One of the amazing things about Mexico is the traditional art forms that are still practiced and evolving in its hinterlands and cities.
But lack of knowledge about these art forms and the low prices paid for it are slowly but surely erasing the knowledge from the artisan families, as their offspring
choose other higher-paying occupations.
This year, think about giving original artistic pieces for holiday gifts. And there’s no better place to find them than the show that brings artisans from around the country to Chapala for a weekend each fall.
The 16th annual Feria Maestros del Arte will be held Friday to Sunday, November 10-12, at the Club de Yates de Chapala. More than 85 artists from all over Mexico will show and sell their wares.
Several artisan families whose homes were devastated in the recent earthquakes will be at the event.
This year, a demonstration and lecture series will be held each day at a special tent with the banner “The Story Behind the Art.”
Friday, presentations on silk rebozos and papel picado will be featured; Saturday, Oaxcan textile weavers and dyers and carved bone artisans will be presented and Sunday, Susana Valdez from the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival will be on hand.
A sampling of some of the artisans includes Concha Meza Perez and Feliciano Mendez Intzin from Tenejapa, Chiapas, who specialize in borlas (pompons).
Traditional hats made of palm in San Juan Chamula are decorated by families in Tenejapa
with ribbons and pompons made of wool dyed with natural dyes. Pompons are now the rage in San Cristóbal de las Casas and they can be seen not only on the traditional hats but hanging on walls of houses, luggage, bags, Christmas trees, curtain ties, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etcetera.
Juan Vázquez Menor and his family from Temalactzingo, Guerrero make hand-painted bules and guajes (gourds). Each one-of-a-kind piece is cut, polished and painted by hand. So far, the Chinese haven’t figured out how to copy his work.
Juana Gomez Ramirez is one of many women pottery artisans from Amatenango del Valle, Chiapas, a Maya Tzeltal speaking community near San Cristobal de las Casas. Her family of artisans are known for their clay birds, jaguars, and water jars.
Eleazar Morales makes carved alebrijes from copal wood. His realistic animals and painting techniques make his creatures stand out among the many Oaxacan wood carvers of today.
For more information about this popular fair, call 765-7485 or see mexicanartshow.com.