Tag Archives: Mexican Folk Art

Something that characterizes Oaxaca is the preparation of their jewelry – a globally recognized process and one of the great maestros(masters) is Arturo Salgado Vasquez who comes from Zimatlan de Alvarez, Oaxaca. Emigrating from this very small pueblo to Oaxaca city at the age of 11, he began to learn the craft of jewelry from his older brother. Igniting a spark, a new teacher had been born.

Jewelry has been a family business since he married Martha Sara Tellez Gopar. Martha also learned the craft and as their three daughters grew, they, too, followed in their father’s footsteps. Currently, Don Arturo is teaching his seven-year-old granddaughter the basics of the trade. Continue reading →

Angelica Cruz was born September 20, 1958 in the municipality of Santa Maria Atzompa, on Los Valles Centrales just outside of Oaxaca, Mexico. At the age of 7, Angelica began playing with her parent’s tools sculpting small clay figurines such as bowls, animals, and jars. Around the age of 10 she began helping her father with more difficult tasks and the pieces were being sold for money. When Angelica was 16 she was married but continued to sculpt. Her father-in-law would sell her pieces as his own and accept awards that she would have been given. Continue reading →