Arts and Artesanía: glimpses of week 5

By Hillary Harder

Last week was full of opportunities to take in art in many forms. As our Study period continues, we have been delving into many areas of specialization that Ecuador is particularly known for.

Museo Guayasamín

On Thursday, our group visited the Museo Casa Guayasamín. Oswaldo Guayasamín is one  the best-known Ecuadorian visual artist of the 20th century. A painter, sculptor, and designer, he lived and worked in Quito until is death in 1999. His house in the hills overlooking the city is now this beautiful museum open to the public. We enjoyed a guided tour of his home, which showcases the art he collected from friends and travels all over the world, as well as many of his own iconic works and the perfectly preserved studio where he created them.

Trip to Otavalo

During the weekend we traveled to the city of Otavalo, located about two hours north of Quito. Otavalo is particularly known for artisan fairs like the “plaza de ponchos,” a square in the city center that is filled with vendors selling everything from blankets to jewelry to musical instruments. The city itself is a work of art, with plazas like this one featuring sculptures depicting the phases of the moon and a beautiful central park.

While we were based in Otavalo for the weekend, we went on several excursions to nearby towns. Cotacachi is known for leather goods, but also for another specialized craft: midwifery. We had the opportunity to eat a delicious home-cooked meal and take a tour of a vast garden full of medicinal plants and herbs. Then, we visited a school of midwifery run by Martha Harotingo, a gifted Kichwa midwife who learned the craft from her mother and grandmother. Martha explained that in Kichwa culture, midwifery is so much more than delivering babies: it means learning the ways of medicinal plants that Kichwa women have cultivated for centuries, accompanying women through all walks of life, teaching about sexual and reproductive health, educating western medical professionals in hospitals about the wisdom of traditional child birth practices, and, of course, attending births and helping care for mothers and babies postpartum. This was a highly meaningful and inspiring gathering for us as we sat around a ceremonial fire and Martha led us in a ritual of expressing gratitude and releasing what no longer serves us into the fire. Afterward, we also enjoyed a pickup soccer game on the grounds of the school!

Near Cotacachi is the beautiful Laguna Cuicocha, a volcanic lake at the foot of the Cotacachi volcano. We took a boat ride on the clear and cold water, and then hiked around the perimeter of the lake. The stunning beauty of the lagoon is difficult to capture in photos

Another nearby town, Peguche, is full of artisan workshops! We visited the home workshop of don Luis, a Kichwa musician who has toured extensively with his family band. He demonstrated instrument-making techniques, played typical Andean tunes on a variety of instruments, and gave us free rein to try them out ourselves.

Afterward, we visited El Gran Condor, a weaving and textile shop. There the owner, doña Luzmila, gave us a fascinating demonstration of traditional weaving, dyeing, and wool-carding techniques. We also had the chance to peruse the shop full of beautiful textiles – blankets, sweaters, bags, and more!

Last but not least, on our way home we stopped in the town of Cayambe, which is known for delicious pastries called bizcochos. With roots in the Italian tradition of biscotti, bizcochos are made through an intricate process of double-baking and are best enjoyed with a creamy dulce de leche spread and with traditional cheese wrapped in leaves, called queso de hoja. The shop owner gave a brief presentation on the history and making of bizcochos, and then of course we got to taste them and buy some to take with us.

Week 5 was full of up-close and personal experiences with the many fine arts and areas of specialization that draw people from around the world to Ecuador. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn about them first-hand from highly skilled craftspeople who generously shared their time with us.