El Interior Newsletter
1009 West Lynn,
Austin (512) 474-8680
www.elinterior.com
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October/November
2009 |
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In This Issue:
- What's
New In The Store
- Special
Features: Satin Blouses
& Long Mexican Huipiles
- Day of
the Dead Altars
- Day of
the Dead Items
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Lots of Specials
this Month!
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Day of the Dead Presentation: Friday, October
30th
 Price:
$8.00 - Please RSVP
Presenter: Marcia Lucas & Priscilla Murr
Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Marcia Lucas, a folk art specialist and owner of
El Interior has been traveling in Mexico off and
on for over 50 years. She was inspired to create
El Interior out of her passion, connection and
deep love of Mexican culture, the indigenous
people, the connection they share with the land
and the materials they are given to create
exquisite objects of beauty and meaning.
For her talk on Day of the Dead, she will be
referring to the " home altar" she has recreated
in the gallery based on the Zapotec home altars
for Day of the Dead in the traditional sarape
weaving village of Teotilan del Valle.
Priscilla Murr has been traveling in Mexico
since 1968 when she fell in love with the land,
the people and their incredible, many layered
and textured culture. Much of her inspiration in
going to Zurich and pursuing Jungian analysis
came from the mystery she felt in Mexico. She
will be adding an archetypal dimension to
Marcia's presentation, pointing out the Day of
the Dead as it might be seen from the point of
view of the unconscious. |
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Marcia's Minute
The most important holiday in indigenous Mexico
is coming up
soon: The Days of the Dead (Also known as All
Saints Day and All Souls Day). It is a religious
occasion and a national holiday in Mexico.
November 1st and 2nd honor the dead and many
Mexicans believe that the souls of departed
family members return for a visit. The spirits
are received, welcomed and honored as special
guests. The family constructs a special “offrenda”,
or offering of a beautifully decorated home
altar or shrine with favorite food, drink,
fruit, flowers (usually marigolds) and
Zempasuchitl, the incense of copal and candles.
It is the ancient belief that the dead partake
of food in Spirit on this night. Afterwards the
family shares the food in a festive mood similar
to a family reunion. Customs from region to
region vary, but some time is spent by the
family in the cemetery cleaning up the grave
site, often with a picnic and more offerings of
food, flowers, candles and incense. Many times
the village band will come and play some music
for all to enjoy.
There are many special items that are made only for this celebration
such as the special decorative loaves of bread called Pan de Muertos
(bread of the dead), made into shapes like human bodies, bones, crosses,
skulls, and animals. Sugar skulls and a special sweet candy called
alfenique, usually made in the shapes of animals or toy coffins, are
hard to come by at other times of the year but can usually be found at
this time every year. Many folk artists make special toys for the
children to enjoy out of wood, clay, tin and papier mache. The favored
image is a skeleton and dolls of all kinds and sizes, coffins, puppets,
masks, miniature funeral processions and the list goes on and on. The
child’s first acquaintance with death, even if they do not understand it
at an early age, is natural and not full of fear.
As always we have an offrenda set up in El Interior and will be showing
the short documentary film by award winning designers Charles and Ray
Eames beginning next Thursday the 29th of October. We will have an area
where you can sit and view the film, come on in and ask us to turn it on
if it is not running when you arrive. The film was commissioned by
Alexander Giraud, founder of the International Folk Art Musem in Santa
Fe.
For those of you that are interested in
traveling to Oaxaca, we have a few spots left
on the trip
that my husband Charlie and I have organized! It
will be a fabulous in-depth experience of
Oaxaca, her people, their folk art, culture, and
delicious food and drink! Oaxaca and the Zapotec
culture is my favorite! The dates are January
30 to Feburary 7, 2010. Please call me with your questions. This is one
opportunity you do not want to miss!
http://www.elinterior.com/Oaxaca.htm
In just a few weeks we will have Santa Fe
designer Karen Wilkinson here for our
annual November Trunk Show of her
exquisite Saltillo Sarape Jackets.
