¡Fiesta Latina! provides more than 40 master artisans from all around Mexico an opportunity to share their cultures and goods with those of us north of the border. The Artisan Mercado vendors represent rural women's cooperatives and families working to preserve ancient traditions, methods and materials.
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Western New Mexico University's second annual ¡Fiesta Latina! runs June 22-24 and features a weekend's worth of family activities — from concerts and live dance performances to traditional games and tequila tasting. It also provides dozens of Mexican artists an opportunity to share their cultures and goods with those of us north of the border. WNMU's Office of Cultural Affairs is bringing artisans from remote areas of Mexico to this isolated corner of New Mexico and has worked for months to book a diverse lineup of Latin performers. |
Don Roberto Ruiz carved 4,000 miniatures from sterilized cow bone in his lifetime. His sons will be at ¡Fiesta Latina!, demonstrating how they are following in his footsteps with fine miniatures of their own. |
Cultural [Shopping] Experience |
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Expand Your World |
[ D I R T Y H A N D S ]
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2,000 miles |
[ H E L P I N G H A N D S ] 3 ways to sign up as a ¡Fiesta Latina! volunteer
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Fun fact about the traditional art of painting with straw: Learn about ¡Fiesta Latina! straw artist Maria Isabel Hernandez Mendoza here. |
Arts Films & Interaction With the Artisans |
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Highlights To Hit Each Western New Mexico University staff and faculty member qualifies for a complimentary ticket to evening performances. Pick up your ticket at the Cultural Affairs Office in Hunter Hall. Discover the beauty of ancient handcraft trades. 3 out of 4 people in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, are involved in some aspect of weaving. |
In partnership with the CLAY Festival, we're offering the public a chance to work with Patricia Castillo of 
number of snails needed for the tixinda weaving cooperative, known as