The reality of artisans is complicated. According to Sedesol, in Mexico there are nearly 12 million artisans, of whom 55% live in poverty. In Jalisco, there are about 400 artisans that represent 13 fine craft techniques; some of them endangered. Clearly, this is not the best-case scenario for artisans, who, through the teachings of their parents and grandparents, have created unique and soulful pieces from generation to generation. These people, who put their talent and effort into the creation of wonderful pieces, deserve a better quality of life.
Follow them on Facebook: @fundacionconcausaazul or contact Ana Ramírez ana.ramirez@claseazul.com.
Feria Maestros del Arte has also begun working with Novica, another organization dedicated to bringing awareness to the plight of endangered art, however, their cause covers the globe.
Novica offers artisans fair prices, no binding contracts, and the freedom to make a success of their craft by building a sustainable business. They sell unique handmade products, and offer you, the customer, great value and the joy of helping to nurture and elevate the craft of global artisans.
The idea for NOVICA came to co-founder Roberto Milk in a flash of inspiration during a Portuguese language class at Stanford in 1995. Inspiration for Novica’s social mission comes from Roberto's missionary grandmother. Affirmation that the idea was a good one, came from Mina Olivera, Roberto's wife, and her mother, Armenia Nercessian who was then a Human Rights Officer with the United Nations. Confidence to push forward with Novica also came from a strong family heritage of championing social causes and artisanship, along with enthusiastic support from three of Roberto’s Friends.
With their team of dreamers assembled, their mission was now clear — they were going to reinvent the import/export process for artisans and find a better way to sell their products to the world. They incubated the idea for five years and launched Novica in 1999.
Scripps Ventures invested in Novica’s first major funding round, providing capital for a large ad campaign. Novica billboards soon appeared throughout New York City. This captures the attention of National Geographic, who think our ads look a little too much like their famous yellow border. They ask Novica to use other colors, however, soon after, National Geographic came on board as a major investor, giving Novica instant brand recognition, and allowing them to reach a wider audience of art and culture lovers. To date Novica has sent over $88.1M to artisans around the world.
The clear association between these two organizations and the Feria is not yet clearly defined, however, it is clear all three have similar missions and the stage has been set for the future.
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