Carolyn KallenbornProfessor Emerit

Since 2003, I have been working with indigenous artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico. It has been a rich exchange of ideas and culture. The inspiration for my artwork comes from my experiences in Mexico and learning with the artists and craftsmen there.

Through my time in Oaxaca I have come to appreciate the ability of art to cross boundaries. I have watched as my English speaking students communicate with their Oaxacan teachers without a common verbal language. As artists, they understand each other through visual and physical expression that is a part of art making, even if they do not understand the words being used by the maker. Both the U.S. students and the Oaxacan teachers find commonalities and appreciation. They teach me that art crosses borders and can create understanding and healing. And to me, that’s the best that art can be.

Featured Media

• The Cap Times, ‘We’ve all lost somebody’: Community Altar Project invites Madisonians to celebrate their dead
• The Daily Cardinal, School of Human Ecology celebrates Day of the Dead
• Channel 3000, UW–Madison partners celebrate Day of the Dead, traditional altars