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March 26, 2009 Contact: Weaver to lead workshops, present exhibition of traditional Mexican rugs
ATLANTA—Weaver Demetrio Lazo’s craft is in his bones, passed down through centuries in his hometown, Mexico’s Teotitlan del Valle. “The village that he’s from has a tradition of weaving that stretches back a couple thousand years,” said Melanie Davenport, an assistant professor in Georgia State’s School of Art and Design. “Maybe 80 percent of the families in that town support themselves by weaving.” Lazo will be traveling to GSU to share Teotitlan’s weaving heritage with students and faculty as part of a weeklong series of workshops, capped off by a reception and exhibition of his work at the Rialto Center for the Arts. Lazo’s rugs are woven with wool colored using natural dyes made of flowers, herbs and insects he gathers himself. Like many of Teotitlan’s weavers, Lazo has moved away from the chemical-based dyes made popular in the early 20th century. “He noticed in the ‘90s people were asking more about natural dyes, and he started to teach himself these techniques, which were in limited use,” Davenport said. “He’s rebuilt this body of knowledge and shares it with others because he’s realized it’s much better for the environment.” In addition to being environmentally friendly, Lazo’s efforts to preserve Teotitlan’s hand-dyeing techniques are helping generate sources of income for the people in his village. “He really has a wonderful vision of being able to develop natural dyes that could be used in place of chemical dyes in food products and other items that are commonly consumed, thereby generating a source of economic empowerment for those in his community who don’t currently have that,” Davenport said. “It’s very important to him.” Lazo’s visit is made possible by a grant from Georgia State’s Center for Collaborative and International Arts (CENCIA), which brings together artists from various disciplines to build partnerships in arts-related scholarship at the university. What: Reception and exhibition of work by Demetrio Lazo When: 5 to 8 p.m. April 2 Where: Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta Information: Call 404-413-9800
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