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Participants
in the Santa Ana de la Joya workshop met in El Paso, Texas
and traveled together via express bus from Juarez, Mexico to the
city of Chihuahua. The trip was made in air conditioned comfort
watching movies when the scenery didn't distract. Sunday, participants
toured Chihuahua, visiting the main cathedral, nearby markets, and
touring the Pancho Villa museum and an amazing Art Nouveau era house
museum.
Monday
morning the group drove to Santa Ana de la Joya with Wendy Suarez
of Misiones Coloniales. Due to last minute events, the expert leading
work for the week was Anita Krivickas, an architect from Australia
currently working for Misiones Coloniales. Participants moved into
a comfortable adobe house next to the mission church and had a tour
of the site. When rains set in, the afternoon was spent inside the
mission documenting painted wooden vigas that support the choir.
The delicious evening meal, and meals the rest of the week, were
prepared by and shared with neighboring families.
Beautiful
weather prevailed for the rest of the week, and allowed the making
of adobes to begin on Tuesday morning. Everyone worked to mix soil,
straw and water to prepare the mud that was then formed into bricks.
Adobes that had been made in past weeks were used to repair a large
crack in the upper corner of the choir area. Debris was cleaned
out and adobes were placed in the crack with a wooden brace and
mud mortar.
Documentation
of the decorative painting continued in preparation for conservation
work to take place in January. Evenings were spent with hosts and
neighbors, and involved much eating, talking, laughing and helping
the elementary students with their English homework.
Friday, participants were taken on a tour through the remote countryside
to visit several other mission churches currently undergoing conservation
work. Of special interest was the church at Santa Maria de la Cuevas.
This mission has received a grant from the Getty Conservation Institute
to repair and conserve the elaborately painted wooden ceiling. The
group returned to Santa Ana to gather luggage and say goodbye to
newly made friends. Great memories will be shared by all, and a
return trip to Chihuahua is being planned.
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