Vizcarra to instruct Ojo de Dios class at library
(CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – Susana Vizcarra will instruct her next educational workshop on Latin American crafts and culture with a session for “Ojo de Dios.”
The ‘Eye of God’ session on Huichol art will be held March 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The workshop is open to anyone eight years or older.
The Anasazi, an indigenous people in northwest Mexico, originated Huichol art (pronounced ‘Wettchol’), Vizcarra said. Their descendants live in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco and are known for beautiful weaving and ceramic work.
Huichol is one of many art forms that intrigues Vizcarra, an Uruguayan who has lived in the United States for 25 years. “I received a bachelor’s degree in Latin-American and Iberian studies from Texas Tech University and have great interest in Latin-American arts and crafts,” she said.
The Ojo de Dios is a “yarn-weaving object using sticks and different yarn colors, which symbolize the power of seeing and understanding unknown things,” Vizcarra said. “These mystical objects are usually made as a form of pray and blessing, especially to the newborn child.”
Originally, the Huichol people placed this amulet on roads near their homes. These objects now sold in retail “don’t have the same spiritual meaning,” Vizcarra said.
At the workshop, Vizcarra will lecture for about 25 minutes on the craft’s origins. While making an Ojo de Dios, participants can learn about a different culture.
“Children, especially the younger ones, can practice their motor skills and entertain themselves doing this activity,” Vizcarra said. “The finished project can be displayed inside or outside the home. It looks beautiful.”
Materials for the project will include sticks, like Popsicle sticks, skewers or dowels, along with yarn in various colors. Participants can donate $5 to the library to pay for materials.
Vizcarra also earned a master’s degree in English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
For more information, call 256-461-0046 or email to tallison@hmcpl.org.
