MEDFORD — In a world of mass production, 3D printers and as many different types of inexpensively-produced plastics as you can count on both hands, it is a true novelty when something is made by hand, from scratch.
That is why an upcoming visit to Medford by a pair of world-renowned artists, the Horta Brothers from the tiny Mexican town of Tocauro, is so eagerly anticipated.
Manuel and Modesto Horta will be visiting the Margaritas Mexican Restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 1 where they are expected to amaze those who are dining that day when they create new wooden-mask masterpieces.
The visit to Medford coincides with the holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is celebrated throughout Mexico and in many other Latin American countries. This year the holiday is marked from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.
The Horta family is known internationally for their artistic excellence in creating the wooden masks which represent a theme which includes snakes and devils. Animals and symbols are also inspirations for masks. For many years their masks have been prominently displayed during Dia de los Muertos.
Margaritas is located at 75 Station Landing, Medford, in the Wellington section of the city. The Horta brothers will be displaying their craft and actually creating new wooden masks with simple tools like knives and chisels from 4-9 p.m. on Nov. 1 as part of Margaritas’ Visiting Artist Program, which was launched in 1999 as part of the restaurant corporation’s stated mission “to share its passion and respect for Mexican culture by bringing artists into public schools and into its restaurants throughout its communities for entertaining and educational experience.”
Since the program launched in 1999, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant has brought nearly 40 Mexican folk artists.
The appearance by the Hortas at the Medford Margaritas is part of a seven-restaurant tour of Massachusetts in the month of November.
According to a statement from Margaritas, the Horta brothers are sons of the late Juan Horta, Margaritas’ first Visiting Artist and are highly acclaimed mask makers who have mastered the ancestral tradition of carving wooden masks. The patriarch, Juan Horta, passed away after his last Margaritas visit in 2006, but “his sons continue their father’s legacy by sharing the intricate masks with Margaritas guests and students,” according to a Margaritas statement.
At the Nov. 1 presentation the Horta brothers will create an intricate mask out of a large piece of wood before restaurant patrons’ eyes.
At home in Tecoura, Mexico, the Hortas customarily work a long day carving masks, from 8 a.m. to around 6 p.m. and they work year-round creating masks for the many celebrations and festivals in Mexico, such as the “Day of the Dead” and also in other Central American and South American countries.
The visit next week will be a unique opportunity to see real Mexican artwork, craftsmanship and culture first-hand in a local setting.
