Oaxaca at the Crossroads: Managing Memory, Negotiating Change

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Summary: Oaxaca at the Crossroads
Review: Selma Holo's Oaxaca at the Crossroads is of special interest to art specialists, but it can also be of interest to amateurs like me who enjoy local museums and appreciate their social importance.

Holo's previous book - Beyond the Prado - showed how the government of Spain granted autonomy to local museums as part of a campaign to convince the regions that they could maintain their cultures within Spain. In Mexico, the regions are more revolutionary than separatist. The government of Mexico grants local museums autonomy in an effort to maintain social peace.

Oaxaca at the Crossroads is not just about museums. It's also about the people of Oaxaca - the artists and the artisans, the managers of the cultural institutions, and the other people whose lives are affected by the arts.

One of the most interesting chapters describes how artists participate in the Oaxacan tradition of service to the community. The most successful Oaxacan artists have used their money and influence to protect public places in the community; create museums, libraries, and other institutions; and provide opportunities for education, work, and enjoyment by the artists, artisans, and other citizens of Oaxaca.

One of the most moving chapters analyzes Monte Alban - an archaeological site with pyramids that has become an open air museum. The archaeologists, tourists, government officials, and local residents have interacted with each other and with the environment in ways that are often harmful. It's debatable whether the people of the region have really benefited by abandoning agriculture and moving to the site to sell Oaxaca-style objects that are often not made in Oaxaca or even in Mexico. There's no doubt that the increase in tourism on the site and the growing population in the vicinity have resulted in serious degradation of the site and its surroundings. Throughout this chapter, we understand and sympathize with the desires and the needs of the disparate groups in this conflict.

The Oaxaca region's rich cultural heritage is a magnet for art specialists. Oaxaca also entices the amateur with its many varied attractions. By no means a travel guidebook, Oaxaca at the Crossroads nevertheless provides a wealth of information for travelers - including armchair travelers - who are interested in regional art and local museums.