Gallery

Galería Talismán Oaxaca: Oaxaca art studios of Pedro Cruz Pacheco + Corrie McCluskey

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Talismán Oaxaca: a unique bilingual art space that bridges worlds and creative mediums
Pedro is Oaxaqueño, and Corrie is a transplanted Californian. Together, we love to share our insiders’ perspective on the art, culture, and traditions of this magical place with travelers who crave an art adventure and a real experience of cultural immersion.

Oaxaca art classes, art retreats, art + culture workshops out in the milpa
Our innovative newly constructed “industrial rustic” art studios built out in the middle of milpas (cornfields) are where we offer week-long art + culture workshops, custom art classes & retreats, and individual instruction in watercolor (Pedro), and mixed media, art journaling and collage (Corrie).

Pedro Cruz Pacheco & Corrie McCluskey had a vision for a gallery/art space and opened Galería Talismán Oaxaca in August 2022 in downtown Oaxaca (first in Xochimilco and later in La Noria) to exhibit art, and as a space for individualized art classes and workshops for travelers to Oaxaca. But they had long dreamed of creating a space of their own to offer workshops and retreats, and purchased land in Pedro’s hometown to build permanent art studios in 2023. Now this dream is a reality – we invite you to come visit us – we’ll pick you up from Oaxaca centro.

Galería Talismán Oaxaca is located in Santa Cruz Amilpas, just a few minutes from Oaxaca centro

The instructor:
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 the San Francisco Bay Area in California (now living in Oaxaca) who was a b&w photographer for two decades. She transitioned into visual journaling, collage, bookbinding and 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.

Galería Talismán Oaxaca  Location: Pomelos 16, esquina Calle Los Naranjales, Colonia Los Naranjales, 71226 Santa Cruz Amilpas, OAX (15 minutes from Oaxaca Centro)