Materials Lab Workshop: The Art of Peruvian Potato-Plaster Retablos

This two-part workshop occurs Sunday, March 19 and Sunday, March 26 with English and Spanish sessions offered on both dates. It is necessary to attend both dates to complete the project. Join fourth-generation Quechua retablos artist Zuly Palomino Jimenez to learn about the history and material significance of this traditional folk art form and to create an intricately decorated potato-plaster sculpture of a mask—an important cultural element of the Carnival season in Andean Peru—that will fit into a retablo box.

On March 19, participants will learn about the retablo tradition, model the potato-plaster mask sculpture and decorate the surrounding box; on March 26, they will paint the mask and assemble their retablos. The hands-on sessions will take place in the Materials Lab on the Lower Level. This workshop accompanies the exhibition "From the Andes to the Caribbean: American Art from the Spanish Empire," which invites viewers to investigate the complicated relationship between American art and Spanish imperialism. The exhibition is on view through Sunday, July 30.

The materials fee is $25. Registration is required for both sessions, and space is limited. The sessions cannot be taken separately. Registration will open on this form beginning Thursday, March 9. The materials fee must be paid to confirm registration. Please email am_register@harvard.edu or call 617-495-1440 to join the waitlist. No previous experience is required, but attendees must be at least 14 years old.