On supporting local artists….

“If you hear a voice within say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. “

–Vincent Van Gogh

Starry Night, Oaxacan style!

I purchased this painting from an artist selling his painting on the street at an artist’s market in Oaxaca City, Mexico while I was there teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at a state university a few years back.

Vincent’s Van Gogh’s Starry Night has long been a favorite work of mine, and I fell in love with this piece quickly.  It was also important for me to buy it from the artist, even if at the time I was a little low on pesos.  Buying from local artists gives you an opportunity to connect with the creative mind behind the piece you love, getting a story and making that human connection.

Supporting artists by purchasing from them directly is a way to support local the economy, and a person, a family and community.

So, in my mind, when you support local economies, you are truly saying “yes” to dreams, “yes” to a human-powered economy, and ultimately “yes” to the power of communities to be self-sustaining.

 

Templo de Santo Domingo, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico.  

Oaxacan street artist practicing  his craft.