Worcester Art Museum 2013

I participated in Art Allstate this year and it was an amazing experience!  Check out all the great installations by students and all the artist mentors involved.
http://artallstateteacher.tumblr.com/page/2

Mayto, Mexico

I have been looking at my images from Mexico.  Here is Carla, Angel, Oscar and one other boy.  During one of my days out shooting in Mayto they guided me through the town to visit many interesting places.  I look forward to seeing them every year.

Blue Eyes...Ojos Azules

Click on Photo to see the Cultural Collaboration of Artists put together by

Miguel Ruibal and

with Zone Zero, headquartered in Mexico and founded by Pedro Meyer.

Traveling to the Tortuga Camp

(see video at the bottom)

The opportunity to caretake a home for our amigos a few years ago, now a prospering solar campground and goat farm, placed us in Mayto, Mexico. Never did we imagine the local people here would draw us back year after year.

See Bill Paarlberg's painting.

The Herrara Family settled Mayto over 40 years ago. They traveled here before there was a proper road to follow and they found a place to settle. Near the ocean the village sits, and the family has created farming and store keeping with a tienda in the village and a guest house and restaurant by the ocean. Many generations of this family continue to work, live and go to school here. It is this family that makes Mayto special for us. And if you want to visit, El Rinconcito is the place. Marasela makes the best food, one of my favorite meals, chicken enchiladas and her home made flan for dessert. She and her husband Fernando are the best hosts ever!

There are many stories to tell here. I have worked with the children, having them make images of the village and I have photographed and interviewed the teenagers. This year I continued with architectural documentation and explored a place I have not spent a lot of time visiting, “The Turtle Camp”. Joe, as he is called in English, has always been a friendly face in Mayto, and his English is improving much faster than my Spanish. He lives and watches over the camp where they are growing fruit trees and raising other animals in addition the focus of rescuing turtles eggs. They have started a recycling effort in the village of Mayto to keep all the plastic waste off the streets.

I am a still photographer, so pardon my flaws in my first attempt to make a video. I have found a great interest in the added sound to a visual and look forward to playing with the medium in the future.

I have made this video to share with students learning the language of Spanish and with an interest in culture and geography. Is is part of my ongoing exploration and sharing of the area. This is a video journey to the camp, on a bus, down a road and out to the wide open Pacific Ocean where a small group a people make a difference in nature. Where all are welcomed.

Now, Joe talks fast. I prompted him with my translated questions, (thank you Marasela!), and wow, he did a great job to help you understand what goes on here. This time of year is not the busy time of year with turtles, but I hope you find the place interesting!

Please post your questions and anything you want to share! Hasta Luego!

And another video of a women who lives up on the hill, overlooking

the village.

Stories of Animals

There are many stories and adventures when traveling. That brings me to stories of animals. Two in particular. First I will show you a picture of Joe with his pet and the tracks this animal makes on the beach. Do you know what kind of animal this is? or anything about it?

The Story of the saved Gato! by Zoe Paarlberg

Tortuga Camp

Mayto, Mexico 2011

This year my project in Mayto, Mexico features the Tortuga Camp. This is my fourth year working in Mayto. To date I have created photographs, books and blogs. In addition to my own photographs I have worked with elementary school students, giving them cameras to help tell the story of their town. This year I am working in video and still images.

Originally I imagined being able to have the high school students meet up with me to post to the blog. I quickly realized teenagers here are very busy. During the day they are helping their families in the home and with family businesses. They are also spending time doing their homework, then go to school at 3pm until 8pm.

The Tortuga Camp then became my focus. No ordinary camp. Many types of animals, plants and projects going on.

Stay tuned for my video.

Dos Amigos

On State Street, in Portmouth, NH is showing some of the photographs by

my Elementary School students from Mayto, Mexico. Check it out and have

some great food. Through the month of September 2010.

Mayto, Mexico & Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA

Over the past three years I have been working with students in Mayto Mexico.

We have used photography and writing to make documentaries and bios about their village on the west coast of Mexico.

Nancy Modern at the Portsmouth High School has worked with me to introduce the students in her language department to the students in Mexico, through book form, exhibition and images posted to flickr.

During my residency at the Portsmouth High School this year I introduced the students and the teachers to this Learning to See Blog where you can see the start of dialog. There is also a Facebook presence.

This project is a work in progress. It continues to grow and adapt. Technology and language have become an interracial part of the program.

Thank you to Terra Merry, Helaine Wemple, Tara Hebert, Susan MacNichol and Nancy Wheaton Modern at the Portsmouth HS who integrated this project into their curriculum.