Beyond Walls 2025
An International Art Collective in Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca, Mexico
December 1-13, 2025
The Collective
As you walk the streets of Oaxaca, you will find yourself immersed in a living, breathing art gallery. Powerful wood prints, and amazing murals adorn the walls of buildings and alleyways throughout the city. In Oaxaca, community is a way of living, and art is action. Artists are respected not just for the quality of their art, but for their proactive role in supporting the community and preserving the culture of Oaxaca.
Seize the opportunity to contribute your vision and artistic talent to a truly unique collaboration. We are assembling a team of artists, including five active muralists from Oaxaca, to envision and paint a public mural in Oaxaca City. The general theme for the project is “Beyond Walls.” Together, we’ll combine our individual perspectives into a common vision.
While the mural will be the centerpiece of our time working together in Oaxaca, the heart of our work will be the Collective itself. How can we, as artists, lead and invigorate our own artistic communities back home? How can we use the walls of our own cities as opportunities for communication and connection?
During the twelve day workshop, we will explore ancient archeological sites, indigenous artisan villages and stroll through the fantastic city center of Oaxaca. We’ll see incredible cathedrals and architecture, visit repurposed convents and monasteries now art centers and museums, view the public art on display throughout the city, and visit art collectives to learn about their missions and their work in Oaxaca. We will learn and practice some of the techniques used in stencil art and printmaking and create engaging public art. We will collaborate on a vision for a mural and together paint it in the city. We will also work with an arts activist to develop an action plan for a collective art project in our home community that sees beyond walls.
Oaxaca, a UNESCO world heritage site, is a vibrant, welcoming, historical and culturally rich city in southern Mexico. Oaxaca has become a world class destination. Pick up any travel magazine and they will have lists of the 10 best things to do in Oaxaca…from eating unique regional cuisine and mezcal tastings to the ancient archaeological sites and lovely artisan villages. It is home to some of the finest artists in the world and abounds with ceramics, textiles, tin art, woodcarvings, jewelry, and so much more. There is also a prolific contemporary art scene with many murals, printmaking studios, photography and modern art galleries to enjoy. The vibrant atmosphere, fabulous food, and friendly people make Oaxaca an amazing place to visit. We’ll spend several days exploring this culturally rich, architecturally beautiful city, visiting traditional and contemporary artist’s studios, taking street art and mural tours, enjoying the out-of-this world cuisine and creating a mural in the heart of Oaxaca City together.
Itinerary
December 1-December 13, 2025
Video Conference with all artists involved 3 weeks prior (early November). Introductions, discuss the purpose of the retreat and begin the brainstorming process for mural idea
Day 1 (Monday, December 1):
- Arrival in Oaxaca
- Dinner at Casa Colonial
Day 2:
- Walking Tour of Oaxaca Centro
We’ll get a taste of life in downtown Oaxaca, view public art and architecture, lunch together and visit art collectives. - Opening Reception at Galeria Genar Vasquez.
Day 3:
- Visit the important Zapotec archeological site of Monte Alban.
- Lunch together.
- Brainstorm and sketch themes and ideas for the mural.
Day 4
- Today, at the galeria, we’ll share ideas to shape the collective concept for the mural.
- Lunch together
- Sketch the collective mural image
- Media Event at the Galeria
Day 5
- Mural Sketch on the Wall
- Lunch on your own
- Return to complete sketch/afternoon free
Day 6
- Begin Painting Mural (9am-1pm)
- Lunch on your own
- Workshop: Printmaking with Federico Landa (2-3 hours) studio at Casa Colonial
- Dinner on your own
Day 7
- Mural Painting (9am-1pm)
- Lunch on your own
- Studio time for Printmaking with Fede (2-3 hours) at Casa Colonial
- Dinner at Casa Colonial
Day 8
- Trip to the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle & carving village San Martin Tilcajete.
- Lunch together
- Dinner on your own
Day 9
- Mural Painting (9am-1pm)
- Lunch on your own
- Optional stencil making workshop with Mija in the studio at Casa Colonial
- Dinner at Casa Colonial
Day 10
- Mural Painting (9am-1pm)
- Lunch on your own
- Workshop: Action Project Brainstorming with Marietta Bernstorff at Casa Colonial
- Dinner at Casa Colonial
Day 11
- Mural Painting (9am-1pm)
Lunch on your own - Workshop: Action Planning with Marietta Bernstorff at Casa Colonial
- Dinner at Casa Colonial
Day 12
- Free Time
- Gallery event/Reception (4pm-6pm)
Day 13 (Saturday, December 13)
- Departure
Itinerary is subject to change
Airfare is not included. When searching for airfares the Oaxaca code is OAX.
