Who Am I?

Short Version: I am a university administrator, writer and artist who grew up in Los Angeles, lived in San Francisco, Indiana, and Virginia, and then migrated to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My husband and I have been invited by an indigenous family to live in Teotitlan del Valle, a Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. I am committed to preserving the arts and cultural traditions of Zapotec people who have lived in the Oaxaca Valley for over 8,000 years. My vision is to facilitate intercultural exchange programs, workshops and residencies between artists, teachers and students in the U.S. and Oaxaca; open opportunities for more village artists to exhibit and sell their work in the U.S.; and to broaden opportunities for visitors to have authentic, personal experiences in Oaxaca.

There is a post on this blog that explains how you can enroll and participate in weaving workshops in Teotitlan del Valle (for all levels of experience — beginner to advanced): http://oaxacaculture.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/dancing-on-the-loom-4-day-weaving-workshop/

Through Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, I am offering weaving, natural dyeing, oil painting, and documentary filmmaking workshops periodically throughout the year in Teotitlan.  If you would like to participate in any of the programs featured on the blog, call or write me:  (919) 274-6194 or normahawthorne@mac.com Our artists are open to scheduling individual and customized workshops depending upon their availability.  The cost is reasonable and a personal workshop can give you dedicated attention and instruction while meeting your personal travel schedule.

About Me, Norma Hawthorne: I am the lead development officer in the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I just completed a successful $15 million fundraising campaign for scholarships, professorships, and academic programs. The group I manage is responsible for alumni affairs, annual giving, e-communications (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr) and magazine publishing. I was the 2008-2009 chair of the Nursing Advancement Professionals Network of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and served of the board of directors of the international University Continuing Education Association.  I have worked in universities — Indiana University, University of Virginia, George Washington University — for over 25 years, in academic marketing, communications, business development, continuing education, corporate and community relations, and public affairs. I am also a fiber and jewelry artist, published fiction writer and poet, and have traveled off-the-beaten path in China, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Israel, Singapore, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico, in addition to “mainstream” travel in France and Italy.

I hold the B.A. in history from California State University at Northridge (although I started as an art major) and the M.S. from University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. I also attended UCLA Anderson School of Management and San Francisco State University.

My husband, Stephen, is a family therapist, fluent French-speaker and former Peace Corps volunteer (Cameroon), who is in private practice in Durham, NC. He started the Family Studies Program in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University where he has been a clinical instructor for over 30 years.  He is founder of ABC Therapy, an effective intervention for individual and couples therapy. He can be found at www.stephenhawthornelcsw.com

Please visit my website for other biographical information, facts about the Federico Chavez family, weaving and natural dyes, and for an extensive photo gallery: www.oaxacaculture.com The blog photo is a study of Federico in his workshop/studio.

My interest in textiles stems from my heritage.  My grandfather was a master tailor and furrier.  My mother taught me how to replicate his fine stitches.  My art media includes weaving, fiber sculpture and jewelry and I am an artist on the juried Chatham (NC) Studio Tour. During my career, I have created and collected quilts and organized the first “Folk Art Tour of the Northern Indiana Amish” through Indiana University that introduced participants to Amish culture and quilt-making. The beauty and feel of handwork mesmerizes me because I appreciate the heart and soul of the creator. I notice consistent themes and patterns in textile art around the world.