The ‘Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art’ exhibition has arrived at the Mayorazgo de la Canal house; the show presents one of the most comprehensive reviews of the richness and diversity of Mexican folk art from all the states of the Mexican Republic.
This house, one of the most emblematic of the city, belongs to Fomento Cultural Citibanamex, A.C. It now presented three new exhibitions that will be open until September 2024 in the historic center of San Miguel de Allende.
Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art pays tribute to the first 150 creators who formed the Folk Art collection of Fomento Cultural Citibanamex, as well as the new artisans who have joined the program during this time. The artisanal creations are divided into nine branches: clay, wood, stone, textiles, metals, paper, leather, vegetable fibers, and various materials, all with multiple specialties, defined by their technique, type of piece, and use. The curation of the exhibition was in charge of Cándida Fernández de Calderón, director of Fomento Cultural Citibanamex.
The protagonists of this exhibition are these magnificent artisans, who through their works seek to transmit a special link between the materials and their work; they imprint on their pieces a spark of genius and creativity, as well as mastery in the handling of techniques.
Visitors will be able to appreciate 451 pieces grouped into 222 sets, created by 184 great masters of folk art from 120 localities in 24 states of the Mexican republic, showing the varied artisanal production of the country, which changes according to regions, ethnic groups, materials, and techniques.
Especially noteworthy are great masters of folk art native to the state of Guanajuato such as: Gorky González Quiñones, Marco Antonio Miranda Razzo, Mauricio Hernández Colmenero, Josué Eleazar Castro Razo, José de Jesús Hernández de Anda, and the Capelo family. Likewise, master artisans from the Bajío region in Michoacán such as Zenaida Rafael Julián de Ocumicho, Sara Elsa Zaragoza Pascual, Rosela Felipe Rivera, and José Molina Cruz de Chilchota, Hilario Alejos Madrigal de San José de Gracia, and Roberto Pérez Castro de Tandamandapio.
Also represented in the exhibition are master artisans native or descendants of communities such as the Nahua, Mazahua, Otomi, Rarámuri, Huichol, Tzotzil, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Mayo, and Purépecha, among many others, as well as creators based in rural and urban areas throughout the country, which constitutes a recognition of the cultural plurality, geographical, ethnic, and linguistic diversity that exists in Mexico.
Forest Vision and Sentinels of Time
Through a series of photographs, the Forest Vision and Sentinels of Time 2022 exhibition presents majestic trees in their habitats; whether they are in remote spaces where people, photographers, walk long journeys to find them, or trees that have been reached by the expansion of towns. All these trees tell a story, as they are characters that have witnessed the history of Mexico.
This exhibition, which consists of fifteen photographs, is part of the 7th edition of the National Forest Vision and Time Sentinels Photography Contest, coordinated since 2016 by the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) and Reforestamos México, A.C. It has had the collaboration of Fomento Social Citibanamex, which has allocated resources so that the Forest Vision and Time Sentinels contest can take place and continue to encourage the participation of young people in projects focused on the conservation, protection, reforestation, and sustainable use of forests in Mexico. Among the photographs, one can observe natural environments from the states of Campeche, Mexico City, Coahuila, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Sonora, and Tabasco, all of them ecosystems with living stories.
Marine Turtle Conservation
In 2006, the Palace Resorts Foundation initiated the Comprehensive Marine Turtle Conservation Program, which Fomento Social Citibanamex joined in 2008. This project has focused its actions on 9 kilometers of beach in Cancún, Quintana Roo, with the goal of protecting the nesting, reproduction, and feeding of four endangered species of marine turtles.
Through this photographic exhibition, the public will be able to learn about the conservation work of the White (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles. With photographs by Gabriel Roux, the Marine Turtle Conservation exhibition seeks to raise awareness among visitors about the urgency of protecting this species, as well as to show the results of efforts that over sixteen years have managed to protect more than 23,000 nests, more than 2.5 million eggs, and release 2.2 million turtle hatchlings.
The Casa del Mayorazgo de La Canal is located at Canal Street No. 4 in the Historic Center of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. Admission is free from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 hours. In addition, this Citibanamex House of Culture offers free guided tours at 10:30, 12:30, and 16:30 hours.
Source: Periodico Correo
