Community Outreach
Free Workshops
To foment Latin American culture and art in the community, the Artisan Mercado has offered free art and craft workshops for families since 2017 and donates the materials needed to complete the projects. The workshops were temporarily suspended due to the Coronavirus but will continue in the future. In addition, the Mercado has sponsored two free concerts featuring Mexican-American singer/songwriter Tish Hinojosa and the Latin Combo Hora Once.
Children’s Workshops
2017 - 2019
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop
The Christmas Wreath Making Workshop instructed children on how to decorate a Holiday wreath with small Christmas ornaments and greenery. The wreath can be hung on the wall or on a Christmas tree.
2018
Watercolor Workshop
Painter Patricia Vera, native of Cuernavaca, Mexico, conducted a design and watercolor workshop. Vera studied graphic design, watercolor, pastel, charcoal and oleo in Cuernavaca and has been creating art for more than ten years. Since 2013, she has lived in Manor, Texas and sells her paintings, aquarelas and prints with themes related to Mexican culture. Vera holds a bachelor’s in Education from the Autonomous University of Morelos and a Master’s in Family Counseling from the Institute of Family Studies, both in Cuernavaca.
Father’s Day Cardmaking Workshop
Poet Violet Anderson helped children craft unique personalized Father’s Day cards with an original message. Anderson, formerly of Big Springs, Texas, is a special education teacher who learned compassion through her profession and as a caregiver for the May Lee Foundation, a local non-profit which provides residential treatment and vocational services for persons with disabilities. Known as a “live poet,” Anderson began writing verses as a child and for the last year has been selling personalized note cards with poetry and art through her Facebook and Instagram accounts and at local Farmer’s Markets. She uses a vintage typewriter and artwork to create cards and souvenirs.
2017
Mexican Paper Flower Workshop
The Paper Flower Workshop demonstrated how to make large, colorful flowers out of tissue paper. These flowers of Mexican origin are used to decorate altars, mercados and homes.
Ojo de Dios Workshop
Mexican artist Patrica Green instructed children on how to make an “Ojo de Dios” (God’s Eye), a Huichol Indian decoration made of colorful pieces of yarn on a wooden cross. The Ojo de Dios is seen as a spiritual object for both Catholic and indigenous people.
Adult Workshops
2019
Pearl Knotting Bracelet
Jeweler Yleana Martinez, a vendor at the Artisan Mercado, instructed attendees on the basics of making a pearl bracelet including starting and ending a piece, and knotting between the pearls. She is a journalist by trade with a Master's in journalism from Boston University. She began her education in jewelry making at Metalwerx in Waltham, MA in 2007 and also studied at the Creative Side Jewelry Academy in Austin. Her pieces involve metalsmithing, micro-forming, stone setting, metal crochet and Viking knit, pearl knotting, and lapidary. Martinez sells online at .www.yleanamartinez.com.
2018 & 2019
Peruvian Crochet Stone Pendant
The Crochet Stone Pendant Workshop instructed attendees on this Peruvian jewelry technique. The instructor Lourdes Luna, the owner of www.uniquejade.com and a frequent vendor at the Artisan Mercado©, is certified in Peruvian crochet jewelry from the Neo Central Sculptural School. The jewelry designer uses natural stones like jade, cornelius and aquamarine in her jewelry.
Stone Wrapping Necklaces
Local jeweler Claudio López demonstrated how to make wire-wrapped stone jewelry and attendees made a free Mother’s Day pendant. Lopez, the owner of the online jewelry boutique www.athenasilversmith.com, designs jewelry using natural stones and sterling silver and copper and is a regular at the Artisan Mercado. The Mexican native holds an Associate’s Degree in Jewelry from Austin Community College.
Latin American Music
2021
Mexican American singer-songwriter Tish Hinojosa serenaded the Día de los Muertoss Artisan Mercado attendees with musical compositions in English and Spanish—blending country, folk and Latino music. Hinojosa, who resides in Austin, has a music catalog including 14 studio albums as well as live albums and retrospectives. She has performed at the White House for President and Mrs. Bill Clinton and at The Texas Governor’s mansion for then Governor George W. Bush. Tish was inducted into the Texas Songwriters Association Music Legends Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2019 she was awarded membership to The Texas Institute of Letters. Visit www.tishhinojosa.com for more information.
2018
The Latin Combo Hora Once performed at the Artisan Mercado. Singer Ana Barajas, accordionist Mike Maddux, and harp guitarist Adam Carney delighted shoppers with Latin American songs. Drawing from a vast pool of influences from North to South America, Hora Once creates music usingTango, Brazilian Choro, and Andean folk melodies. The Latin combo’s repertoire includes composers like Astor Piazzolla, Violeta Parra and Pixinguinha. The group has performed for more than 7 years locally and in Central Texas including the Austin Tango scene at the late night Milongas. Details about Hora Once can be found at http://www.horaonce.com and at http://www.facebook.com/horaonceproject.