Cuenca High Life

Where most woodworkers see problems, Ed Konderla sees possibilities.   "The wood I use would be thrown on the burn pile by most carpenters. It's unstable and gnarly, and it wouldn't work for furniture or general carpentry," he says. "It's kind of a paradox. For my... [More]

Cuenca´s  Museo de las Culturas Aborigenes, or Museum of Aboriginal Culture, is not your typical roadside attraction. Despite the fact that it is relatively small and privately owned, many consider it one of Ecuador’s best archeology museums. Operated by La Fundacion Cultural... [More]

One of Latin America’s most colorful -- and bizarre -- traditions is the year-end burning of the dummies. When the clock ticks over to 2012 on Saturday night, an observer with a good vantage point in Cuenca will behold an other-worldly sight of thousands of burning d... [More]

The famous indigenous outdoor market in the town of Otavalo, a two-hour drive north of Quito, is one of the best places to buy Andean art, crafts, textiles and indigenous jewelry in Ecuador. But if you're visiting Ecuador and your trip is limited to Cuenca and environs, you'll find plenty ... [More]

At 72, Cuenca ceramicist Eduardo Segovia shows no sign of slowing down. On most days, in fact, you can find him working in his Cuenca studio. "I still have the enthusiasm for creation. I can't imagine life without it," says Segovia. "Every day, I absorb the colors, the tex... [More]

Quick: Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb? How long was the Hundred Years War? The Canary Islands are named after what animal? And what country do Panama hats come from? If you answered General Ulysses S. and his wife Julia, 116 years, the dog, and Ecuador, you’re smarter than yo... [More]

[Editor's note: An exposition of the work of Cuenca cermacist Eduardo Segovia opens tonight at Larrazabal Gallery on San Sebastian Plaza and continues through mid-May. The show features new work by the artist and is titled "Compositions Between Black and Grey."] As a child, ... [More]

Panama hats have made the leap from the heads of Hollywood icons and intrepid jungle explorers to the fashionable masses of Europe and the United States. Models are wearing them on catwalks and teenagers are sporting them at clubs. In late 2010, a number of fashion magazine articles and ... [More]

One of the great pleasures that many of Ecuador’s expats discover in their adopted country is art collecting. Even those who were not collectors back home take up the habit, smitten by the quality, variety, and sheer emotional force of the talent in this small Andean country. Anoth... [More]

Reporting on his visit to Cuenca last year, Times of London travel writer Joshua Wellesey remarked, “I think I can safely claim that this charming little city has more culture per square inch than any place in the Western Hemisphere.” One of Wellesey´s notable Cue... [More]

The coincidence of Cuenca’s foundation celebration and Semana Santa has created one of the year’s busiest holiday weekends. Beginning Thursday, festivities include crafts shows, food festivals, choral, symophonic and rock concerts, circus performances and bull fights. Thursday ni... [More]

By Aston Morrisey  His hand-made guitars have been played by Freddy Fender, Judy Collins, and Spanish classical musician Pablo Menendez, according to a 25-year-old article in American Musician magazine. Cuenca guitar maker Juan Uyaguari say, however, that he can't vouch for the stor... [More]

Almost three dozen Cuencanos crowded into the front courtyard of Zoe's Cafe Tuesday night for the first annual World Without Violence Art Auction. Ten of the attendees walked away with artwork by some of Cuenca's best-known artists. The event was sponsored by the Cuenca chapter ... [More]

Cuenca tourism officials are urging local hotels, hostals and businesses to do a better of job of accommodating the city’s growing number of tourists. The current independence celebration has left late-arriving travelers with limited lodging options and the Azuay Hotel Association is u... [More]

Through Tuesday, Oct. 14. Check El Tiempo, El Murcurio and the iTurs office for complete information. Photography exhibition: Peruvian artist Adriko Canales  Date: Until Oct. 17 Place: Paul Cézanne Gallery, Alliance Française Hours: 7:30 pm Sponsor... [More]

Like other major art centers, Cuenca has always depended on outsiders to enrich its heritage. One recent contributor, Liza Gafitanu Wheeler, caught the town's attention in February with a presentation of mosaic glass art at the Interamerican Center for Popular Art... [More]

Most Cuencanos know Challuabamba only as the growing upscale suburb on the lower, eastern side of the city. For more than 100 years, however, the area has also been known as one of South America´s richest archaeological sites. Excavations by archaeology pioneer Max U... [More]