Tour Description: Our first stop on today’s tour will be at the Navarro family in Santo Tomas Jalieza. Gerardo is an accomplished painter and his three sisters, Crispina, Balbina & Magarita work magic on their backstrap looms. They will demonstrate their process and show us the many things they create, from bracelets to belts to bags, and more.

We will travel to San Antonino Castillo Velasco to visit Manos Que Ven, the sculpture workshop of Don Jose Garcia Antonio, known as “the blind potter”. After losing his sight about 20 years ago, he kept working explaining that his hands knew how to form the clay into the magical pieces he creates. He has a special devotion to creating mermaids in clay and to female figures modeled after the face of his wife, Maestra Santa Reyna Teresita. It is a family workshop with pieces from everyone in the family.

Lastly, we will pay a visit to the marvelous first collective of female alebrije artists in San Martin Tilcajete, Zoológico Magico. Their wooden creations combine fantasy and mysticism, while providing training and employment for women throughout the area.

Lunch will be at the beautiful Almu an open-air covered restaurant with wood-burning ovens. Almu sits in the midst of lush fields, part of a reforestation project where trees providing the copal wood used for alebrijes are replaced with new plantings.

Additional costs: Lunch (~200-250 pesos), and any items bought at the varous workshops.

This tour will depart on time at 9:30 am  from Calle Los Libres behind the Grand Fiesta Americana Hotel. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before departure time. Unclaimed seats may be re-sold at boarding time.

Online ticket sales end at 7 pm the day before the tour. If the tour is sold out, you can take a chance that seats may be available and come to the boarding spot 15 minutes before departure. These seats must be paid for in cash.

No Refunds will be available. If you are not able to attend the event, you are welcome to sell your reservation to others. Please notify the library of change of name for reservation.