Included: Workshops, hotel, 12 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 7 dinners, guided tours, and art supplies.
Alcoholic beverages are not included
Price
Single $3,595
Shared Double $3,295
(Price if sharing room with another person taking the workshop)
Deposit
$750 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot
Balance due October 1, 2025
Cancellation Policy
$750 deposit will be forfeited for cancellation.
No refunds (unless we are able to fill your space) after October 15, 2025.
If the workshop is canceled you will receive a full refund.
Hotel Information
Casa Colonial
Calle Miguel Negrete 105
Santa María del Marquesado
Ex-Marquezado, 68000 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
https://www.casa-colonial.com/
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Check out Rick Steves for recommendations and advice on types of coverage.
www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/travel-insurance
To Apply
CLICK HERE to go to application form
Applications will be evaluated on a first come first served basis. No prior experience in mural painting, stencil making or printmaking is required for participation. Mija or Jon will contact you regarding your application status and payment options. If you have any questions email Mija at mija.matriz@gmail.com
ABOUT US: Meet the Collaborators
JESUS KOBE
I am a Zapotec painter and muralist from Oaxaca, Mexico. I have dedicated myself to working on a diverse array of murals, from private homes and galleries, to grand scale state projects. At age sixteen, I began experimenting with all kinds of paint on any wall to which I was granted access. My first exposure to murals was through the subculture of graffiti-style art in Mexico, which led me painting throughout the country in more than 15 states. Now I am a judge at international mural and graffiti festivals from Amsterdam to Berlin & throughout Mexico.
Thanks to the rich artistic history of Oaxaca, Mexico and the contemporary influence of the master painter Francisco Toledo, I was drawn deeper into painting, utilizing the techniques of oil paints, watercolor, sculpture and traditional visual arts. I then connected my urban experience with an academic one, studying art in different studios with different teachers where I learned lithography, wood carving, ceramics, and ink techniques. During this time, I continued painting murals, both individually and in collective groups.
As for the body and content of my work, it is not only characterized by a fusion of techniques, but most importantly, it is a colorful amalgamation of the romance and reality that I see in the world. I have experienced the imbalance that lurks among the poor and rich; I have seen the vibrancy of indigenous tradition and ancient value systems as well as the corruption that threatens them. I express all of this in my murals–my own experiences alongside the stories of the communities with whom I work. I see this as vital to art and humanity.
Murals have a unique and powerful impact on society because they invite collective voices to be heard and expressed. In my work, I’ve witnessed that, thanks to the involvement of community members, and that the values of a community are reaffirmed when they are transformed into symbols or expressed in collective visual works of art. The result for these local communities is public art, culture, beauty, pride, and education. Continually experiencing the creative process of groups painting a mural together has changed my life. I’ve made contact with an ever-expanding network of urban centers, leading me outside of Mexico and into several states in the USA, then later to Nicaragua, Europe and Israel.
JADE MIDORI
Jade Midori is a Oaxacan visual artist, dedicated primarily to muralism. With a 15-year career in urban art, she began doing graffiti and studied visual arts in a self-taught manner, exploring various techniques of engraving, weaving, clay modeling, installation, and conceptual art, thus creating a broad artistic production.
She has been invited to participate in various national and international urban art and muralism festivals such as “Ciudad Mural,” “Street Art MUJAM,” and “The Boar Dripper,” to mention the most important ones in Mexico.
In 2018, she was invited by the “Suexico” project to carry out an artistic residency at the “Rizoma Gallery” in Gothenburg, Sweden, where she participated as a muralist in the “Rizoma Street Art Festival” and mounted the expanded graphic exhibition “Plexo Solar” in Rizoma Gallery.
She has also exhibited part of her graphic work in important art venues such as the Museum of Oaxacan Painters and the San Agustin Arts Center, CASA in Oaxaca.
Through constant exploration and diverse artistic production, Jade Midori was recently invited by the Secretary of Arts and Cultures of Oaxaca to create the set design for the state competition Diosa Centeoti, held within the framework of the Guelaguetza.
Jade has expanded into the audiovisual field, developing as director of the art department in audiovisual productions, most recently highlighting the creation of the monumental altar for the official promotional spot for the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca.
