Your hosts in Zacoalco are Sara Puzey and Luis Mendez. Sara received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and worked as a theater designer in Chicago for many years with the likes of Redmoon Theater, Lookingglass Theater Company, and Blair Thomas and Company. For 6 years she has taught art to Chicago teens with Gallery 37 and After School Matters. Sara relocated to Mexico in 2006 after igniting her passion for the region during earlier trips to the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. She spent a year living in Oaxaca City, teaching English and feverishly photographing the aftermath of the teachers’ uprising, before moving with Luis to his hometown of Zacoalco, where she continues to teach English. Sara is thrilled to be able to bring artists to share in the vibrant culture of off-the-beaten-path Mexico, and to help her ease her burden of being Zacoalco’s token foreigner.

Luis Mendez was born and raised in Zacoalco, and lived there for years before heading to Guadalajara for university where he received degrees in physical education and law. Luis knows approximately every third person walking down the street, and ably serves as Mano Lista’s ambassador in the community. Luis’ father, Mario, an ex-mayor of Zacoalco, owns the hotel where workshop participants are housed, and has a working farm (the workshop visits) where tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops are grown. Luis is a walking treasure trove of information, and will be thrilled to answer your questions about Zacoalco’s history, geography, traditions, or residents.

Jennifer Bisbing is Mano Lista’s coordinator north of the border, and is our teaching assistant, plus black and white film processor during the workshops. Jennifer is small business owner, master black and white printer, gallery/exhibition space curator, artist agent and award–winning photographer.

Bisbing earned a BA in Humanities from San Francisco State University and has been photographing for over fifteen years. As a street photographer, she has documented the complexities of urban living. After spending years searching for humanity in the streets, she finally has begun sitting people directly in front of my camera in an attempt to capture authentic personalities. The human face has become her landscape.

In 2002, she won the Canon Emerging Photographer Scholarship. Bisbing’s work has been commissioned by Planned Parenthood, Peacock Nine and the Meiner’s Collection. Bisbing regularly has work featured in galleries, executive offices, web galleries and national publications.

David Spratte is Mano Lista's technical director. Born in Minnesota, Spratte now resides in North Carolina where he is a photographer and award winning graphic designer. Spratte has been producing photographs with his own signature style since his parents gave him a camera at the age of twelve.

For over a decade, David has traveled across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Japan photographing his surroundings. His photographs have appeared in galleries and office across the United States and have been reproduced on covers of national and international publications.