Francisco Bautista, a Zapotec fabric artist, is a 2021 TAAP award recipient.

Listen to a short excerpt from Bautista’s TAAP interview with OFN Interim Director Emily Hartlerode and graduate employee Jenna Ehlinger. Bautista worked with his son David for the TAAP program.

Francisco Bautista

Bautista was born in the town of Teotitlán de Valle in Oaxaca, Mexico. He grew up learning to weave from his father and grandfather, both of whom made a living weaving. In 2003, he and his wife moved to Sandy, Oregon, where they began weaving and taking their rugs to Saturday Market in Portland and other shows in Oregon. As a member of the Portland Handweavers Guild, he has demonstrated Zapotec weaving at several fairs and shows, including Art in the Pearl.

Bautista has taught workshops about the Zapotec method of natural dyeing in Sandy and Bend, Oregon. In 2017, he shared his Zapotec weaving tradition with non-Zapotec immigrants from Mexico through a program sponsored by the Sandy Public Library at Sandy Vista Apartments. Additionally, he volunteers in many demonstrations and teaching programs throughout the community.

This excerpt was edited and produced by OFN graduate employee Lillian DeVane