Holiday Open House [] Galería Atotonilco - December 15, 2019

Featurng the Tin Work of|
Gregorio Juárez

 Saturday and Sunday
December 14 and 15
Noon to 5:00 PM

415-153-5365

galeriaatotonilco.com

Holiday Open House Features Grogorio Juárez

By Susan Page

The beautifully painted tin birds and playful bugs by master tinsmith, Gregorio Juárez, are unique to this artist. Grgorio invented this way of working with tin, and he remains the only person doing this type of work. From his lady bugs and dragonflies to his large, dramatic roosters, his unique work brightens up and adds delight to any environment.

Gregorio grew up in the Obraje neighborhood of San Miguel. His father was a gardener and had no work for his son, so Gregorio began shining shoes. When he was 14 years old, a tinsmith offered him a job, and Gregorio took eagerly to the work. He began by making the mirrors and ornaments that many tinsmiths were making at the time. After working with his mentor for seven years, Gregorio opened his own workshop. Over the fifty years he has been creating art, he has worked with glass and brass, copper, and aluminum, in addition to tin. Inspired by photographs and paintings in books, he began to create the insccts and birds he is famous for today.

Gregroio is also well known around town as a bartender and waiter for private parties. He learned that profession as a waiter at the Aristos Hotel, which was demolished and replaced by the Rosewood. When Grgorio was 30, he returned to school to complete his formal education.

Galeria Atotonilco

Galeria Atotonilco occupies 6,000 square feet of exibition space in a distinctive builidng five miles north of town. While many folk art galleries show only work from their own region, this gallery displays work from all over Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. The collection bears the distinctive imprint of its owner, Mayer Shacter, whose background as a celebrated ceramic artist and an antique dealer is evident everywhere. The gallery is Trip Advisor’s #1 choice of “things to do” in San Miguel.

In addition to the captivating tinwork by Gregorio Juarez, you will see ceramics by more than twenty different artists, large scale wood carvings from Oaxaca, ceremonial masks, old country tables and shelves with their original paint, vintage and historic photographs of Mexico, textiles from Chiapas and Guatamala, friendly monsters (called alibrijes) made of paper mache by the famous Linares family, and much more.

The setting of the gallery on eight lush acres in a building designed by award-winning architect Cathi House, also makes the gallery a destination. The gallery and adjacent home have been featured in several books and magazines.

The gallery recently opened a small showroom in Fabrica La Aurora, open daily from 11:00 to 5:00, except Tuesday.

Open House

All are invited to the gala Open House at the main gallery this weekend, December 14 and 15 from noon to 5 PM daily. Directions to the gallery are on our website: galeriaatotonilco.com. Enjoy refreshiments and a leisurely afternoon to view the folk art and antiques. Except for this Open House, the gallery is open by appointment: 415-185-2225 or 415-153-5365.

The Best Mexican Folk Art Available Today Welcome to our gallery of fine Mexican folk art! We are not being immodest to say our Mexican folk art is the best. It’s just a fact. Owner Mayer Shacter finds the most talented and imaginative artists and craftsmen working today, and then he buys their finest work. We travel all over Mexico to find Mexican antiques, crafts, and folk art that perpetuate the centuries-old traditions of Huichol art, Mexican pottery, Mexican papel mache, vintage serapes, Oaxacan wood carvings, and much more.