The Literacy through Photography (LTP) introductory workshop, taught by internationally known photographer and teacher Wendy Ewald, will be held in Oaxaca, Mexico, from August 22 through August 26, 2005. Ewald has led projects worldwide, including in Mexico, Canada, Holland, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, India, and in the U.S. public school system. She will be showing slides from these projects as well as teaching LTP methodology used by educators in various communities. The workshop is open to artists, writers, educators, and community workers from around the world.

The workshops are located in the heart of the city, in the Galeria de la Luz and other nearby institutions. All internationally recognized for excellence and all located within easy walking distance, these places include the magnificent sixteenth-century convent Santo Domingo de Guzman, now the Regional Museum, which includes among its collection some of the pre-Columbian treasures discovered in the nearby ruins of Monte Alban; The Instituto de Artes Graficas de Oaxaca (IAGO), which, in addition to housing the best art library in Mexico, exhibits graphic works by local and international artists; The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca (MACO), which shows the work of known artists and other culturally significant works from around the world; The Centro Fotografico Alvarez Bravo, a photographic museum that displays the work of well-known photographers worldwide.

Modern Oaxaca-distinguished by the breathtaking colonial architecture of Oaxaca city, recognized by the United Nations as a cultural treasure of mankind-is home to hundreds of contemporary artists in all disciplines and draws inspiration as well from the traditions of sixteen indigenous cultures that continue to thrive in the surrounding area.

Workshops participants will learn the methods that LTP uses to teach creative writing and photography in the classroom and in community settings. Throughout the week, assignments will be based on LTP's techniques and its four themes: self-portrait, family, community, and dreams.

Photograph by Janet Stallard.
From SECRET GAMES: COLLABORATIVE WORKS WITH CHILDREN , 1969–1999 by Wendy Ewald.

The morning sessions will be dedicated to exploring photography as a
teaching tool through the viewing of photographs, use of writing exercises,
and the development of curricula. There will also be discussions with
photographers and writers from the community. In the afternoon, participants
will shoot photographs and write based on the assignments. Participants will
use a 35mm "point- and-shoot" camera and the film will be developed locally.
One day will be spent in the village of San Augustin learning about and
photographing the local papermaking factory and art center.

The cross-cultural experience of working in Mexico will make the workshop
substantially different from LTP workshops offered in Durham, so it will be
suitable for past participants as well. The workshop will help broaden the
scope of participants' LTP teaching and provide new project ideas. English
as a Second Language teachers, in particular, are encouraged to attend.

Hours of Workshop: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. daily. During the afternoon
session coffee and Mexican snacks will be provided. Maps and lists of places
of interest also will be provided.

The cost of the workshop is $600. A $50 deposit should be sent to Marietta
Bernstorff at Galeria de la Luz to reserve a place in the workshop. The balance is due July 22.

Travel and Accommodations: Participants can either fly directly to Oaxaca (Continental Airlines) or to Mexico City. Participants flying into Mexico City can book their travel on a public bus through a travel agent. Contact information for those going through Mexico City will be provided. For information regarding hotels of varying prices see GENERAL INFO.

Wendy Ewald is a senior research associate at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) and the New School's Vera List Center, and Director of the Literacy through Photography program at CDS. She has received numerous awards for her work with children and photography, among them fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright Commission, and in 1992 the MacArthur Foundation. Ewald has had more than twenty-five solo exhibitions. She has published seven books, most recently Secret Games: Collaborative Work with Children, 1969-1999 and I Wanna Take Me a Picture: Teaching Photography and Writing to Children. Her photographs are in major collections, including the International Center of Photography and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.