Mark your calendars for Thursday through
Saturday, November 19th - 21st. This is a
fabulous show not to be missed! Karen's artistry
is known all around the country and we are quite
fortunate to welcome her once again to El
Interior.
Additionally, we are going to include on the
same weekend a wonderful 30-year Anniversary
Celebration with live music & refreshments!
So be sure to make time on Friday, November
20th to come by in the evening to enjoy the
festivities!
There is so much going on these next few months,
so as usual, we thank you for your patronage and hope to see you soon!
Saludos,
Marcia Lucas
Owner
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Monthly Drawing!
Each month we will be holding a
drawing for our email subscribers for a $50
gift certificate, so watch for it - next
month you might see your name!
August's winner is
Mary Grove
September's winner is
Sarah Smith
Do you know someone who loves
folk art? Email
amy@elinterior.com & we'll send them a copy of
this email and enter them into the drawing!
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Sale on CMC CLICK Sweaters!
Come in to get 15% off
all of our CMC CLICK soft and fashionable sweaters!
Available in white, blue, green
and black.
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Oaxaca Tour:
January 30 - February 7, 2010
We still have spots open!
Don't miss the opportunity to intimately
experience the food, culture & folk art of
interior Mexico. We must finalize our room
reservations by the end of the month, so please
let us know if you are interested. All are
welcome - couples or singles!
http://www.elinterior.com/Oaxaca.htm |
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Karen Wilkinson Trunk Show: November 19th -
21st
 Karen
Wilkinson is a Santa Fe
designer who creates a distinctive line of
jackets primarily from vintage, Saltillo
hand-woven sarapes & collectable Guatemalan
fabrics done exclusively for El Interior. Each
piece is unique and artfully hand-embellished
with vintage buttons, semi-precious stones, and
many other wonderful mixed media elements. Join
us on Thursday, November 19th to Saturday,
November 21st to meet the designer & see her
wonderful new creations! |
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30 Year Anniversary Celebration: November
20th
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Join us the
evening of Friday, November 20th, for music &
refreshments to help us celebrate 30 years!
In 1979, Marcia Lucas started a Austin based
business working with designers, collectors and
folk art galleries and museums in order to
spread her love of folk art & textiles, as well
as the techniques and the culture behind them.
Five years later, she opened a retail space
downtown and then moved it to El Interior's
current location in Clarksville.
Marcia has been visiting and buying from many of
the Mexican artisans for so long that she's had
the pleasure of watching their babies grow up
and become master artisans in their own right.
"I really love feeling such a strong connection
with these indigenous people and feeling that
I'm helping encourage and support their
sustainable and traditional lifestyle and
culture.”
During those early years Lucas had several
museum exhibits on Zapotec Indian rug and sarape
weaving at the Museum of the Southwest in
Midland, Texas, and The Board of Governors at
the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C. and the
Mexican Cultural Institute in San Antonio Texas.
Her article on Zapotec Weaving was published in
The Master Key magazine of the Southwest Museum
in Los Angeles California. She was a major
instrument in the founding of Austin Friends of
Folk Art, in 1987.
Thank you, Marcia Lucas, for 30 years of
passionate dedication to bringing us the art and
culture of Mexico! |
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What's New In The Store
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A favorite is back! We have finally gotten a new
shipment of capes in--and they are just wonderful!
So incredibly soft, and reversible, and warm! They
are perfect for our climate. Additionally, we've
gotten in some incredible new huipiles, many of them
collector quality. These are so versatile--dress
them up or down; wear them in hot weather by
themselves or over turtlenecks in the winter.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OCTOBER NEW ARRIVALS
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Free Shipping
Special until October 31st
From now until October 31st, get free
shipping on all clothing orders!
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Fun Things for Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) |
The festival of
the "Dia de los Muertos", or Day of the Dead, is one
with very ancient roots in Mexico. It is celebrated
each year on November 1st & 2nd and on these days,
it is believed that the dead come from the beyond to
visit with the living.
Read about this wonderful traditional holiday and
see a selection of Day of the Dead items.
