It is with great sadness that FOFA announces the loss of a giant in the art of tapete weaving. Until his death on December 12th of this year, Isaac Vásquez García was the eldest living member of a well-known weaving family in Teotitlán del Valle who pioneered the renaissance of pre-Hispanic Zapotec and Mixtec natural dyes and the use of pure wool that better absorbs these colors. Isaac and his three sons and five daughters and their families have all taken great pride in following these techniques, despite the time-consuming and expensive nature of these methods, when compared with chemical dyes and acrylic fiber. Isaac’s signature designs derived from ancient sources. He created estelas (figures seen in stone carvings in the majestic Oaxacan ruins of Monte Albán) and codices (manuscripts) also from Monte Albán. Although these styles have been copied by many of his fellow villagers, it is important to recognize that Isaac was the artist who introduced them. He wove in a wide range of other styles, including patterns from pre-historic cave paintings, reproductions of Diego Rivera paintings, and geometric stepped fret patterns from Mitla.