Norma Schafer: Guide for the WARP Conference 2017 in Oaxaca Mexico

As we approach the 2017 WARP annual meeting in Oaxaca, I wanted to feature Norma Schafer on the blog. Norma is a cultural navigator who lives and works in Oaxaca. She has close relationships with indigenous artisans in her community and develops travel programs that are focused around textile traditions. And she is WARP’s cultural navigator for our 2017 meeting.

The annual meeting will run June 8-11 in Oaxaca. More information and registration can be found here.

Norma is both a fiber artist and photographer who has worked extensively in university administration positions. She has been the executive director of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC since 2006. Norma is assisting WARP with the development of the two-day program which is posted on the WARP website. Highlights include keynote speaker Marta Turok, an applied anthropologist who focuses on socio-economic artisan development in Mexico. She is considered one of the foremost experts on Mexican Folk Art.

Norma has also arranged for a Saturday program of visits to artisan studios with demonstrations and discussion of the natural dye tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico. Participants will meet weavers of rugs, home goods, handbags and clothing in their home studios where we will see the weavers working on the flying shuttle loom and tapestry loom, as well as doing traditional carding, spinning and dyeing methods using cochineal, indigo and other local plant sources.

Norma writes:

“I am committed to preserving the arts and cultural traditions of indigenous people who have lived in the Oaxaca Valley for over 8,000 years. My vision is to facilitate intercultural exchange programs with Oaxaca artists and artisans and to broaden opportunities for visitors to have authentic, personal learning experiences in Oaxaca.”