"Different works, different techniques". "Some pieces are similar, but "no two are ever the same". They are all the result of work done in class by around 25 students from the craft workshops taught by María Lourdes Ruiz at the UP in La Cala, and can be visited since Wednesday 21st at the La Cala Cultural Centre. On Friday 9th, she inaugurated another exhibition at the Casa Museo in Mijas Pueblo with her students from the village, and she’s already preparing for the next one, which will open on June 4th at the Las Lagunas Cultural Centre. In total, she teaches around 80 students and there is even a waiting list. "If they keep coming year after year, there must be a reason", said the teacher, who explained that you only need one thing to attend her classes: "a lot of enthusiasm, but if you don't have it, it's fine. Some people signed up without much interest at first, but ended up enjoying it when they saw the group and realised it’s not just about learning. It’s about having fun, socialising, meeting new people, and getting out of the house".

 

“The UP is all about this: it offers training workshops, yes, but above all it’s about the time spent together and the way students socialise in groups,” explained UP councillor Silvia Marín (PP), who was present at the inauguration. “The students tell us that their time in the workshop is their little moment of the day, they enjoy seeing each other’s work and learning from one another.”

The students

Among Ruiz’s students is Ángela Navarro, who has only recently moved to Mijas but has already made new friends. “I’ve already signed up for the whole year. My teacher is excellent, and so are my classmates. I feel very comfortable here”, she said, explaining that she has made two macramé bags under the guidance of María Lourdes Ruiz.

 

Francisca Ponce is another of Lourdes Ruiz’s students. Ruiz has been teaching crafts at the UP for 14 years, covering everything from sewing and macramé to restoration. "Lots of things", summarised Francisca. "Lourdes helps me a lot, she really encourages me", said this student, who has restored her father's suitcase: "It's made of wood, my father used to take it with him to Germany, he travelled back and forth with it many times. It was stored away in the attic, and I thought, ‘I’m going to give it a new life and turn it into a beautiful keepsake’”. She began by sanding down the old paint, then lined the interior with fabric, and finally, “it was time to innovate”. As a personal tribute, she added: “My father loved horses, so I placed a beautiful photo of one inside, in his honour”.

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