Mexican Cultural Institute DC

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

Nuestra directora ejecutiva, Marta Turok, estuvo presente en la inauguración de la exposición "Animales Fantásticos de México: Alebrijes, Tonas y Nahuales", así como en un encuentro cultural junto al Mayor Tim Keller, la Cónsul de México Patricia Pinzón Consulado de México en Albuquerque, el promotor cultural Romain Greco, y diversos artesanos mexicanos, curadores y líderes culturales, entre ellos las reconocidas familias Linares, Fuentes y Jiménez, linajes fundamentales del arte popular mexicano que por generaciones han dado vida a estas criaturas fantásticas, desde la cartonería de la Ciudad de México y las tallas en madera de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca, cada pieza resguarda cosmovisiones, simbolismos y memorias vivas que hoy trascienden fronteras.

La exposición podrá visitarse hasta el 17 de julio en las sedes:

-Robinson Park (810 Copper Ave NW), en el centro de Albuquerque, donde se exhiben los ocho alebrijes monumentales al aire libre.

-Ayuntamiento de Albuquerque — City Hall (1 Civic Plaza NW), del 1 de junio al 17 de julio, en horario de atención al público, con una exposición complementaria de alebrijes y nahuales de menor tamaño que representan la obra de cada uno de los artistas participantes.

Lee más sobre este proyecto en: fantasticanimalsfrommexico.com

05/21/2026

In the context of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 we present a program we’ve named “Los Juegos de Pelota” consisting of diverse activities honoring the past and present of Mesoamerican ball-games: Talks and an Exhibition. We got off to a wonderful start last week, with Prof. Jeffrey P. Blomster bringing the ancient world of the Mesoamerican ballgame into the present.

An archaeologist and professor at Georgetown University he took us on a fascinating journey into one of the oldest and most important sporting traditions in the Americas.

Until recently, the origins of the game had always been traced to the lowlands of Mesoamerica. But a groundbreaking discovery published in 2015 changed everything. At Etlatongo, in the highlands of the Mixteca Alta of Oaxaca, Mexico, Prof. Blomster and study coauthor Victor Chávez unearthed two ancient ball courts, the oldest dating back to 1374 B.C., pushing the known origins of the game back by 800 years. This finding prompted a profound reexamination of an activity that went far beyond sport: a ritual practice of deep political and religious significance, believed to symbolize the renewal of life and ensure the cosmic order.

The perfect start to what promises to be a fascinating series. 🌎⚽ Stay tuned for what's coming next in June and July!

05/19/2026

🎂 ¡Feliz cumpleaños 94, Elena Poniatowska!

Hoy celebramos la vida y la obra de una de las voces más poderosas de las letras mexicanas: periodista, escritora y cronista incansable, con más de setenta años de trayectoria que abarca novela, cuento, poesía, ensayo, crónica, literatura infantil y adaptaciones teatrales, traducida a más de 15 idiomas y reconocida con el Premio Cervantes 2013 y la Medalla Belisario Domínguez 2022, entre otros numerosos galardones.

En este día recordamos su visita a Washington, D.C. en octubre de 2017, cuando tuvimos el honor de recibirla para presentar la plática "En México siempre tiembla…", en el marco del segundo aniversario de la Cátedra José Emilio Pacheco, en colaboración con el Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Maryland, College Park.

¡Larga vida, Elena!

📸: FUNDACIÓN ELENA PONIATOWSKA AMOR A.C. (2017)

05/18/2026

Last days to visit "Dressing Absences: The Textile Journey of Pedro Páramo." Friday, May 22 marks the final day of this one-of-a-kind exhibition, as we will be closed May 23–25 in observance of Memorial Day. Make sure to stop by before it's over!

Plan your visit: https://instituteofmexicodc.org/index.php/stec_event/textile-journey-pedro-paramo-exhibit/

05/16/2026

Our Executive Director, anthropologist Marta Turok, and artist and docent Hillary Steel guided our audience through the rich traditions of Mexican textiles, from weaving to resist-dye techniques, unveiling the artistry, cultural significance, and master artisans behind the award-winning costume design by Anna Terrazas for Netflix's Pedro Páramo, currently on view at the Mexican Cultural Institute's "Dressing Absences: The Textile Journey of Pedro Páramo" exhibit.