Jade currently resides in the city of Oaxaca, where she primarily works on her graphic and pictorial production, which she alternates with teaching collective mural workshops aimed primarily at women and children in communities across different regions of the state.
FEDERICO LANDA
l have dedicated my life to do ilustrations inspired by stories myths and legends from different places in México. l was born in México city and for the last few years l have been living in Oaxaca where I keep on doing graphic art like lithography, xylography, and charcoal. I’m 42 years old. Life is very long and I love being human and creating art.
NORMA CASTELLANOS
Norma Castellanos (Dayen), originally from the state of Oaxaca, has had a passion for drawing and painting since she was a child. It wasn’t until her adolescence that she had her first encounters with graffiti, making bombs and tags in the street. A graduate of the Technological Institute of the Valley of Oaxaca, she studied computer engineering. A few years ago, she began creating murals, signs, and drawings as a craft. She has participated in various mural and graffiti festivals in several states of Mexico and internationally.
DIEGO SKUME
Diego Skume began drawing and painting as a teenager, regardless of how abstract, simple or complex it became. Later, he began experimenting on canvas with different materials.
The intimate and the social as a tension in Skume’s work is sustained by an investigation of his roots, from which he imaginatively reworks each drawing, each work, which reframes the idea of the “mythical-pre-Hispanic,” in which the human and the animal were fused. His explorations of different worlds produce in her works the creation of portents that supposedly inhabit Mesoamerican lands, but which initially spoke of the indigenous imagination, their fears, their ignorance, and their inability to conceptualize the different, the unknown. His collaborations include exhibitions in several states of Mexico as well as in Oaxaca, a digital mention in an informational space in Seville, Spain, 2015; a Collective Exhibition in San Pedro Macorís, Dominican Republic, 2024; and a Collective Exhibition in South Korea, 2025.
Diego Skume understands that painting must be born from “the old myths of humanity and transform into the presence of the sublime that inhabits the painting.”
MARIETTA BERNSTORFF
Marietta Bernstorff is a visual artist, curator, and social activist with over three decades of experience working at the intersection of art and social justice. Her interdisciplinary practice is grounded in a commitment to addressing critical contemporary issues, including migration, gender-based violence, and environmental justice, particularly within the contexts of Mexico and the United States.
Bernstorff has conceptualized and directed numerous socially engaged art projects that prioritize collaborative, community-based methodologies. Notable among these is Mujeres Artistas y el Maíz (MAMAZ), a traveling exhibition and collective of Mexican women artists that explores maize as a symbol of food sovereignty and cultural heritage. Her project The Story of the Women of San Francisco Tanivet provided a platform for women impacted by immigration to articulate their narratives through visual expression. She is also the founder and curator of the international exhibition Patchwork Healing Blanket / La Manta de Curación, an evolving textile-based installation that amplifies global women’s voices around issues of gender violence and ecological crisis.
As the founder of several arts organizations, Bernstorff has consistently promoted cross-cultural dialogue and inclusive engagement through artistic practice. Her curatorial framework integrates activism, sustainable practices, and participatory approaches to create spaces of collective memory, healing, and creative resistance.
Her work has been instrumental in empowering marginalized communities and expanding the discourse around art as a vehicle for social transformation. Through her sustained commitment to cultural identity, environmental stewardship, and feminist praxis, Bernstorff continues to advance an art practice that is both critically engaged and profoundly humanistic.
JON LABROUSSE and MIJA MATRIZ
Creativity flourishes with good company. And DEEP ENERGY.
Mija and Jon are creators and connectors. We are passionate about our potential for human expression and collaboration. We have a vision for a more connected world, a more celebratory world, a world that delights in the challenges and rewards of cooperation. A world we ALL want to live and participate in.
We’re both artists, ourselves. Mija is a mixed media visual artist. Jon is a poet and musician. And we have a gift for holding space for artistic exploratoin and development.
We’re striving to build an International Art Collective that honors every creative who is willing to bet on themselves, who feels moved to thrive in community.
Oaxaca City is a place like no other on earth. In our experience, it’s a place where art is a living, breathing animal, ever evolving, celebrating life and indigenous cultural heritage, challenging social injustice, fighting for equity and representation.
Our tours offer a perfect balance of creative time, and explore Oaxaca time. We love Oaxaca. You will, too. And you’ll grow and learn, as an artist. We all will. Your Creative Community can expand with us.