La Guelaguetza is one of the biggest annual events in Poughkeepsie. The first time attending was a little bewildering, all of a sudden I was back in Oaxaca, Mexico where I had lived briefly when I was twenty. I loved working on this piece with Lorena Lomeli Moreno, soaking in some of the passion that Felipe Santos and others brought to the table. Over ten years ago, Felipe was one of the original organizers for the event. Poughkeepsie has the largest Oaxacan population anywhere in the states. Who would have known?
The Poughkeepsie Cannon shared office space with Work Works Inc., a local job training program for low-to-moderate income adults ages 19-24. It was fascinating to see the work behind a startup in the field of construction. We helped out as a sounding board for grant applications, site visits, community meetings, etc. There are plenty of buildings in Poughkeepsie that could use updating, and plenty of folks who would benefit from work. Excited to see this non-profit grow! Check out the website we helped them build.
Los Wood hosts after school cooking classes to teach proper cooking techniques, various meals, and catering practices to local youth. A legitimate chef! It was too easy to fall in love with this project. I followed along to several events and made these pieces. The kids were adorable and I got to see their confidence build over time as they continue with the courses.