In this talk and walkthrough held on Friday and Saturday, they highlighted the work of Pedro Netzahualcoyotl Nava from Tlaxcala and his family, who designed and crafted wool and cotton gabanes, capes, and sarapes, hand-dyed with natural pigments; master pedal loom weaver Alejandro Vázquez Dorantes, originally from Tenancingo, State of Mexico; Juan Zamora from Comalá, Colima, who specializes in huaraches colimotes made from natural and dyed cowhide, with an interwoven weave and tire soles; and Marcela Elizalde from Mexico City, known for her work on embroidered rebozos.

Friday, May 22 marks the final day of this one-of-a-kind exhibition, as we will be closed May 23–25 in observance of Memorial Day. Make sure to stop by before it's over!

05/15/2026

🎭 Nuestro Taller de Interpretación Dramática para principiantes llegó a su fin con la presentación de «La calle de la gran ocasión», una pieza de la dramaturga mexicana Luisa Josefina Hernández (1928–2023), figura imprescindible de las letras mexicanas del siglo XX.

Felicitamos a todo el elenco: Beatriz Martínez, Nina Fink, Eliseo Valerio, Carolina Chávez, Tania C. Carcagno, Cècile Rault, Séverine Jacomy-Vite, Nelly Hernández y Humberto Camarena, por ser parte de este taller y dar vida a esta obra escrita en 1962, y a Patricia Meneses por su trabajo al frente del grupo y la dirección de este proyecto que, desde 2022, forma parte de nuestro Laboratorio Creativo Matías Romero como un espacio comunitario para explorar el teatro de una forma creativa, segura y divertida.

05/14/2026

Our Talk and Walkthrough of our current Dressing Absences: The Textile Journey of Pedro Páramo exhibit is sold out for Friday, but a few spots are still available for Saturday, May 16 at 1PM!

Join Marta Turok and Hillary Steel for a deep look into the rich traditions of Mexican textiles, from weaving to resist-dye techniques, exploring the artistry, cultural significance, and the makers behind these practices.

🎟️ Free registration: https://events.humanitix.com/reimagined-for-the-screen

05/13/2026

We’re pleased to present Los Juegos de Pelota, a journey through one of Mesoamerica's most captivating traditions. Spanning thousands of years, the ball game was far more than sport: it was ritual, power, and cosmology in motion. This first-of-its-kind cycle traces ancient Mesoamerican traditions to contemporary global conversations around sport and culture, including reflections inspired by the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The series opens tonight at 6:30 PM with a talk and Q&A with Prof. Jeffrey Blomster on the origins and cultural significance of the Mesoamerican ballgame. A few spots left: https://events.humanitix.com/playball-earliest-ballcourt-in-highland-mexico

UPCOMING PROGRAM:

🏛 Exhibition: Sacred Fields | Friday, June 5, 6:30 PM. On view through August 8.

🗣 Talk: The Juegos de Pelota with Ana Claudia Collado | Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 PM.

🎬 Film Screening & Talk: Ulama (1986) Directed by Roberto Rochín | Date & Time TBA.

Mark your calendars, we'll be sharing all registration info shortly. Stay tuned!

05/11/2026

El Instituto Cultural Mexicano en Washington, D.C. lamenta el sensible fallecimiento de Gloria López, hermana de nuestro compañero Ángel López. Expresamos nuestras más sentidas condolencias a familiares, amigos y colegas, y les acompañamos con afecto en este momento. Descanse en paz.

05/10/2026

Happy or as we say in Spanish, ¡Feliz Día de las Madres! 🩷

This year, Mexico and the United States are celebrating Mother's Day on the same day, a coincidence that occurs only about once every half decade, when Mexico's fixed date (and that of many other Latin American countries) aligns with the second Sunday of May in the United States.

On this shared day, we pay tribute to the fundamental role that mothers play in families and society through the work of Roberto Cueva del Río, who captured in different scenes throughout our murals the dignity and depth of motherhood so deeply rooted in our culture.