"Of the nearly 40 Tz'utuhil Mayan painters of San Pedro la Laguna in the highlands of Guatemala, Lorenzo Gonzalez Chavajay is notable for his naive style. After retiring at age 55 from his job as Municipal treasurer in San Pedro, with no previous art training he took up drawing to occupy his time, and was soon persuaded by a friend to work in oils. He patiently depicts the Guatemalan Indians in frontal poses, drawing them first on paper and then tracing the outlines on canvas. His paintings are pure color and light, much like Guatemalan textiles.

"Equally unique is the self-taught style of the young painter, Victor Vasquez Temo. Victor had always wanted to paint but his family was too poor to provide materials. He finished six grades of school and at age fourteen began drawing with pen and pencil; when his father died he could not go further because of his obligation to take over as head of the family. In 1992, Joseph Johnston, guest curator for this exhibition, and Vicente Cumes, a San Pedro wood carver, saw Victor's rough drawings, provided him with painting materials and showed him how to stretch a canvas. Victor felt unsure of himself but was persuaded to develop on his own without the aid of a teacher. His exuberance spills over into his paintings, which are crammed with lively people and luxuriant plants. He is the only Tz'utuhil artist to let the modern world intrude upon the traditional through the trucks and buses which appear naturally in his paintings.

"Accompanying this colorful exhibition of approximately 24 paintings will be examples of Guatemalan costume. Margot Blum Schevill, author of Maya Textiles of Guatemala, has organized this part of the exhibition."