Arnulfo Mendoza facts for kids

Arnulfo Mendoza Ruiz (born August 17, 1954 – died March 7, 2014) was a talented artist and weaver from Mexico. He showed his amazing artwork in Mexico and other countries.

Arnulfo was born in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. This town is famous for its traditional Zapotec weaving. He became one of the most well-known artists from there. The Fundación Cultural banamex even called him a "grandmaster" of Mexican folk art.

With his former wife, Mary Jane Gagnier, Arnulfo also helped promote art from Oaxaca. They did this through their gallery, La Mano Mágica.

Arnulfo's Life Story

Arnulfo Mendoza was born in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. This Zapotec community is famous for making beautiful rugs. People there are so good at weaving that they don't often need to leave their homes to find work.

When Arnulfo was just nine years old, he started learning to weave. He learned about shapes, colors, and materials at his family's workshop. This is where he learned traditional Zapotec weaving. Later, from 1972 to 1974, he studied at the school of fine arts. This school was part of the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO).

Arnulfo married Mary Jane Gagnier, who was from Canada. She had visited Teotitlán and loved the area and Arnulfo. They worked together to share his art and the art of other local craftspeople. They opened a gallery called La Mano Mágica and also wrote about art. Even after they divorced, Mary Jane stayed in Oaxaca to continue this work. They had one son named Gabriel Mendoza Gagnier.

Sadly, Arnulfo passed away suddenly in 2014 from a heart attack. He was 59 years old. There were memorial services in Oaxaca City and in his hometown, where he was buried.

Arnulfo's Art Career

Arnulfo Mendoza became one of the most famous weavers from Teotitlán. His artworks could sell for thousands of dollars! He even dyed his own silk and wool yarn. He especially loved the red colors that came from the cochineal insect. Sometimes, he would use silver and gold threads in his weaving.

Arnulfo had more than 50 art shows, both by himself and with other artists. His work was shown in museums in many big cities. These included New York, Madrid, Dallas, Paris, Los Angeles, and Berlin. In 2003, his art was part of a special show in Chicago. This show was called "Weaving a Cultural Testimony."

You can find Arnulfo's art in many private collections. It is also in the permanent collections of several museums. These include the Mexican Art Museum in Chicago and the Waterloo Center for the Arts in Iowa. His work has also been shown in art books.

Right after he finished art school in 1974, Arnulfo helped start the Taller (Workshop) Rufino Tamayo. In 1975, he helped 25 artists in the United States create tapestries for a show. This show was at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.

In 1980, he went to Paris to paint for a year. From 1987 to 2010, he started and led the Arnulfo Mendoza Workshop. Here, he made tapestries with both old traditional designs and new modern ones.

In 1993, he took part in an international art project in Japan. Two of his artworks were bought for Tokyo's largest public art collection.

From 2009 to 2010, he was a co-director of the La Mano Mágica Gallery. This gallery is one of the most famous in Oaxaca.

In 1996, the Fundación Cultural Banamex gave him a special honor. They named him one of their "grandmasters" of Mexican folk art. In 2001, he received the Chimalli de Oro award from a newspaper called El Imparcial.

Images for kids

• 

  Zapotec rug in traditional diamond pattern by the artist.

• 

  Arnulfo Mendoza

• 

  Display of works by the artist at the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico

See also

In Spanish: Arnulfo Mendoza para niños

• List of Mexican artisans