Quaker Hill Elementary School 285 Bloomingdale Road Quaker Hill, Connecticut 06375 (860) 442-1095 cdiscordia@waterfordschools.org
Christopher Discordia, Principal
April 5th , 2019
Principal’s Notes
Mexican Weaver Visit On Wednesday, Quaker Hill staff and students met an award-winning artisan from Teotitlan Del Valle, Mexico through the Margaritas Education Outreach Program. Porfirio Gutierrez, a descendant of many generations of Zapotec weavers in Oaxaca, Mexico, began learning his craft at a very young age. Students learned how different plants, minerals and insects are used to make the colored dyes for the yarn. Porfirio demonstrated how to weave using hand dyed wool and a portable frame loom. Throughout the day they observed the various phases involved in making the weaving. A video portraying the Gutierrez family at work in their village in Mexico was shown. An array of weavings and textiles from his workshop was exhibited to show the variety of work produced by this talented artist. Students were given time to ask the artist questions. At the end of the day Porfirio presented a small finished weaving to the school. This will remain as a lasting symbol of this unique artist from Mexico, whose presence in one day enlivened and sparked the imagination of those who come in contact with him.