WOMEN HOLDING THINGS WITH TIFFANY OWNBEY
October 11-19, 2027
Oaxaca, Mexico
One of papier-mâché artist Tiffany Ownbey’s favorite books is Maira Kalman’s Women Holding Things which is the inspiration for this mixed media workshop in the UNESCO city of Oaxaca in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
“What do women hold? The home and the family. And the children and the food. The friendships. The work. The work of the world. And the work of being human. The memories. And the troubles and the sorrows and the triumphs. And the love.”
As women, we carry a lot, physically, emotionally and metaphorically. You will create a papier-mâché doll that will carry what is important to you.
It can be a child, a suitcase full of meaningful objects, an animal or musical instrument. There are so many options…….
Homemakers
Itinerary
Day 1, Monday October 11. We will meet this evening for introductions just outside of our workshop studio.
Day 2, Tuesday October 12. Have breakfast then meet in the studio at 9:30 a.m. Tiffany will go over today’s schedule. We will do a quick walking tour after lunch to orient you to this wonderful city. Afterward, we will return to the studio to continue working. This evening we will have a special dinner at La Olla, at our amiga’s Pilar Cabrera’s rooftop restaurant.
Day 3, Wednesday October 13. Have breakfast and head into the studio at 9:30 a.m. Tiffany will guide us as we continue creating our women. Lunch will be at the hotel and dinner will also be provided.
Day 4, Thursday October 14. Have breakfast and then we are off to visit the Blind Potter’s studio where he and his family create wonderful clay figures and where we will have the opportunity to create something as well. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
The Blind Potter Atelier
Day 5, Friday October 15. Have breakfast and then it’s a full day in the studio. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
Day 6, Saturday October 16. Breakfast at the hotel and then we are off to the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle for a cooking class with our amiga Reina Mendoza. We will explore the local market with Reina before our class. You will have free time after we return to Oaxaca. Dinner is on your own and you are welcome to work in the studio this evening.
Day 7, Sunday October 17. Breakfast and then head to the studio to continue working. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
Day 8, Monday October 18. Breakfast and then into the studio at 9:00 a.m. to finish our creations. We will work until Noon, then clean up and have our Show ‘N Tell. You will be on your own for lunch and the afternoon is free until our last dinner together this evening.
Day 9, Tuesday October 19. The trip is over.
This Escape Includes
8 nights accommodations at Hotel Naura
Classes with Tiffany Ownbey
Welcome reception and fiesta
All breakfasts, six lunches and 5 dinners (one lunch and one dinner on your own)
Visit to markets
Visit to the Blind Potter’s studio where you will create
Free time to explore
A farewell dinner
Price: $4800, limited to 12 people based on double occupancy, limited single rooms are available for an additional $900.
A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is due upon registration. The balance is due April 11, 2027.
Price does not include airfare to/from Mexico, and alcohol. Travel insurance is required. See FAQs for recommendations.
Accommodations: Located in a colonial building just two blocks from the zocolo, Hotel Naura has free wifi, a restaurant, a pool, bar and rooftop terrace. It is located across from the Textile Museum.
Hotel Naura
Airport: Xoxocotlan International Airport is an international airport located in Oaxaca City, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Airport has only one terminal that handles domestic and international air traffic. Code: OAX.
We will provide
Papier-mâché
Matte Varnish
Non-stick cooking spray
Wire
Wooden dowels
Wire cutters
Some molds
Masking Tape
Nori Paste
Colorful papers
Supply List for Artists
Scissors
Apron
Paint brushes for varnish
Sharpie fine point pens
Sewing patterns
Various old papers - stamps, green stamps, etc.
Old doll bodies and feet and bowls to use for molds
Box cutter knife
Found things for the figures to hold
Tiffany Ownbey
Tiffany Ownbey of Rutherfordton, NC is a mixed media artist whose work plays on the combination of the past and the present, nature and consumerism, and reuse and beauty.
From an early age, Ownbey adopted her parents’ appreciation for flea markets and antique stores, transforming the magical quality and history of vintage objects and materials into new stories. Her work focuses on the experience of familiarity for the viewer, each reused element an opportunity for discovery and igniting memory.
Ownbey studied art at Savannah College of Art and Design, Penland School of Crafts, and Western Carolina University. She has exhibited throughout the United States and in Japan and is currently living in a 100 year-old family-built log cabin surrounded by her sweet furry creatures, both domestic and unexpected.