A Mexico Must-Visit: CASA & Arte Papel

March 18, 2014

One of the best things about Oaxaca is the number of free art institutions in the area, and the Center for the Arts of San Augustín (CASA for short) is one of the newest and most extensive.

Housed in a restored 19th century textile mill up on a hill about a half-hour’s drive from Oaxaca City, CASA offers free art workshops, concerts, movie screenings and rotating exhibitions featuring up-and-coming artists. On top of all that, it’s also home to Arte Papel, an ecological paper workshop that produces beautiful handmade pieces of paper art.

A huge undertaking, the effort to build CASA was spearheaded by Francisco Toledo, the world-renowned Oaxacan artist whose contributions have made possible so many of Oaxaca’s free cultural institutions.

"Maestro Toledo” is how our guide, Angel, refers to him, explaining how Toledo transformed what used to be a hydroelectric power plant into an all-natural paper workshop. Angel has been working at Arte Papel for 15 years—practically since the beginning—and he is an encyclopedia of knowledge on all things paper. Before we go in to see how the paper is made, Angel gives us a quick lesson on natural fibers. Standing before an array of glass jars, he points to each in turn, explaining that this one contains fibre de platano (banana leaf fibers), this one fibre de arbol de mora (blackberry tree fibers), and this one majagua blanca, the leaves of a tree from Maestro Toledo’s hometown of Juchitan. There are more fibers from the yucca tree, the maguey plant and something called sachila sabrosa that only grows in the town of Chichicastle; there is a jar of sparkly mica, another of silk threads and 3 types of algodón, or cotton: algodón blanco (white), algodón coyuche (brown), and algodón pochote (very fine).

Satisfied that we understand the basics, Angel takes us inside a small structure where two young guys are working. After being cooked separately, the various fibers are mashed together into a pulp. For thinner paper, you add more water; for thicker paper, more pulp. After you’ve attained the desired consistency, you mat the pulp onto a bastidor, a stretcher, or frame. Then you take it over to the press, which gets rid of any excess water. Eddy, who was working the press, has only been at the paper workshop for 2 months, but he’s settling in nicely and says it’s very relaxing.

The sheets of paper will be hung up to dry for as long as it takes: depending on the weather, 4-5 hours in the sunlight, or 3-4 days in the shade. Once they’re dry, they’ll be ferried over to the greenhouse-like building across the way, where the raw paper is put to use making bags, boxes, jewelry and, most importantly, papalote, the Toledo-inspired kites that you occasionally see displayed at museums and hotels in Oaxaca City.

Evelina and Lulu are at work when we pop in. Lulu, who’s been working at Arte Papel for a year, is making beads, rolling strips of paper into 3-D shapes. Evelina, who, like Angel, has been there since the beginning, is folding paper in boxes. Motioning to some kites hanging on the wall, Evelina explains that Toledo himself draws and cuts the stencils and they use a roller to paint them on. The designs are classic Toledo motifs—mythical animals and beasts—and we fall in love with them immediately.

And here’s the best news of all: you can have one too!