What is Feria Maestros del Arte?

Feria Maestros del Arte is a "heart" show - not just another "art" show. The Feria is now a legal Mexican non-profit organization. Donations made to the Feria from Mexico and abroad tax deductible.

Organized by an army of volunteers, artists do not pay any fees or percentage of sales. They are housed with local families, fed, and assisted with transportation if needed. Their participation in the fair is a unique community event. Every year, extraordinary cross-cultural bonds are forged between families of diverse backgrounds. For many artists, it is their first contact with the outside art world.

The idea for Feria Maestros del Arte evolved from a trip I (Marianne Carlson) took with a friend to 17 artisan villages between Chapala and Pátzcuaro in March, 2002. I realized I was meeting artists whose work the average person would never have a chance to see. When questioned about where they sold their work, most of the artists said in their homes or at yearly ferias (fairs) in local towns.

So, why not have a feria in Chapala? I took a chance and put together the first Maestros del Arte which hosted 13 artists. The show was well received and the artists' sales were so good.

My first inclination in developing the show was to make it a "for profit" event that might help with the income I need to support myself here in Mexico. After working with these wonderful people that first year, it suddenly didn't matter anymore that I make money. I simply wanted the opportunity to meet more artists and be exposed to the incredible folk art that would later become so important in shaping my new life south of the border.

Although Feria Maestros del Arte has grown and new volunteers are have been recruited to help with the event, I still personally select the Mexican folk artists. Some of the maestros are already well known in the US and even Europe, however, their work is almost never seen at art exhibitions in Mexico. I look for a blend of well-known artists to help give the show credibility and attract buyers who have heard of their work, but my main goal is to find artists whose work is not well known and who need a helping hand getting their work into the art world.

Bringing the artists together at the Feria: (1) affords the public the opportunity to see the work of some of Mexico’s finest artists, (2) allows each artist another venue to exhibit and sell their work, possibly making connections for future sales enabling them to continue making a living selling their art, (3) gives the artists the opportunity to meet one another, develop new friendships and connections, and (4) offers a vehicle to promote the indigenous and folk art of Mexico while at the same time educating the public that such art is on the brink of becoming endangered and disappearing forever.

Why do we do it?

To keep Mexican folk art alive! As Mexico changes, many artists have been forced to give up their art to make a living in the cities. Without the kind of intervention Feria Maestros del Arte provides, the world's most creative culture will lose its exceptional heritage. Help us preserve Mexico's artistic traditions. Visit Chapala, one of Mexico's most beautiful villages, spend a weekend with master artists (maestros) and the vibrant multicultural community that makes this fair possible, and take home treasures from one of the world's most soulful and creative cultures. We've made it affordable for everyone!

Here is a wonderful news article that captures the essence of what Feria Maestros del Arte is trying to achieve - "Mexico's Artisans Abandon Their Crafts - Guitar-Makers of Paracho Compete with Factories of Asia". The article explains how there has been a drop in tourism since 9-11 because of Chinese knock offs. The disappearance of demand for higher quality Mexican Folk Art. Government indifference. There are plenty of theories as to why the family artisan tradition in Mexico may be lost.

Pacific News Service ran the same article in 1995. Even then, it was becoming evident that Mexico was in danger of losing many of its artists because of cultural and outside influences. Read it for yourself! This is why we try and help these creative people maintain generations of what could become "endangered" art.

Here is an excerpt from that article: "In Michoacán, at least 40,000 families live from what they make by hand. But they're so dependent on pass-through tourist sales that all it takes to cripple a village is for the federal government to build a highway around the town. This happened to the village of Tzintzuntzan years ago and its ceramics industry lost all its vitality. More than half the village's residents now live in Mexico City, Santa Ana, or Tacoma."

Where do we find the Maestros?

First, hours of research goes into locating maestros that produce the type of folk art I am looking for. It has taken years to find certain artists - nothing has been written about them in books or on the Internet. Then, a conversation or a new contact will give me the information I need to contact the artist.

Next a trip is planned to find and meet the new artists. Trips have taken me through the mountains of Michoacán, the desolate Chihuahuan desert, and miles of nothing between isolated towns. Often, I will arrive in a village only to find that the artist no longer practices their craft, my information is incorrect, or the artist has passed away.

Most of the artists do not have a street address so it's door-to-door until someone points the travelers in the right direction. With introductions over, and the artist aware of why I have come to see his/her work, we begin to discuss the viability of having the artist attend Feria Maestros del Arte.