CLICK HERE TO
READ MORE ABOUT DAY OF THE DEAD & SEE ITEMS |
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 Sale
on Day of the Dead Earrings
From now until September 31st, get 15% off
all Day of the Dead Earrings!
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Special Feature: Satin Rococo Blouses |
Beautiful, soft, festive & fun! These beautiful
embroidered blouses are embroidered in Chiapas and
made of high-quality Mexican satin. So vibrant and
feminine, they are perfect for the upcoming holiday
season!
CLICK HERE TO SEE AVAILABLE SATIN ROCOCO BLOUSES |
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Sale
on Tin and Tile Mirrors
All Tin and Tile Mirrors are 20% Off!
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Collector's Corner: Day of the Dead Altars |
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In honor of Dia de los Muertos, we're
going to show you examples of altars that have
been done to inspire you when creating your
own. Don't
worry, your altar can be much simpler, but these
will definitely give you some inspiration!
CLICK HERE TO
VIEW ALTARS |
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Special Feature: Long Mexican Huipiles |
 A huipile is a loose
rectangular garment worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Guatemala. A huipile
tells us about the woman who wove it and the woman
who wears it; in the
indigenous world for women to weave textiles was and is now again
considered an important form of art. Today, more and more modern women
are discovering that these beautiful garments easily
translate into today's world, as huipiles are also
comfortable and flattering garments.
CLICK HERE TO SEE SELECTION OF
LONG MEXICAN HUIPILE DRESSES |
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Come in and see our Dia de los Muertos (Day of
the Dead) window display and Traditional Altar!
The festival of the "Dia de los Muertos",
or Day of the Dead, is one with very ancient
roots in Mexico. During the pre-Hispanic era,
there were very elaborate rituals and
philosophies concerning the life-death cycle,
nowhere more so than amongst the Mexican peoples
of the Oaxaca area. For them, life was no more
than a passing moment, a dream from which one
would wake up again amongst the dead.
To
read more about Day of the Dead, CLICK HERE |
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This Year, Throw a Party for Dia de Los Muertos!
While
most Americans are busy putting away their Halloween
decorations, one of Mexico's most important holidays is
just beginning: Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos).
November 1st and 2nd, families in Mexico pay tribute to
departed loved ones with a festival of flowers, food,
and music.
During this time, spirits are believed to return to
their homes to visit with family and friends. In
preparation for this day, both children and adults spend
weeks preparing special foods, creating altars in their
homes, and decorating grave sites.
Whatever your nationality, a Day of the Dead party is a
great way to gather your loved ones (both living and
dead) for a meaningful celebration. Here's how:
- Stock up on "ofrendas”—traditional
offerings given to the souls of the deceased. Food,
candles and flowers (especially marigolds) are
always staples on a traditional altar.
- Set up an altar on which guests
can place their ofrendas. This doesn’t have to be a
fancy affair—a small table with one or two shelves
or boxes piled on top will do just fine. Guests can
bring photos or momentos to add to the altar to
memorialize their deceased loved ones. Add flower
petals and garlands, a glass of water, candles, and
incense. (These items represent the elements: earth,
water, fire, and air.)
- Prepare some traditional Dia de
Los Muertos treats. Popular Mexican choices are
sugar skulls and chocolate coffins. You can buy
these sweets at most Mexican bakeries or make them
at home.
- Gather up a selection of Latin
music. Remember, despite its name, the Day of the
Dead is a very festive and upbeat time. So a
spirited Mariachi band is better choice than a slow
Spanish balladeer.
Last year, El Interior helped build an
outdoor altar for a wonderful Day of the Dead party
thrown by the incomparable Lucinda Hudson.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT |
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Show us your project or
collection! We'd love to feature YOU in an
upcoming issue, so email us a project that you've
done using our textiles, oilcloth, or your folk art
collection, at
amy@elinterior.com.
Also, we'd love to get your
comments or questions, so submit them to the
El Interior Mailbag to be featured in future
issues of our newsletters! |
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To View Past Issues
of Newsletters
CLICK HERE |
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