Pimpollo Community Center Workshop: “Los Colores de la Tierra”

Location: Pimpollo Community Center, Colonia Vicente Guerrero, Oaxaca, Mexico

Date: Spring 2024

Ages: 7-12 years

This program was offered in collaboration with Pocoapoco, a residency and cultural organization based in Oaxaca, Mexico, for students from the Pimpollo Community Center, located in Colonia Vicente Guerrero. The program was taught with support from Evelyn Méndez Maldonado, Paloma Matias-Ryan, and Perseida Tenorio.

All photos by Paloma Matias-Ryan

Overview: 

Workshop Description: “Los Colores de la Tierra”

In this workshop Pimpollo Center students created artwork using paints containing earth colors from around the world. Beginning with a show-and-tell of different pigments and rock samples, we discussed where earth colors come from, what they are on a basic mineral level, how they form, and how the earth can be like “a mirror of ourselves” - a quote from the Colombian artist Delcy Morelos. We shared personal connections, observed the unique qualities of each pigment, and looked at photographs of sites where the pigments originated from.

In addition, we created watercolor paintings on paper using paints containing earth pigments originating from countries around the world, including Italy, Iceland, Mexico, and the United States.

Critical Questions:

• What do earth pigments look like? What observations can you make? What do these colors remind you of?

• How can the earth under our feet be similar to our body, mind, and spirit? How can the earth be “a mirror of ourselves”?

• How can soil from different places be unique? How can it be similar? How can we, as individuals and communities, be both unique and alike as well?