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by Marianne Carlson (Founder and Coordinator of Feria Maestros del Arte)

This article deals with the effect “globalization” is having on the folk and indigenous art of Mexico. This trend has intensified and picked up its pace in recent decades and it has become much easier to ferret out its benefits and destructive power, especially where it concerns art.

Globalization is defined in Webster’s dictionary as, “a process that renders various activities and aspirations worldwide in scope or application.” Art is defined as “making or doing of things that have form and beauty: art includes painting, sculpture and products of creative work,” and handicraft is defined as “an occupation or art calling for skillful use of the hands.”

The search for prosperity has driven businesses to expand beyond their borders and consumers to buy what they consider the “best” at an affordable price, irrespective of the country of origin. Examples of Mexican pottery have been sent to the Far East to be duplicated at a fraction of the cost a middleman would pay the Mexican artisan for the same “original” piece. But, there is a huge difference in “the bang you get for your buck!”

I recently had a shopper in my gallery who was telling his friends with much aplomb that the incredibly intricate designs on the Mata Ortiz pottery they were admiring were actually decals and that the pots are thrown on a potter’s wheel and not actually hand-coiled as they, in fact, are. Quick to set the potential buyers straight, I explained to the man how he could easily be misinformed about the pottery because this is actually happening with much of the Mexican pottery – samples are copied but instead of the pieces being hand-painted, decals are applied and merged with the clay through the firing process.

So how does a buyer know they are buying? The price should start the bells going off – if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, if you look closely you can see that the piece is not actually hand-painted. There have even been cases where the actual Mexican artist’s signature has also been duplicated on the pot.

Culture, as heritage, includes many things such as buildings, writing, poetry, landscapes, monuments, and arts and handicrafts. Each of us must ask ourselves, “Is culture worth saving?” and go on to ask ourselves, “Are we willing to pay more to ensure that culture survives?” Modern times tend to downgrade the value of the beautiful and overstress the value of the useful. Because the value of art can be sensed through emotions and requires no intellectual scrutiny, appreciation of art is ultimately in the eye of the beholder and its value is whatever you will pay for it.

The job of the artist is to awaken that eye, to offer you something you cannot make yourself, something that moves and stirs your imagination and love for beauty. Our task as consumers is to understand and manage globalization, doing our best to encourage its favorable aspects and keep its negative consequences at bay. There is not enough awareness of what cultural heritage is, let alone the necessary personnel, funding and legislative efforts to rescue and protect them. What is more worrying is that random tourism development often excludes information on Mexico’s vanishing culture.

Mexico’s indigenou and folk art – art that has been practiced in families for generations - is in danger of extinction. This is not an exaggeration; many of the world’s cultures have lost most of their indigenous art due to the same hardships that face Mexican artists today – uneducated buyers who choose to spend less for “the look” rather than purchasing a one-of-a-kind piece made by the artists themselves.

Feria Exposicián Maestros del Arte A.C. began seven years ago with its goal to help in the efforts being made to save Mexican folk and indigenous art that is rapidly disappearing because artists cannot sustain a livelihood on their art alone. In Mexico, more and more artists are abandoning their work to take jobs in cities where they are assured of a guaranteed income.

The Feria brings artists from all corners of Mexican, this year from Chihuahua, Chiapas, Mexico, Guanajuato, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacán, Querétaro and as far away as the Yucatan, together in one place where gallery buyers and collectors can make connections with these artists to purchase their work on an on-going basis.

The artists are not telephoned and invited to attend. The Feria’s Artist Selection Committee travels direct to the artist’s home to meet them and ensure their work exemplifies the “best” in their art medium. The show especially works to preserve art that has been handed down generation to generation or artists who are reviving lost art forms. In its attempt to stay well-rounded, the Feria also adds some of the more “modern” art forms that might one day also be classified as Mexican folk art.

Artists invited to Feria Maestros del Arte pay nothing to attend – no booth fee, no percentage of their sales, and they are housed by Lakeside residents for the three days they are at Lakeside. This means they can sell their work at the best prices possible with no middle-man prices. The Feria is non-profit and its only funding comes from the price of admission and donations.

The 7th Annual Feria Maestros del Arte will include everything from incredible handmade objects made from obsidian glass to the disappearing and little known metal roof crosses of Chiapas.

The show is open 10 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday. Price of admission is 50p. Get your hand stamped and come back as many times as you want that day. This year the Feria is branching out into other areas of Mexican culture and will be presenting speakers, authorities on Mexican folk and indigenous art as well as Mexican dancing and music. Orendain Tequila will be there offering a tequila tasting and there is a daily fashion show at noon.

The Feria website www.mexicoartshow.com includes everything you need to know about the Feria. Each artist has their own webpage and there is information on our speakers, dancing and the Orendain Tequila tasting. For information contact Marianne Carlson at (01152 from outside Mexico) 376 765-7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com.

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