Art Talk
 Denise Derameé - PVNN
| The Fifth Annual Maestros del Arte exhibition is scheduled to take place in Ajijic from November 10-12, 2006. For more information visit mexicoetc.com or contact Marianne Carlson at [52] [376] 765-7485.
 Click HERE to download PDF event brochure |
Now in its fifth year, Maestros del Arte is a very unique art show held in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico every November that offers art lovers the chance to buy fine Mexican art and folk art directly from the artists – without middleman or gallery prices.
The idea for Maestros del Arte evolved from a trip that Marianne Carlson, the event's creator, took with a friend to 17 artisan villages between Ajijic and Pátzcuaro in March, 2002. She realized she 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 they sold their art either from their homes or at yearly ferias (fairs) in nearby towns. So Marianne took a chance and put together the first Maestros del Arte exhibition, which hosted 13 artists.
Not just another art fair, this art show is completely nonprofit. Organized by an army of volunteers, artists pay no fee or percentage of sales. They are housed with local families, fed two meals a day, and assisted with transportation, if needed.
The first show was so well received and the artists' sales were so good, she decided to make it an annual event. Today, though Maestros del Arte has grown so tremendously that new volunteers have had to be recruited to help with the event, Marianne still personally selects the Mexican folk artists.
Their participation in the fair is a unique community event. Every year, extraordinary cross-cultural bonds are forged between families of diverse backgrounds, and for many artists, it is their first contact with the outside world.
This year's event is scheduled to take place from November 10-12, offering buyers and collectors the opportunity to buy an astonishing variety of exceptional folk art created by master artists that were hand-picked from all over the country.
Many of the artists are featured in the acclaimed book, "Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art," and represent families that have practiced their art for generations; others are inspired craftsmen yet to be discovered. But all are masters of their medium — whether it be clay, paper, fabric, paint, wood, stone, silver, alpaca, or other traditional materials.
According to Marianne, her goal is to keep Mexican folk art alive. As the country changes, many artists have been forced to give up their art to make a living in the cities. Without the kind of intervention Maestros del Arte provides, the world's most creative culture will lose its exceptional heritage.
You can help preserve Mexico's artistic traditions by visiting Ajijic, one of Mexico's most beautiful villages, from November 10-12, 2006 for the 5th Annual Maestros del Arte, which is scheduled to take place every day from 10 am to 4 pm at La Huerta Event Center on the Carretera Chapala-Jocotepec.
This unique event offers you the opportunity to enjoy the vibrant multi-cultural community that makes this fair possible, and take home treasures from one of the world's most soulful and creative cultures.
For more information about Maestros del Arte and the artists represented, visit
www.mexicoetc.com or contact Marianne Carlson at [52] [376] 765-7485 or [52] [376] 766-4133 or send an email to mariannecarlson@mexicoetc.com. |
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Vallarta Living | Art Talk | August 2006 
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