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Twelve years ago, beginning in May 2006, the Mexican state of Oaxaca became embroiled in a protest that stemmed from a teachers strike. By the end of December 2006, countless private and public buildings had to be taken over by protestors, the Mexican military marched into Oaxaca City’s Zócalo, the capital city was occupied, and at least 17 deaths were attributed to the seven-month conflict. Born out of the social unrest, a simple and longstanding form of art emerged as a tool and symbol of the resistance. The Oaxacan printmaking scene persists a decade later, made up of artists from that 2006 movement and new artists that have joined over the years.

“Before the protests, printmaking art in Oaxaca had been mostly folk art about animals and nature,” says Edgar Martinez, “but now there is art about the people and politics.” Martinez is a co-curator of “Oaxaca to Washington,” a printmaking exhibit that will feature the work of more than 20 artists at Childhood’s End Gallery in downtown Olympia throughout the month of June and into the first two weeks of July.

Mimi Williams Printing
Printmakers can use inexpensive equipment to make small pieces of art. This makes it a very accessible form. There are also large printing presses, like this press at La Chicharra in Oaxaca that can produce huge prints. Photo courtesy: Mimi Williams

Local artist, Mimi Williams, co-curator of the exhibit, is a friend of Martinez. She says that the scale of the printmaking scene in Oaxaca is phenomenal. Some have compared the number of art studios, shops and galleries to the number of coffee shops in Washington: one on every corner. Williams’ art is much smaller in scale. “I do each of my prints by hand, using the back of a wooden spoon across the linoleum block,” she says, “but in Oaxaca, they have these huge presses where they can print out an incredible number of prints overnight.”

The ease and speed of reproduction is what makes printmaking perfect to support social movements. “The beautiful thing that’s always drawn me to printmaking is that it’s a populist sort of art form,” Williams says. “It’s not expensive and they have created inexpensive paste with which they can slap up prints during the night.” Posting up these prints is illegal, and the government has them torn down every morning, Williams explains, but in the short time that the prints are up around the city, the protestors were bringing art to the people.

Edgar Martinez
Artist Edgar Martinez was involved in the Oaxacan print scene and now makes art in Olympia. Photo courtesy: Mimi Williams

Artist collectives and collaborations formed from the 2006 social unrest when many trades, including artists, joined the movement against state officials to speak out against mistreatment and oppression by the government. Though there are hundreds of artists around the city, most printmakers were trained by two universities in Oaxaca City, and many are students of world-renowned Japanese Mexican artist, Shinzaburo Takeda.

The protests brought artists together, but it is the art that has kept them together. Relationships between artists remain strong though many are standing independently in their own studios now, providing an example with their success to burgeoning artists that flock to Oaxaca since it has become Mexico’s art center. Along with promising new Mexican artists, artists young and old flock from around the world to Oaxaca to experience and be a part of the Oaxacan printmaking scene. Williams was one of those artists.

In September 2017, Williams and a friend joined an artist’s residency in Oaxaca. She learned a bit about the Oaxacan scene from Martinez before she left. He put Williams in touch with people he knew from the printmaking scene in Oaxaca City and ASARO, or The Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca, who are committed to social change through art. After just three weeks working in residency in Oaxaca, Williams’ view of the work was transformed by this art and she knew she had to share it with others.

Tilingo by Irving Herrera
This print, titled Tilingo, by Irving Herrera is an example of Oaxacan print art. The representation of women in Mexican popular media is overwhelmingly influenced by light skinned, European standards. Herrara creates art that showcases the beauty of all Mexican women. Photo courtesy: Mimi Williams

When Williams returned from the residency, she spoke with Martinez about creating an exhibit in Olympia to showcase some Oaxacan prints. The pair contacted Richenda Richardson, one of the owners of Childhood’s End Gallery and after a lot of work transporting the art from Oaxaca to Olympia, the two are proud to present the work of many Oaxacan artists – and some of their own – to the community.

Opening night for the exhibit is Friday, June 8. A public reception will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Childhood’s End Gallery at 222 4th Avenue W in Olympia. All are welcome.

The exhibition will be open for downtown’s new Third Thursday Event, Solstice in the Summer, on June 21 until 8:00 p.m.

This exhibit will only be on display for a short time, from June 8 through July 15. Williams says that she is hopeful to find other galleries or venues around the northwest that may be interested in showing the exhibit so that others may have the opportunity to view these beautiful pieces and learn a bit about the history. Interested parties may contact her through her website.

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