(New York)
Cindy, along with Arden Rothstein, was one of the founders of FOFA. Cindy first visited Oaxaca in 1996 while she was living in Mexico on the Fulbright Teacher Exchange. Cindy holds masters degrees in education from the University of Pennsylvania and art history from Wesleyan, and is currently completing her doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Her dissertation research is being conducted in Oaxaca in collaboration with local artisans. She is the author of the “Children’s First Concept Series,” a group of books that uses Oaxacan folk art to illustrate bilingual language concepts for children. The first two books in the series, ABeCedarios (alphabet) – with wood carvers Moises and Armando Jiménez – and Opuestos (opposites) – with carvers Martín and Quirino Santiago – (2007 and 2009, Cinco Puntos Press) have won numerous awards and helped to create a more sustainable market for the artisans.
