Maker - in - Residence: Meztli Projects

Meztli Projects is a collective of contemporary Indigenous artists that promotes the creative development of Native and Indigenous Peoples by providing an ecosystem that reconnects generations, supports cultural production, and contributes to knowledge building and transmission. As Maker-in-Residence at Craft Contemporary, their residency, entitled Laboratorio Fuego Medicinal, explores fire as ritual and material force. The project centers natural dyes, textiles, and artistic forms rooted in Indigenous cosmogony, drawing particularly on California's unique native plants and minerals that, when fired, produce a broader range of natural colors than found anywhere else in the world. Throughout the duration of this exhibition, a series of bi-weekly programs will include Indigenous dyeing and weaving practices, beading and basketry workshops, school visits, and a wide range of artist-led events, with a focus on underserved communities. The Meztli Project is led by Joel Garcia. Collaborators include Program Manager Kenneth Lopez, River Garza, Kimberly Robertson, Miguelaxel Bustos Burolla, Isaac Michael Ybarra, Aanii Tate, and Jazrin Ybarra. About the Maker-in-Residence Program The Maker-in-Residence (MiR) program at Craft Contemporary reimagines the traditional artist residency by inviting individuals, collectives, or nonprofit organizations to work on site at the museum while engaging visitors through informal conversation and live demonstrations as a free public program. The MiR program focuses on the craftspeople and their process, bridging the disconnect between the final result and the act of making. Working in Craft Contemporary's space, the Makers introduce visitors to stories and experiences and give them first-hand knowledge of how and why something is made. The Maker-in-Residence program offers human-to-human connections between artists, viewers, and art, and creates a space for empathy, emotions, and inclusion. The [Untold] Story of Craft In June 2025, Craft Contemporary began a series of exhibitions interpreting the varied interactions between craft and the natural elements: air, water, earth, and fire. The exhibitions highlight sustainability, accessibility, and connect visitors to the universal rhythms of the Earth. Significantly, these exhibitions also tell a new story of Craft in a contemporary world as we work together to heal global wounds through creativity and making.