FOFA’s 7th Young Artists Competition (February 22, 2025)
“My Story in My Hands”
The awards ceremony for FOFA’s seventh competition (or “concurso”) for young Oaxacan folk artists took place on February 22, 2025 in partnership with MEAPO (Oaxaca’s state folk art museum in San Bartolo Coyotepec). Responding to FOFA’s call for entries, 115 artists submitted their works, reflecting a stunningly diverse range of genres, styles and techniques. In addition to artesanos from Oaxaca’s Valles Centrales, there were 64 first-time concurso participants from as far away as the pueblos of Putla/Cañadas el Tejocote and San Juan Colorado who submitted their works. Thirty-three of the first-time entrants received awards. In total, 70 young artists, ranging from ages 7 to 35, were recognized in the celebration where each received a cash award and a commemorative certificate.
The theme of this year’s concurso was “Mi Historia en mis Manos” (“My Story in My Hands”). While artists are given wide discretion in how they interpret FOFA’s concurso themes in their works, several ideas occurred frequently: their love for their multi-generational families, their commitment to preserving their cultural traditions, and their respect for the natural resources surrounding their communities. An emerging trend among some artists is their blending of traditional motifs with technical innovations; as one young artesano put it, “embrace the past while preparing for the future.”
