If the thought of another watercolor still life is less than exciting, UNM's Maxwell Museum of Anthropology has the answer.
"The last Saturday of every month we invite a different artist from a different culture to share an art form particular to that culture," said Carol Anne Brannan, public programs coordinator for the Maxwell Museum. "There's been everything from Tibetan painting to Philippine kite-making to origami."
This week the Mexican art of straw mosaics will be demonstrated by fifth-generation master Luis Olay.
A straw mosaic is a picture constructed completely out of hand-picked straw which is meticulously patterned to make an image. The process, which includes picking straw, dying it and arranging it on beeswax, can be extremely time-consuming.
"Making one square inch of a mosaic can take hours," Olay said. "One square inch can have 500 pieces of straw. If I don't like it when it's finished I pull everything out and start it again."
The materials are completely natural. Olay gets beeswax, a glue that is native to Mexico, and boils it to rid the wax of impurities. He gathers his own straw during the summer and dries it with natural heat, which can take up to a year.
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Olay has done more than 100 mosaics of varying size and subjects, including portraits, landscapes and traditional Mexican-style mosaics. He has done portraits of Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan and Pete Domenici to name a few.
"My father taught me how to do everything and how to select my own style," Olay said. "When I was a kid, this is how I spent all my time."
The history of straw mosaics in his family dates back to the time of his great-great grandfather. In the early 19th century, the mosaics were made primarily from feathers, but the Olay family chose to create with straw instead.
With more than 50 years of experience, Olay has been recognized in dozens of art competitions and shows including the Albuquerque Magnifico Show and the Colores Celebration.
At the Hibbens Center, he is going to create a work of art from scratch.
"I'm going to demonstrate everything," Olay said. "I'm going to bring over my tools, demonstrate how I dye, how I use beeswax and show how I go through the process."
Brannan is excited that the museum can bring Olay to the public free of cost.
"This is a way to have a real human being in the museum to interact and teach their culture through the unique art forms developed in that culture," she said.
What: Luis Olay straw mosaic demonstration
When: Saturday, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Where: Maxwell Museum on campus
Price: Free
Ticket Info: 277-5963
