Martha Elva De Jesús Lozano

Martha is in her early thirties. She never had an opportunity to attend school.

She and her husband Froylan are very active in their home church in Lachiguiri.

They desire a better life for their children. She is one of our best artist.

Marina Rivera

Marina is married and the mother of four children, all in school.

She also grows corn and chili to help sport her family.

She will use her earnings to help put her children through school.

Magali Toral Dominguez

Maggi is now married and has one child.

She was one of the students who graduated from high school in Lachiguiri soon after it opened in 2005.

She served as secretary to the town mayor (called the presidente).

Her father had left the family and moved out of the town so she is still helping her mom with supportong some of her siblings.

Iván Peña Dominguez

Iván attends the local high school in Lachiguiri and is active in sports. He also plays in the youth band at his church.

He also does a lot of pencil art.

His whole family has made this a family project.

Estela Montiel López

Estele has twelve grandchildren. She is concerned for their future.

She has started painting rocks to help them get the education they will need.

She and her husband also grow coffee.

Carmela Peña Dominguez

Carmela started painting rocks at age 9.

She comes from a very talented family

She is in school but has been encouraged by her family to paint rocks.

She also helps her mom raise chickens.

Alma Rosa Dejesus Lozano

Alma is married with one son in high school.

Her son plays basketball and soccer for his school.

She works for coffee growers in their fields and is looking for a better life for her family.

She is hoping to earn extra money to repair the delapidated roof of their home.

Alicia Dominguez Flores

Alicia enjoys painting flowers from the designs of the Zapotec huipils (traditional dress)

She and her family are also talented musicians and she has written songs in her language.

They have been using part of their earnings to add on to their small home.

Francisco Talaya Martínez

"Chico" from a Chontal village near the sea inland in the mountains. He works for Rotarians Brad and Shelby as their gardener. His tiny deer are his specialty. Besides gardening and painting rocks, Chico loves to snorkel and fish for lobster. You will usually see Chico helping to set up the tables to show the art work and willingly helps carry them to our spot under the shade trees in front of the little seaside Catholic open church when the cruise ships come into the Santa Cruz marina.

Julieta Martínez Toral

Julieta is a single mom with two elementary school children. Until she started painting rocks she broke stones to sell for gravel to build houses. That is a grueling job. Now she is careful what rocks she breaks as it may just be a pi3ece of art! She also makes tamales and goes from house to house hoping to earn enough to feed her own family. Her art work has tremendously improved over the last several months.

Froylan Hernández Montiel

Froylan is a young married man and father of four children. He and his wife grow corn to support their family. A new highway is going in and he has been able to work some on this construction for supporting his family. He has always enjoyed drawing and painting. He is very detailed in his work. Above is some of his most recent art.

Israel López Dordelly

Israel and his wife Virginia have a family of four children all now in school. When he was a young man and working on a coffee ranch as the foreman he was shot in the leg because the workers refused to go back to work after their lunch at their appointed time and when he told them he was going to go back to work even if they didn't they fired to kill him but the gun misfired. Those who shot him were from another distant village. He has been crippled in that leg since then and is unable to work in the fields. He has now worked for eleven years with the "gringa" Sheri Burk, teaching her the Zapotec language and now is the moderator of the rock painting class.

Virgen Fidel Velásquez

Virgen is wife of the ex mayor who really worked hard for his village. She has emboirdered the famous Zapotec huipils of Oaxaca which take over three months to hand make and sell for a good price but there hasn't been many buyers for her art work nearby. She started painting rocks and is doing a super job. She has an eye for art. I have added one of her huipil's for you to see what other art things she does.

Constantino Galván Toledo

Constantino served for one term as mayor of Lachiguiri and while he was serving he saw that they built a new high school. They had the first graduating class this last July.

He and his wife have a little coffee they grow but it isn't enough to earn a living for his family.

He feels that painting rocks to help earn a living is a great idea for his people and he and his wife, Virgen are some of the more talented artist. Constantino's specialty are cats.

Elisaida Peña Martinez

Elisaida is married and has five children. She and her husband grow a little coffee back in their jungle land. It isn't enough to cover even the basic needs. She is painting in order to help with their family needs such as food and clothing for her children.

Gustavo Pérez León

"Tabi" came from Salina Cruz and married a gal (Sara) from Lachiguiri and now lives there.
He has learned the trade of an electrician but at the moment there is little call for his trade. Hopefully soon people will start earning enough money either in their art work or some are now working on the new interstate highway which will go past Lachiguiri about five miles out.

Tabi has always enjoyed creative art. His art is very good. He feels that by using his talent he will help his family through these bad times economically. He will be one that we plan to teach how to market the art work of the people in Lachiguiri in other ways, through resort hotels, artisian markets etc.