Carnaval 2026 Oaxaca Art + Culture Workshop

Carnaval 2026 Oaxaca Art + Culture Workshop: watercolor, mixed media/collage, masks

DATES: February 13-22, 2026

with Oaxacan artist Pedro Cruz Pacheco + Corrie McCluskey
Oaxaca, Mexico

ART + CULTURE ADVENTURE IN THE HEART OF OAXACA

Do you need to feed your creative soul? Fill it to the brim with creative transformation and fresh inspiration, memories to last a lifetime. Join a small group of travelers for this magical art + cultural immersion workshop where you’ll meet a rich culture that celebrates creativity and traditions.

Our workshops are different. We mix art classes with carefully curated private field trips – we meet master artists and artisans in their studios out in the far flung pueblos, sit with them to hear their stories, get to know their process and cultural traditions, share an intimate afternoon with them. Then we bring these experiences into our art classes.

The focus of this workshop: Experience the hauntingly beautiful, raucous celebration of Carnaval in the Zapotec pueblo of San Martín Tilcajete, where deeply rooted local culture and ancestral traditions are still lovingly practiced. The art classes feature watercolor painting with Pedro–who incorporates personal symbols, talismans, Oaxacan culture and the natural world into his work. He’ll also lead the group in painting handmade wooden masks, created for us by a master mask carver.  Corrie will introduce mixed media/collage and experimenting with mark making to develop your unique visual voice. Be surprised by what shows up on paper, find the imagery that resonates with you…take risks and let go of needing to be perfect. You’ll use Oaxaca-sourced handmade paper in an artist book you create to take home.

The REAL Oaxaca is found in the villages and private workspaces, and we’ll journey to the otherworldly Carnaval parade featuring La Danza de Los Diablitos (Dance of the Devils) the Tuesday before Lent begins, a massive Zapotec Sunday market, a master alebrije  (wooden carved figures) family studio, a papermaking studio using natural fibers from local plants and trees, a famous art center housed in a renovated textile factory, and a guided street art walk – all mixed in with art instruction and creative play time.

Read more about Carnaval in San Martín Tilcajete – click here-article 1 and click here-article 2. Revelers coat themselves with motor oil (Los Aceitados), silver paint, or god knows what, put on elaborate wooden masks and costumes, and dance through town accompanied by loud brass bands. You can hear them coming by the shouts and sound of the bells that are strapped around their waists, and locals offer them the traditional drinks tepache and mezcal as they pass by, and the celebration goes on for hours. Warning: wear old clothing…the dancers like to rub oil & paint onto spectators, bringing them into the procession.

Who should attend this workshop: This workshop is for artists & creative people who want to explore watercolor, mixed media collage, mark making with India ink and other simple materials – all while taking a deep dive into the art, culture, and real ancestral traditions of Oaxaca. Folks who are flexible, have an open, curious mind, willing to step out of their comfort zone and aren’t afraid to get a little dirty at the Carnaval will be the best fit for this trip. We expect everyone to participate fully in the workshop throughout the week.

Nurture your creative soul with us…your life will shift with this retreat – it will stoke the fire within to feed your mind, body, and soul. Many visitors to Oaxaca never make it past the tourist center – we will go direct to the heart and soul of this ancient place – the streets, studios, kitchens, and markets – and get to know the people and traditions with their rich culture, food, and art.

Workshop details:

• 7-day art + culture workshop in the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico
• Group field trips with private van
• Maximum 10 participants
• 9 nights at a charming hotel built in the 16th century, in the heart of the city center
• hotel rooms have private bathrooms, wifi, fans, restaurant next door, courtyard to enjoy breakfast or sip morning coffee
• hotel is 1 block from the zocalo (town square), everything within walking distance
• art material list provided (you bring your own art supplies)
• list provided of restaurants, museums & galleries, optional tours that you can book for your day off, cool places to visit on your own

Preliminary itinerary (subject to change as needed):

• Day One: participants arrive in Oaxaca
• Day Two: all day art class, lunch at studio, group welcome dinner
• Day Three: AM field trip to Sunday market; PM studio visit of weavers
• Day Four: all day art class, lunch at studio,
• Day Five: AM alebrije studio visit in Tilcajete, PM Carnaval parade
• Day Six: AM field trip to exquisite art center + papermaking studio, PM art class
• Day Seven: day off to explore on your own
• Day Eight: all day art class, lunch at studio, pm street art tour
• Day Nine: all day art class + art show, lunch at studio, group farewell dinner
• Day Ten: depart Oaxaca

The full day art classes generally run from 10 am – 5 pm, with lunch at midday.

