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Got Culture?
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum delivers it in spades with a memorable weekend at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum
I
wanted to have an art gallery where they [artists] could show their work …” said Cabot Yerxa. Cultural Weekends foster Cabot’s vision of bringing art, culture, and people together and nobody does it better than Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. Enjoy the fun in the second of three Cultural Weekends (Feb. 24-26), this time featuring artisans from Mata Ortiz Village in Mexico. The Cultural Weekend is free and open to the public. Attendees will experience an exceptional setting, observe master
artisans at work, and experience the artistry and ancestry of Mata Ortiz potters. Guests can also meet Lydia Quezada Celado de Talavera, the youngest sister of Juan Quezada, the man widely credited for the Mata Ortiz pottery movement. Lydia, a firstgeneration potter, created the style of black-on-black pottery, works in white and brown clays, and her pottery is smooth, thin-walled, and light weight—all three hallmarks of quality of Mata Ortiz ceramic. Locals can also engage with Lila
Silveira, who studied under Juan Quezada. Under his guidance, she has learned how to dig and refine the clay, developed painting techniques, and fired the pot on the ground in the traditional method. Conversations with Elvira Bugarini Cota are also on the roster. The artist works collaboratively with her husband, Jesus Pedregon, and their techniques and designs have evolved. Each design is painted in detail with long strands of human hair in the traditional manner of Mata Ortiz pottery.
As for Cabot, the man was an artist, adventurer and writer. He embraced many cultures and beliefs and was a true friend to the Native Indians living in the region. As a community advocate he helped found the city of Desert Hot Springs and was instrumental in bringing visitors and residents to the region. He began construction of his Pueblo, one of the most culturally significant buildings, and the first green structure, in the Coachella Valley in 1939 and continued adding to the 5,000-square foot structure until shortly before his death in 1965. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is located at 67616 East Desert View Avenue, Desert Hot Springs. Group tours are available. Visit cabotsmuseum.org or call 760-329-7610.