By Harriet Hart, Feria Volunteer
Have you ever wished you could meet more Mexican people, get to know them and learn about their culture directly from them? There's an opportunity for you to do so this November. The 8th annual Feria Maestros del Arte will be held November 13 to 15 at the Club de Yates de Chapala (Chapala Yacht Club) when over 60 Mexican artists from all over Mexico will descend on Lakeside to participate. These men and women need accommodation.
When Marianne Carlson planned the Feria Maestros del Arte in 2002, she had never organized an event like this in Mexico before and it never occurred to her that the artists would need a place to sleep. Luckily she was working with Dr. Martha Nussgen who asked her pointed questions like: Where will they stay? How are you going to feed them? Marianne had assumed the artists would find a hotel room when they got here, but learned that they don't make enough money and would rather sleep under the tables and go hungry than spend their hard earned profits on lodging and meals. That first year Marianne called a few friends and 13 came forward to host. Last year, the hosting program had grown to over 60 hosts.
Why has hosting become so popular? I contacted three hosts to find out. Anne Flaningam first attended the Feria five years ago and appreciated what was going on so much she volunteered to become a host. "It would get me up close and personal with the artists," she laughs. Jacobo Angeles from Oaxaca and his family have been her guests for the past two years and are returning this November for the third time. "There are so many reasons to host. You make a life-long friend, and it's a good way to have fun."
Anne and several other friends who host artists make a point of getting together evenings during the Feria for dinner. "One night we take them to a local restaurant, the next we have a dinner at someone's home." This gives the artists a rare opportunity to meet one another which they really appreciate.
Anne finds hosting "enriching" and says its "wonderful to have these people open their hearts to you when you open your home to them." She says she intends to keep on: "I will never give it up."
Carol Bowman describes hosting as "a way of burrowing beneath the surface of the Maestro del 
Arte to learn the history behind the craft." Her guest last year was Prudencio Guzman Rodriguez, a ceramic mask maker from Tonalá. "His masks are inspired by the dances performed in the Tastoan pageant, a tradition brought to Mexico by the Spaniards in the 1500s. It celebrates the expulsion of the Moors from Spain. The Spanish conquest of Mexico gradually became part of the pageant. The masks have a meaning, a history."
Prudencio not only makes beautiful ceramic masks, he also dances in his local folkloric ballet, directs the operations of the Tonalá National Museum of Ceramics and finds time to conduct workshops for handicapped children. No wonder Carol looks forward to having such a talented and generous man back this year. "Hosting requires very little from us." she says," We provide a few meals, a comfortable respite for our guests, and transportation to and from the show." Prudencio and his wife, Monica, have become part of her family. "We learned from them about the history of the Tastoan mask which proudly hangs in our home. We have witnessed firsthand the gentleness and generosity of the Mexican people and the depth of soul of the Mexican artist."
Bridget Andrews has worked as a volunteer on the Feria for four years. She and her husband moved to Lakeside in 2005 but had lived in northern Mexico since 1979 and were already avid collectors of folk art. She saw an article in the Guadalajara Reporter stressing the need for volunteers and said to herself "that's for me." She attended a meeting and has been involved ever since.
Bridget's artist guest is Pedro Hernandez Cruz from San Miguel de Allende. Pedro is the man who crafts papel maché objects – fruits, vegetables, even chess sets. "He's the first person you see when you come through the gates." I remembered his booth. "It's a dying art form; Pedro is one of the last artists still practicing it. He used to have a thriving business exporting to the United States but that's all changed since 9/11."
Bridget loves hosting an artist. She says it’s a way you get to know Mexicans from different parts of Mexico and make good friends with them. She and her husband, Roger, have traveled to San Miguel, stayed with Pedro and his family and attended the birthday parties of his twin daughters. She encourages anyone considering becoming a host to try it out: "It's a wonderful experience."
Readers who would like to help out the Feria Maestros del Arte by hosting can get in touch with Judy Snow or David Kamp at snowkamp1@yahoo.com. As Bridget said: "Just give it a whirl." You will meet talented Mexican artists, learn about traditional art forms, make new friends, and help keep Mexican folk art alive.
Feria Maestros del Arte's website www.mexicoartshow.com gives information on all aspects of the Feria - even hosting. Each artist has their own webpage allowing you to read about them and see examples of their work before you meet them at the show. If you are interested in volunteering (such as trying your hand as the Hosting Coordinator) or have questions, contact Marianne Carlson at 376 765-7485, email mariannecarlson@gmail.com, or Donna Williams at 376 765-5937, email wms.donna@gmail.com.