Wednesday, February 18, 2026
After getting breakfast at 7:30 a.m.this morning at the hotel I helped Michael throw tables around in the studio so we will be ready for the famous Michael deMeng critique that ends all his workshops.
The group gathered at 9:30 in the workshop to hear Michael talk about our projects. This is the highlight of any Michael deMeng workshop for two reasons. One, you get a critique from Michael to understand where you came with this piece. Two, you get to hear Michael say the same things to other artists and you can always glean information from that presentation as well.
Denice worked much smaller than anyone else in the workshop.
This is as far as mine got in Oaxaca. I think of all the Michael deMeng workshops I have taken in the last nineteen years, this might be the closest I ever stayed to the actual workshop samples.
I worked on my Oaxaca piece when I got home, making some "improvements."
Back in Oaxaca, the rest of the day was a free day. The Bugenhagens and the Niebuhrs walked to the Aripo artisans market on the aqueduct road, C. de Manuel García Vigil. Denice and I bought a table runner for our front room and an ornament for our Christmas tree to remember this trip.
Then we crossed the street to go to Rito Chocolatería & Tienda. Marilyn and Dan had gone there on their food tour and we returned so folks could buy stuff.
We next got distracted by the second hand store (my third visit) where I bought an address sign from a house.
We decided to run our purchases back to the hotel and that proved a buzz kill for going back out into the heat. However we did decided to play some cards and that was fun.
When Denice decided at 3:30 p.m. that she wanted to go swimming, I decided I wanted to see the brand new exhibit at the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaquenos.
WALKABOUT #7
On the walk I stopped into the Alka Ro21 Galleria and El Tinglado Grafico Art Gallery.
Jon discovered that since we had been to the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaquenos last week Wednesday the staff had hung a new exhibit called Carga Emocional (Emotional Burden) by Julien de Casabianca. He is a French and Corsican artist, He is currently collaging works of art on abandoned objects. I am so glad I had a chance to see these works before I left Oaxaca—they are so inspiring.
While I would not have known what I would have missed I am so glad that I saw these works.
After the MUPO I walked to Frida Kahlo Art Store and bought some Pinto paints I love—they are so crappy but very bright and almost have a metallic quality.
I made a visit to the Templo y Convento de San Agustin.
By 6:00 p.m. I had walked to Brio Cocina where we are having our farewell dinner. With Marilyn Werst on my left, Denice on my right and the Bugenhagens across the table, it proved to be a open air terrace setting, terrific food and good conversation. We also sang Wholly Bully every time the waitress poured mole (mole) over someone’s meal.
We walked back to the hotel to pack our suitcases and go to bed early. We have to get up tomorrow for an early flight out.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Marilyn Werst, Holly and us are all out of Oaxaca this morning early. We booked taxis to the airport for our 7:40 a.m. flight to Houston, TX, USA. We arrived at 10:20 a.m. Denice and I had a two hour layover before we boarded our flight to Milwaukee. After all was said and done, we flew home, taxied to our house and we were unpacking by 3:30 p.m.
I had a great time in Oaxaca, Mexico, thanks to Michael deMeng, Mija Matriz, and Jon Labrousse. I want to thank my relative Marilyn and Dan Bugenhagen for joining us in this place that I love so much and giving me a chance to show them around. Thanks to all my fellow workshop participants for making our stay here and the workshop so much fun.
