Punta de Mita, Nayarit - Local women’s artisan co-op, Manos Unidas por la Mujer (United Hands for Women,) has transitioned from an educational PEACE non-profit program, to what is now the PEACE Boutique, a Mexican art distributor and social enterprise.

PEACE Boutique seeks to provide artisans and cooperatives from small communities in Mexico the opportunity to sell their products in stores and markets throughout North America. 100% of generated profits are donated to PEACE, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Officially started in 2007, Peace Boutique has gone through a series of transitions to reach where it is today. When functioning as the Manos Unidas por la Mujer (MU) cooperative, local artists benefited from increased finances, in addition to the over-arching focus on education and camaraderie.

Women participated in bi-monthly workshops focused on ecology, self-esteem, parenting and nutrition. Now women who were previously in MU, have the opportunity to start their own business, and use the PEACE Boutique to help distribute and sell their products, increasing their exposure to an international market.

"Sales opportunities have grown enormously," said KT Kirkpatrick, Co-Director of PEACE Boutique with ten years of retail managerial experience." Artisans can become more financially independent this way, and can still participate in educational workshops through PEACE’s adult education program."

Artists, including many of the same women from the MU cooperative, receive 50% of revenue, allowing them to impact entire communities through their new-found buying power.

"This change is affording us the opportunity to include other talented artisans similar to Manos Unidas," said Kirkpatrick. "We are putting a focus on groups that assist artisans in maintaining their cultural identity."

The PEACE Boutique is now representing the Huichol Center for Cultural Survival in Sayulita, Nayarit and an embroidery group in the mountains of Oaxaca called Chidobueno.

"By generating business for these individuals, they can contribute to their families and communities from their homes instead of traveling for work," Kirkpatrick adds. "They can handle fairly substantial levels of production, which creates further sales opportunities and ultimately more financial support for PEACE."

Co-Directors Kirkpatrick and Jennifer de la Torre will be traveling to Colorado and New York this summer to introduce the new PEACE Boutique line and develop sales through various public and private events. Venues include the Greenhorn Valley Music Festival in Colorado and the New York International Gift Fair, one of the largest wholesale markets in the world.

With proceeds from the summer festivals, PEACE Boutique will open storefront in Puerto Vallarta. Due to high rental fees and unstable tourism trends in Punta de Mita, the PEACE Boutique has closed their previous storefront in Anclote, Punta de Mita, and the airport kiosk.

"Puerto Vallarta is strategically the best place to expose artists and generate sales over the long term," comments Kirkpatrick. "We are very excited about the steps that have been made thus far, and to see these artists succeed worldwide!"

From the hands of a Huichol artisan in the Sierra Madre mountains to the streets of New York City, Mexican artists are now creating peace, one product at a time.

To sponsor the PEACE Boutique and their journey to the States, donate your frequent flier miles! Contact KT(at)peacemexico.org or jennifer(at)peacemexico.org for more information.

PEACE, (Protection, Education, Animals, Culture, Environment) established in 2005, is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization made up of three main programs which focus on education, animal well-being, and environmental protection in the Bay of Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. PEACE works hand-in-hand with communities in Mexico to provide holistic education, combined with community action programs that enable people to improve their quality of life as well as their financial stability.

For more information, please visit PeaceMexico.org or click HERE to read more about PEACE