Latin America

The Ethnic Arts Festival will represent a large variety of arts, culture and traditions from different countries all around the world. A widely represented area will be Latin America. Starting north with Mexico, passing trough the center of the continent with Guatemala and getting to the south with Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Colombia
El Dorado (Spanish for “the golden one”) is a legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and would dive into a lake of pure mountain water. Gold would play a pivotal role in luring the Spanish to Colombia. The earliest examples of gold craftsmanship have been attributed to the Tumaco people of the Pacific coast. Since then, gold-work still remains one of the most representative disciplines from artists in the region.
Ariel Arwen will be showing his jewelery of Rainforest seeds at the festival.

Ecuador
Much of the art in Ecuador is traditional and usually the skills involved are passed down from generation to generation. The Panama hat originally came from Ecuador despite its name. Though the hat has been made in Ecuador for over a hundred years, it was named after the place from whence they could be purchased – the Panama Canal – instead of the place they originated from. Panama hats are made from the Carludovica Palmata plant which grows in Guayaquil. The plants are boiled, dried and then woven into their distinct shape. The process can take as many as three months to complete.

Artists selling Ecuadorian Art	Description of their work
Cesar Burga	Wool bag, ponchos, shirts and tapestry
Cecilia Gualasqui	Dresses, blouses and knitting kids jewelry
Maria Santellan	Fiber cloths and bamboo jewelry

Guatemala
Textile is the medium Guatemalans use the most to express themselves. Through an intense display of colors artists show their skillfulness to create huipiles (wee-peel), skirts, belts and quilts. Artists are extremely gifted and crafted. Using a loom to weave, they spend several years on finish a piece.

Artists selling Guatemalan Art	Description of their work
Arvigo Crystal	Mixed media art craft
David Chavez	Bags, shirts, dresses and prints
Carol Fonds	Textiles and jewelry
Michelle Joravic	Clothing, textiles and jewelry

Mexico
Alebrijes are one of the many artistic creations in the country. The explosive colorful wooden sculptures are usually fiction animals made out from different animal parts or mythical creatures, such as a dog with wings or a centipede dragon. The Mexico City based artist, Pedro Linares started and developed this craft when dreamed of a rare and colorful creature. He then started representing his dreams and created a whole new artistic technique.

Artists selling Mexican Art	Description of their work
Aaron Debra	Rugs, weavings, pottery masks, tiles and sinks.
Ginger Blossom	Handmade artwork
Luz Castillo	Contemporary abstract motifs on shirts
Michele Feder-Nadoff	Traditional coppersmithing
Sofia LLantada	Jewelry

Peru
The retablo originated in Europe and came to Peru with the Spaniards in the early 16th century. Originally they were small highly decorated wooden boxes with complex Christian-theme images inside. They were carried by priests and used as travelling altars. Retablo has a unique art form which reflects all aspects of modern Peruvian life and beliefs.

Artists selling Peruvian Art	Description of their work
Silvia Montero	Musical instruments, weavings and ceramics
Kanita Petties	Ritual bathing products and home décor
Andrea Romero	Genuine stones, necklaces and bracelets