Arts in Education JOURNEY For information on advertising, contact info@huntingtonarts.org | 631-271-8423 | SPRING 2024 Arts Cultural Magazine | 15 My name is Fabio Esteban Amador, I am an archaeologist and visual artist originally from San Salvador, El Salvador. As a boy I was very fortunate that my family loved traveling and they would take me along adventurous journeys. One significant trip was a weekend in Esquipulas, Guatemala. I was there during a special religious holiday when all the communities from surrounding Maya villages payed homage to their gods through tribute in the form of food, clothing and prayer. Although I was only 8 years old, I was fascinated by the Maya people, their language, their clothing, and general particular characteristics of their culture. I also happened to have my very first camera with me and wanted to record all that was new to me, the colors, patterns, symbols and how people use these in constructing their identity. Arts in Education cont’d on pg 16 From its inception in 1985, by Chairperson, Sandy Chapin, the mission of JOURNEY has been to provide resources to school districts for learning about world cultures through the arts. The integration of cultural arts into the classroom encourages individualized experiences and appreciation of cultural diversity. Huntington Arts Council is excited to announce the addition of a Guatemalan Maya Discovery Chest to the extensive list of cultural chests currently in circulation as part of the JOURNEY Program. The development of a Discovery Chest is a unique, complex and personal process. Thank you to Fabio Esteban Amador for all of his time and dedication to providing HAC with the NEW Guatemalan Maya Discovery Chest. We asked Fabio to share his thoughts and inspiration during his work on this project. Guatemalan Maya Discovery Chest This curiosity and interest in learning about the Maya culture led me to become an archaeologist and continues to be my approach to studying and understanding the Discovery Chest. The Chest is an opportunity for us to learn about different cultures through their world-view. We can gain an insight into what is important in their lives by exploring the variation we can see and record in the manufacture of artifacts that are both functional and symbolic of their world and landscape. I hope that teachers and students alike approach the artifacts from Guatemala with a curiosity as to how objects were made, what patterns, symbols and colors can be discovered by closely observing, drawing and describing items that are so fundamental to a people whose origins and culture dates back to thousands of years.
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