San Agustín Etla.- 15 years ago there were not so many cultural spaces outside the Historic Center of the city of Oaxaca.
At that time, the artist Francisco Toledo had the vision of creating an ecological arts center in the middle of the mountain in San Agustín, Etla, in an old textile factory. This project opened on March 21, 2006 as the San Agustín Arts Center (CaSa).
“For fifteen years, CaSa has offered arts education for free. Thousands of students have passed and now actively participate in the cultural life of the country. We have contributed to a greater diversity of voices ”, said Daniel Brena, director of CaSa.
He added that “Francisco Toledo opted to create cultural spaces in places where it was not common. First in Juchitán, then in the city of Oaxaca, and finally San Agustín, Etla. “
Read more: They prepare a virtual celebration for 15 years of the San Agustín Center of the Arts, a space founded by Toledo
The headquarters of the CaSa is the La Soledad Yarn and Fabric Factory, which was founded in 1883 by José Zorrilla Trápaga for the manufacture of raw cotton blanket and was abandoned in the 1980s. In the 90s, Francisco Toledo discovered the space and, together with the Government of the State of Oaxaca, acquired it and promoted its restoration.
Toledo began the restoration of the factory thinking of different uses for the building. Through his mind it passed from the headquarters of the General State Archive to a Textile Museum, but finally he decided to dedicate it to the arts.
On March 21, 2006, the old La Soledad yarn and fabric factory regained its splendor and opened as the Home, the first ecological arts center in Latin America. The restoration work was in charge of the architect Claudina López Morales together with the master Toledo.
Toledo throughout his life sought to make artistic education and appreciation available to more people, creating libraries, museums and schools.
CaSa’s main vocation is educational and its programs follow the premise of being a center ecological. There are one-of-a-kind courses, such as Fine Printing with ecological developers, by photographer and printer Lorena Alcaraz, and Less toxic Graphics, coordinated by artist Demián Flores.
The programs cover different areas such as: visual arts, drama, dance, design, architecture, painting, drawing, cinema and music. And there are production areas for artists to develop their projects.
The CaSa has a artistic and cultural proposal which includes exhibitions, presentations, concerts and activities focused on the community of San Agustín, Etla.
In the last year, the CaSa has had to adapt its programs and activities to be carried out online. This has made it possible to reach more people who are in remote communities of Oaxaca and in other parts of the world.
It is important to mention that in 15 years the work of artists of national and international recognition. Starting in 2006 with the Rituals of Haiti exhibition by the photographer Cristina García Rodero, from there they have followed samples of textiles, ceramics, painting, graphics, design and installations.
The work of the artists has been shown: Alejandro Santiago, Gustavo Pérez, Briggite Penicaud, Jorge Wilmot, Teodoro González de León, Francisco Toledo, Magali Lara, Graciela Iturbide, William Kentridge, Christina Kim and Mauricio Toro Goya, among others.
The building of the old La Soledad Yarn and Fabric factory is now a site where projects are created, continuity is given to productions artistic and art is available to more people. It is also an area for the enjoyment of the people who visit it.
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