Our instructors:
Pedro Cruz Pacheco is a painter from Santa Cruz Amilpas, Oaxaca, Mexico who works in watercolor, oil, and mixed media. He left his job in a brickyard in 1999 and initially began his career as a self-taught artist. He spent 8 years apprenticing in the studio of master Oaxacan painter Felipe Morales, and showed & sold his work for years in Labastida Plaza in downtown Oaxaca (by Santo Domingo church). Pedro has exhibited in Mexico (Oaxaca, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Merida, Monterrey), Texas, and California (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sonoma County, Eureka), and has taught watercolor workshops in Oaxaca and Baja, BCS, Mexico. Pedro’s style is very Oaxaca-influenced, with magic realism as an artistic point of view – a Mexican version of surrealism. His work is intimate, private, and incorporates personal symbols and talismans that reflect his own life experiences as well as the history and customs of Oaxaqueños. His work features bright, vivid colors and his own deeply personal and heart-felt spiritual view of the world around him.

Corrie McCluskey (workshop coordinator) is a visual artist originally from Northern California (now living in Oaxaca) who was a b&w photographer for two decades. She transitioned into visual journaling, mail art, collage, bookbinding and making artist books. She now focuses on mixed media on paper: collage, encaustic monotypes, abstract painting with natural pigments & India ink, graphite, cold wax with oil pigment sticks. Visual journaling is a part of her art expression: it’s all about process and discovery – a container for ideas and play with ephemera. She is a “Guidess”-in-training for people who feel unqualified or too intimidated to express their creativity because they think they can’t “do art”. For 20 years, she was a workshop and event coordinator, and she loves to bring small groups of people together and facilitate an amazing workshop experience.

Our hotel: Hotel Parador San Agustín, Oaxaca centro
We have a block of 10 rooms reserved at Hotel Parador San Agustín, a 16th century former colonial estate with a traditional courtyard and terrace (each room has either 2 double beds or 1 king bed, and private bathroom). Rooms are charming yet basic, clean and secure, and the hotel is centrally located one block from the zocalo (town square) in the city’s historic center and within walking distance of the huge indoor market, banks/ATMs, museums, galleries, shops and cafes. Amenities: all rooms have private bathroom, TV, & free wifi; airport shuttle is available (w/ surcharge), breakfast at nextdoor restaurant (w/ surcharge), computer station, self-serve laundry facilities; upstairs floors accessible by stairs only, all rooms have fans only (no A/C).

Our art class location: A private van will pick up the group daily from your hotel to bring you to Pedro & Corrie’s newly built “industrial rustic” Talismán Oaxaca art studios, located in a cornfield in Santa Cruz Amilpas (Pedro’s hometown), just 15 minutes from city center. We’ll have space to spread out, make a mess, play with materials, and just let loose with our creativity! And you’ll get to see and experience what small town life is like in the valley of Oaxaca.

Our hotel: Hotel Parador San Agustín, Oaxaca centro

Schedule:
arrival: in Oaxaca, Friday, February 13, 2026
art classes + field trips: 7 days
day off: (no class or scheduled field trips) Thursday, February 19
departure: Sunday, February 22, 2026
airport: Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International airport (OAX)

Trip fee, deadline & cancellation:
$2595 for workshop participants – registration is now closed

• 50% deposit with registration guarantees your space – register early before the workshop sells out.
• Deadline to register & pay is extended to 1/24/26. (Deposits, reservations, and arrangements are made well in advance of the trip, so we need to receive your registration + deposit on time.)
• Balance is due by 11/15/25; at this time you’ll need to register & pay full trip fee to reserve your space.
• Deadline to register in class is extended to 1/24/26; no deposit or trip fee refund will be given after 9/15/25. No exceptions.
• If you must cancel, contact Corrie, the workshop coordinator, immediately. You can transfer your deposit & trip fee to another person, at no charge. If there is a wait list, we will give you the first name on the list to whom you can offer your spot. Otherwise, no refunds will be issued under any circumstances. We encourage you to purchase trip insurance with “Cancel for Any Reason” to cover you for unexpected circumstances.

Registration + payment online: To register and pay online, click below. Your payment will be processed through PayPal.

