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Ward S. Albro
405 Lafayette Street
Castroville, Texas 78009
830.538.2349
wsalbro_60@yahoo.com
Ward S. Albro is professor emeritus at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and currently lectures at The University of Texas at San Antonio and at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center in San Antonio. He is the author of Always a Rebel: Ricardo Flores Magón and the Mexican Revolution (1992), the award-winning To Die on Your Feet: The Life, Times, and Writings of Práxedis G. Guerrero (1996), and The Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos (2007; photographs by Denis Defibaugh). For the last twenty years he has been taking groups for historical-cultural tours in Mexico.
Languages: Spanish
Presentations
A Celebration of Life: The Day of the Dead in Oaxaca
In recent years the Día de los Muertos has become an increasingly popular observance all over Mexico and in the United States as well. In many cases, mixing up the celebration with Halloween, we have strayed far from the real meaning of this essentially indigenous event. This presentation is based on fifteen years of visiting and participating in the Day of the Dead activities with the Zapotec people of the magical southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: Collecting Mexican Folk Art in Texas
Collecting Mexican folk art has grown in popularity in Texas and the Southwest, spurred by numerous recent exhibits with accompanying books and catalogs. This has led to increased appreciation of Mexico in many cases. However, it is not without its negative effects. The collecting of Mexican folk art has not always been accompanied by increased understanding of the history and culture that produced that folk art. Additionally, the recent emphasis on “signed” art and recognized "masters" has led to resentments and even conflicts in traditional folk-art producing villages in Mexico. This presentation is based on extensive contacts with artisans, dealers, museum curators, and collectors.