty works of art created by the artists described in the following paragraphs,” Wheaton said.

Mario Castellanos and Reina Ramirez produce one of a kind alebrijes (hand carved and painted wood figures) in their hometown of Arrazola. Everyone in the family has a specific task, whether it is carving, painting, or sanding. The production of each piece is a family collaboration. Mario is a member of the EcoAlebrijes Sustainable Association, founded in 2003, which promotes the reforestation of the copal tree, the main material for carving these amazing images.

Giovanni Melchor is a solo (unusual) alebrije carver and an emerging young artist from San Martín Tilcajete. Like many Oaxacan artists, he learned how to carve from his father and how to paint from his mother. He is the grandchild of one of the founders of the alebrije movement in Oaxaca.

Tribús Mixes is a cooperative founded by the Martinez Villanueva brothers, Noel and Neftalí. The project invites young girls and boys from different villages around the state of Oaxaca to do residencies and learn the art of woodcarving and painting, combined with the option to finish high school and go on to university. The residency takes place in the beautiful Martinez Villanueva home in Viguera. The Martinez brothers have supported the program for over twenty years with their beautiful woodcarvings.

Fernando Peguero and Leticia Blanco (his mother) share a love for clay and for telling stories. Fernando, a young emerging artist from Atzompa, has taken his art to another level, breaking away from his village tradition of making utilitarian pots. These ideas he originally learned from his mother, who is well known for her clay figure sculptures. Fernando has clearly taken it a step further and is constantly exploring diverse styles.

Manuel Reyes and Maricela Gómez also found their passion in clay and each with their unique styles share with us their personal stories. Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán is their inspiration and their homeland, and its amazing history and dramatic landscapes are represented in their work.

This exhibition is about the sharing of transcendence, death, seeds, color, earth, water, and personal stories. In the end, this art that communicates culture and history invites us to travel to beautiful lands as well as to understand the endurance of Oaxaca and its people through time.

Following a three-month stay at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, Folk Art from Oaxaca: Eight Artists, Eight Voices will be on display in the Elaine L. Jacob Gallery at Wayne State University in Detroit from Oct, 27-Dec.15.

All works of art in the exhibition are for sale.

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum is located on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Road. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (989) 964-7125 or visit www.marshallfredericks.org