With only a month left in Mexico, MGE went on a four day long visit to the State of Mexico. On the last day we visited the towns of Metepec and Toluca. In Metepec, we visited the workshop of a couple that create beautiful clay art. They talked to us about the many challenges they faced as artists. When they first came to Metepec, the other sculptors discriminated against them. This is because the couple had very little sculpting experience, were lighter skinned, and many believed that a women couldn’t be a great sculptress. However, with practice and innovation they were able to become some of the most talented and sought-after people in their craft. One of their specialties is the tree of life. There are many variations of this. It can have flowers, butterflies, skulls, and Catholic and indigenous symbols. Originally it was supposed to tell the story of creation, but now some feature indigenous gods, or aren’t linked to religion at all. After talking with the artists, my cohorts and I got to make pieces of our own. We soon realized that the process of putting clay into molds and then getting it back out was way more difficult than it looked. It was clear to us that a lot of passion and hard work went into creating the beautiful trees of life.

Next, we went to Toluca, which is famous for a different type of art. It features the biggest piece of stained glass in the world. It is called the Cosmovitral. The theme of this stained glass museum is humanity’s relationship with the universe. One panel features the center of the universe with a man and women around it. On the other side there is an androgynous human with fire coming out of their legs, arms, and head. Along the sides of the building, different stories are played out. Most notably, the one of the eagle and the owl. The eagle represents light and strength while the owl represents darkness and wisdom. These two end up fighting, and the owl wins because its wisdom overcomes the eagle’s raw strength. In the next panel, the eagle and owl become humans. Overall, this art shows humanity’s duality like male and female, wisdom and strength, and darkness and light. Going to both of these towns was a great way to get a better understanding of Mexican art, culture, and cosmovision. With the trees of life, we saw how the Mexican people mix their Catholic religion with their indigenous heritage. At the Cosmovitral, we learned that duality is also an important aspect of Mexican culture. This trip was a great learning experience and also a fun excursion.