 Price includes:

• hotel room in our group’s room block (rooms have either 2 double beds or 1 king bed + private bathroom)
• private van transportation (for field trips & group dinners)
• lunch provided for the 4 days we stay in the art studio (days with no field trips)
• field trips to Carnaval parade, Sunday outdoor market; studio visits with weavers, alebrije artisans, master papermaker

Not included in price:

• airfare or transportation to/from Oaxaca airport
• all other food & drinks (except for 4 lunches mentioned above)
• required trip insurance

Required travel insurance: Why you need it: Oaxaca doesn’t have a robust healthcare system like you’re used to, so if you have a serious fall (sidewalks can be treacherous here), get sick, or the taxi you’re in has an accident, it could be very pricey to get you home for treatment. Therefore, we’re requiring everyone to purchase travel insurance for this trip (include medical evacuation of at least $50,000, international accident & health insurance including primary medical coverage, and trip cancellation coverage). There are also trip policies that include COVID cancellations. We recommend that you get PRIMARY medical coverage, not secondary. Proof of insurance must be sent to us at least 45 days before departure. We encourage you to purchase trip insurance immediately upon registering, with “Cancel for Any Reason” to cover you for unexpected circumstances – buy trip insurance WHEN YOU BOOK YOUR TRIP if you wish to have this extra coverage.
suggested provider: Squaremouth – https://www.squaremouth.com/travel-insurance-quotes More COVID policy info: https://www.squaremouth.com/press-room/travel-insurance-coronavirus
best choices on Squaremouth: – HTH Worldwide, TripProtector Preferred, includes COVID cancellation – Trawick Intl, Safe Travels Voyager, includes COVID cancellation – TinLeg Gold, includes COVID cancellation
another provider: https://www.insuremytrip.com

COVID-19 protocol: We no longer require proof of vaccination, although we highly recommend having the most current booster before traveling to Oaxaca (it still exists here); there is no advanced treatment or special medications available here. If you become ill with Covid during the workshop, we expect you to immediately separate yourself from our group, isolate, and make arrangements to return home. Please add COVID coverage to your travel insurance.

Health & walking, dietary restrictions: Oaxaca is high altitude, at 5100 feet – some people need a few days to acclimate if they are coming from sea level. Can you walk 6,000 steps a day unassisted at 5100 ft? If not, you will be unhappy on this trip, and we only accept travelers who are in good health and can walk uneven cobblestone streets (narrow, with high curbs) and don’t have mobility or breathing issues. Also, dietary restrictions could be tricky, although there are restaurants that have gluten free and vegan options. Corn is a key ingredient of Oaxacan cuisine & culture, and meat will be consumed at most restaurants we visit (there are a few vegetarian & vegan restaurants in the city center). Travelers will need to make personal accommodations and adjustments to meet group needs and schedule.

Valid passport: Also, be certain that your passport has at least six months on it before it expires from the date you enter Mexico – if not, you may not be allowed entry into the country by your airline.

Flights & getting to/from the airport:
airport: arrival in Oaxaca Xoxocotlán Intl airport (OAX) on 2/13/26 
Oaxaca City (OAX) is a 45-minute flight from Mexico City (MEX), with many available connecting flights on AeroMexico, Volaris, and other carriers. To bypass Mexico City airport: in the US, American has a direct flight from Dallas to Oaxaca, and United has a direct flight from Houston to Oaxaca.
NOTE: if you fly thru Mexico City, book flights that allow at least a 3-hr layover going TO Oaxaca (the line for passport control can be long and you’ll miss your flight), and 1-hr layover coming FROM Oaxaca.
How to arrive info: about a month prior to the workshop, we will send you detailed instructions about how to get from the airport to our hotel, what to bring, how to get cash from ATMs, etc.

Materials & suggestions:

• We don’t supply materials for participants, please bring your own.
• For mixed media / creative journaling materials: materials list here
• For watercolor – you can bring your favorite quality watercolor paints, brushes and paper. Here is an optional list with suggestions for those undecided about materials: materials list here

If you have questions:
For questions regarding the workshop, lodging or transportation, contact the workshop coordinator:
Corrie McCluskey at corrie[at]pedrocruzpacheco.com

ORIGINAL ART DIRECT FROM OAXACA, MEXICO
PEOPLE, ANIMALS, MAGICAL SCENES WITH SYMBOLS & TALISMANS