Marianne Carlson's life is a labor of love. Deeply passionate about the
traditional folk arts of Mexico, she's so involved in what she does
that it's difficult to discern where her work leaves off and her
personal life and interests begin.
Galería Maestros del Arte, the store she operates, is a reflection of her zeal and knowledge. So is her house. Both places overflow with Mexican folk art. At the shop, you'll find everything from the deceptively simply woven straw figures to whimsically hand painted alebrijes, indigenous fantasy figures made of wood or clay.
Catrinas (skeletons dressed in finery, in this instance made of clay) from Capula, Michoacán will be exhibited and sold at the Feria Maestros del Arte.
Marianne talked about her moment of epiphany. "Several years ago, a friend took me to visit one small area of Michoacán. We traveled to 17 different villages, where I saw folk art so beautiful that it took my breath away. As we talked with the artisans, I asked where their work was exhibited. When I discovered that most of the art was seen only in local crafts fairs and competitions, a sudden burst of questions exploded in my mind. How many foreigners would have the opportunity to make this sort of trip? How many people would ever have the opportunity to meet these artisans? How important is it to keep these folk art traditions alive?
"It seemed crucial to me to bring the artisans and their art to a location where both the artists and their work could be enjoyed by a good-sized population of potential collectors. Where better than the place I live, Ajijic? That's how the idea for the Feria Maestros del Arte, the annual show and sale featuring artisans selling their own work, came into being. The mission of Feria Maestros del Arte is to promote the rapidly disappearing indigenous art of Mexico."
Two different styles of high-fired pottery made by Ricardo Calderón and the collective Alfareros de Patamban, S.A. de C.V. (Potters of Patamban, Michoacán). Private collection.
"Marianne, what are the dates of this year's show, and where will it be held?"
"Feria Maestros del Arte 2007 is scheduled for November 9, 10, and 11. It will be at the Club de Yates Chapala (Chapala Yacht Club). There will be lots and lots of signs to direct people, so there's no way to miss it. The hours are 10 AM to 4 PM all three days."
Since its inception five years ago, the show has matured in scope and more than doubled in size. The 2007 exhibition and sale will host 34 Mexican artists from eight Mexican states. No foreign exhibitors and no Lake Chapala area artists will show or sell at Feria Maestros del Arte. You'll be able to meet in person at the show living artists, treasures of Mexican artesanía, whose work might otherwise be inaccessible to you.
One of the artisans you'll meet at the exhibit is José Luís Cerda Báez, who makes hand carved traditional wooden spoon racks and the spoons to go with them. His work is prized by collectors and is almost indescribably beautiful. Intricately and heavily carved, his spoon racks consistently win prizes at artisans' competitions. I met Sr. Cerda several years ago in Uruapan, Michoacán, as he carried one of his stunningly beautiful spoon racks across a busy city street. We blocked traffic as long as we dared as we talked about his art.
Marianne emphasized, "The artisans' show and sale is only about promoting the artists' traditions. I make absolutely no money from the show. Participation in the show is by invitation only and there is no booth fee charged to any artist. It's completely free for them to show and sell their work. The show doesn't charge a percentage or a commission on sales to the artist. Each artist takes personal responsibility for his or her transportation to and from the show, but that's his or her only expense. All housing for the artisans and their family members is provided by host families here at Lake Chapala and I provide two meals a day for the artisans eliminating those expenses. Every penny the artist earns stays in his or her pocket."
Catarina Méndez works as a decorator for Neftalí Ayungua Suárez at his alfarería (pottery shop) in Michoacán.
Marianne went on to tell me about some of the features of the show. "Each artist agrees to donate one of his or her works to be raffled, with the proceeds going to local charities. All of the raffle proceeds are donated to local charities."
Raffle tickets will be on sale at Feria Maestros del Arte throughout the run of the show. The raffle will take place on Sunday after closing.
"The Shriners will be staffing a bar at the show this year," Marianne continued. "The money earned by the bar will go to the Shriners' charities, also benefiting children. And we have a Mexican woman coming to prepare and sell food. You really have to come to the show hungry for two things, art and delicious things to eat.
"In addition, I've cajoled Banamex, the nation-wide Mexican bank, to provide copies of Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art, for us to sell at the show. This magnificent book that the bank published nearly ten years ago is no longer readily available to the public. It's required reading for collectors and interested devotees of Mexican folk art.
Neftalí Ayungua Suárez at work in his pottery shop.
"The book honors the enduring tradition of folk art by featuring beautiful photos of more than 500 works of art by 181 of Mexico's greatest living folk artists, several of whom have already exhibited at Maestros del Arte. This year, the Feria expects to host nine of those featured artists.
Marianne ran her hands over a beautiful hand carved wooden mask on her dining table and continued, "Over a two-year period, Banamex representatives visited communities all over Mexico and a group of master artisans were selected to represent all parts of the country. Now works by those artists are on display in U.S. museums. The intent of this wonderful book published by the bank was to preserve folk art traditions by making the work of these artists commercially viable. Our show supports and continues that goal."
Marianne leaned forward in her chair and spoke quietly. "The whole focus of this show is the individual artist. It's unthinkable that these artists' traditional crafts could die out. So many of the young people in the villages are no longer interested in continuing their cultural heritage by studying what their mothers and fathers create. Of course the next generation has to earn a steady living, that's undeniable. That's why it's so important to give artists a venue to become better known and to sell their work. Preserving traditions is so crucial to our knowing who we are and where we come from.
Clay spheres hand made by Martín Ibarra of the state of Jalisco. Sr. Ibarra will be at the 2007 Feria de Maestros del Arte.
"Plus, of course, the public has the pleasure of buying directly from the artisan, receiving the work of art from the hands that created it. When I can look at a mask, or a piece of pottery, or a hand painted tin ornament and say, 'So-and-so made that, I remember the day she showed it to me,' my heart fills up with joy. My folk art collection is about a personal connection between me and the artist and the piece of art I buy from him or her. A piece of art that I love is all the more meaningful because of that human connection. That's just one of the many joys of having the artists right here with us at the show.
"It's about passion. It's about preservation. It's about learning. What we learn from the artisans is enormous: insight into tradition and culture, insight into old ways of life and how they're transformed with the passage of years, insight into what really goes into the creation of works of art like those at the show."
Marianne smiled. "And more than anything else, it's about Mexico. For those of us who live here, it's about a deeper connection with the country we've chosen. For visitors and full time residents as well, it's an education in the reality of traditional life here."
For more information about the fourth annual Feria Maestros del Arte, see: Maestros del Arte
Aah, you have touched on my passion for the last 40 years! Cudos to Marianne Carlson. My method was to export to the USA for the restaurants and hotels I designed and to use Mexican folkart every time it was appropriate! I hope I educated a few Americans over the years...The artesans talents are truly amazing! Of course for me, meeting the artesans long before they were deemed "Great Masters" is a highlight of my life!
Posted by: Barbara | November 12, 2007 at 08:18 AM