Artesanias D'Mexico Chicago

Last week I was in Pilsen again and had the pleasure of visiting Artesanias D'Mexico, on W. 18th Street. For anyone who loves "handmade" and original pieces of Mexican folk art, this is the Chicago destination to go to! We took some shots of items in the window for public display (pardon the glare - the sun was shining brightly at the time my camera came out). Because certain artists do not want their unpurchased items in a catalog, we could not photograph the many interesting and unique pieces in the store, but we could share with you the items in the window. The following excerpt about Artesanias D'Mexico was given to me by Elimar Loza, one of the owners of this incredible store.

Artesanias D'Mexico was established in the Pilsen Community in 1996. Our Mission is to import fine handcrafted Mexican Folk Art and create unique gifts that educate and encourage awareness of the Mexican Culture, History and Traditions represented by the Company’s collectible art pieces.

All the products sold through our company are cultural oriented. The origin and the description of the art piece are explained to the client. The art pieces we import are unique and one of a kind. They are designed by some of the Great masters of the Mexican Folk Art. We work personally with artists and artisans in 13 states of Mexico and select each piece of art ourselves. Sometimes it means to travel to the indigenous communities, in the most remote areas to find these real treasures. You will never see two identical pieces in our gift store.

Our Mexican Folk Art pieces are made with natural materials, therefore, dyes, shapes, sizes, colors, tones and weight may vary. Though our stock is constantly being updated, we may have limited stock of some pieces.We have been recognized by the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic for Travelers Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, the Savvy Traveler book and Channel 9 as a “Unique Mexican Cultural Gift Store."

I've shopped at Artesanias D'Mexico several times, so I'm sharing photos of items I purchased. The colorful item below is an eyeglass case. It has both the traditional soft open end and a zippered side, for either papers, money or glasses. It also has a neck string so you can wear it around your neck and not have to hold it or put it in a bag. The fabrics are loomed and the dyes, as you can see, are vibrant.
The photos below are of the tiles of a mirror, and a corner shot of the same mirror. This was the first item I ever purchased there. You can see the artwork on the tile, as well as the tin work. An unusual looking mirror, this piece is beautiful to look at just for the frame itself.

I bought this beauty of a bowl to hold fruits. The colors are bright, cheery and just make you think of warm, sunny weather that we enjoy on a gorgeous warm Spring day.

Here is a side shot of my pretty kitchen fruit bowl. Developing the colors combination and hues goes far beyond 'painting' the ceramics, because this pottery is double kilned. Check out the Consumer Maven for information on Talavera pottery and the process to fully appreciate the intricacies of how the artisans create the pieces.

Last is another favorite piece for my kitchen, a tile that I bought to be used as a trivet. Artesanas D'Mexico also has nice assortment of Mexican tiles of various designs, as well as smaller ones that could be used to create a tile top.

To read more about Artesanias D'Mexico from a business serving the arts perspective, check out the Consumer Maven.

Artesanias D'Mexico

1644 W. 18th Street

Chicago, IL 60608

Eliamar and Efrain Loza

312/563-9779