Artesaniás Campesinas is a rural women's jewelry cooperative. These are women with farming backgrounds but who have now joined together to form a cooperative to bring more money into the family household. Mexican indigenous women have a low status in their communities, especially in the rural villages. To find a place for themselves by creating this cooperative, they are helping to preserve their traditions.

Their mission is the creation of ideal conditions for the rebirth of a local industry of Mexican crafts in the municipality of Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero. Their goal is to connect the traditional crafts of their people with global markets to find ways to create decent lives for their children. Their hope is to become a model for Mexico and other countries and share what they have learned.

This community has produced handicrafts for centuries. The town of Taxco, Mexico is one of the most concentrated craft centers in Mexico, especially in the surrounding peasant villages of Tecalpulco and Taxco el Viejo. In the 70s and 80s, their abalone alpaca jewelry was sold all over the world.

The market collapsed in 1990 and suddenly their jewelry was no longer considered valuable. These hard-working women did not understand what was happening and looked for ways to continue working with new forms of production, new styles and new customers.

The years of the 90s were very difficult because the traditional Mexican crafts market was flooded with all kinds of products including handicrafts from China, India, Bali, etc. The women managed to survive by working very hard to produce their products feeding upon their hopes and always looking to improve, to be more efficient and ensure the satisfaction of their customers.

Tecalpulco, Guerrero

739 395 1393

María Alaniz

www.artcamp.com.mxmaria.at.artca

mp@gmail.com