Getting A Shipment from Haiti

April 24, 2013

 

People that know Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus might know us from retail and wholesale trade shows with our colorful booth full of sculpture displays and fresh flowers.  Or they might know us from our retail shop off of Highway 68 in Toro Park just outside of Salinas, CA. But a HUGE part of the work that goes on for Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus takes place at our warehouse.  It too is just outside of Salinas, and though it is known to few, it is there that the receiving, storing, and shipping takes place.

Every month, the process is repeated:  An order is sent to Haiti, along with an average  amount of $30,000 in prepayment, which is distributed among the artists of the village.  About that same time, the completed products ordered the previous month are sent to California from Haiti. Just this past Tuesday, a shipment arrived at the warehouse – almost THREE TONS of folk art metal sculptures to be unpacked, sorted, inspected, and stored until they are sold and shipped to our customers here in the States and beyond.

Among our “warehouse warriors” there is excited anticipation as the delivery truck arrives.  Everyone falls into rhythm as crates are off-loaded and pried open. Pieces come wrapped, but things being what they are in Haiti, wrapping materials simply consist of whatever is available at the time. Sculptures are variously bundled in bits of wire – even barbed wire! – cording, electrical tape, masking tape, surgical tape, plastic strips, fabric strips, or some combination thereof.  In between sculptures, we’ve found newspapers, tissue, plastic sheeting and children’s homework. A surprise in every package – in more ways than one!

 

Contributed by Linda for Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus

Erzulie Dantor – The Fierce Mother

April 10, 2013

Thinking about Mother’s Day just around the corner, it seems fitting to recall the Haitian spirit of the “Fierce Mother,” Erzulie Dantor.  She is characterized as hard-working, independent, aggressive, wild and strong.  She is recognized as the great protector of children, and will go to any lengths to keep them from harm. Like any mother, she bears the pain of her children’s sorrow but  also radiates the joy of their successes. Erzulie Dantor is often depicted by the image of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, an icon reportedly painted by St. Luke on a cedar table thought to have belonged to the Holy Family that somehow ended up in a monastary in Poland. Curiously, it was Polish Catholic soldiers fighting on both sides of the Haitian Revolution that brought the image to the nacient island nation, where it was quickly embraced and absorbed into voodoo culture.

Erzulie Dantor’s symbol, the veve, is drawn onto temple floors during religious ceremonies to summon her presence.  Meda Ulyssee has recreated that symbol in recycled metal.  Of course, he had all of the cultural background to communicate its meaning with hammer and chisel, but we  had to learn the story before we could fully appreciate the significance he struck into every detail. What we called simply “Meda’s Heart”  is actually much more.  On a pure and elemental level, it is a beautiful representation of the strength of a mother’s love.

 

 

Contributed by Linda for Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus

Stellar Shigras

July 31, 2012

Andean textiles have the longest historical record in the world, with scholarly estimates dating them back to 3000 B.C.

 One marvelous example, still being woven today in the highlands of Ecuador is the shigra. Traditionally utilitarian, shigras were carried to market as produce bags or in the high Andean fields as seed bags for planting. It has been theorized that shigras were originally woven in standard sizes and used for measuring and carrying seed units. While still in agricultural use in remote areas, shigras have recently taken their place in the world market as a fashion accessory.This shigra is particularly valuable, both because of its size and because of the pictoral as well as geometric aspects of its design.

Despite their emergence on the contemporary style scene, the method of producing shigras has changed little since ancient Incan days.  Leaves from the succulent plant known variously as cabuya, penca, fique, or maguey (similar to agave) are harvested and cut into slender strips.  Next, they are soaked for a period of 15 days to separate the pulp from the fibers.  Once they are separated and dried, the fibers are cut int

o fine strands and dyed.  Originally, vegetal dyes were used, but as they are not colorfast, aniline dyes have largely replaced them.  The colored fibers are then wound onto spindles and from there, the weaving begins.

Starting at the base, the weaver – who is almost always female – uses a blunt needle and begins a looping sequence rather like crocheting.  Round and round she goes in an ever-widening circle, eventually forming the seamless bag.  She will create wonderful patterns of color as she works her way through the piece.  Prior to 1970, human and animal forms were very typical, though those are rarely seen now, having

given way to a trend of geometric shapes.  The finished bag will have two long, braided, cross-body fiber straps.

That’s how mine looked, the day it was given to me. A beautiful shigra with bold geometric patterns, animals, trees, numbers, and letters in pink, red,orange, brown and black and two long fiber straps. Two days later, however, it had been altered by my dog, who decided to add a little fiber to her diet, I guess.  She had a mouthful and my straps were a tattered mess. I said, “Oh no, no, no, you naughty Little Darling,” or maybe something a tiny bit stronger, and saved what I could.   I retied the ends and that worked well enough for a while, but admittedly, they were a little short. Eventually I replaced them entirely with leather.  This was at no small expense, but in all honesty, I think it was worth the price. The new handles nicely preserve the integrity of my shigra and I happily carry a fantastically functional and fashionable Andean textile everywhere I go. My basset hound too, is pleased with my shigra’s stylish utility and she is very glad she didn’t eat the whole thing after all.

Santa Fe Folk Art Market 2012 – After Action Report

July 16, 2012

So how was it?  Being there for the dual purposes of A) supporting the worthy goals of the Market and B) personal acquisition, I can tell you without reservation, it was GREAT!  The high quality of the art and the variety of goods available is incredible.  Plus, it’s such a treat – not to mention an education – to meet the artists.  In many cases, there is the additional opportunity to see them demonstrate their craft.  Throw in the chance to participate in an event that last year generated $17,300/booth for the artists to take home to their families and communities and WOW, you’ve got plenty to feel good about.

The Market organizers said that there were more than 150 participating artists, including 60 newcomers, this year from 54 different countries. In real terms, that meant I saw many of my old favorites and met a few new ones.  Among those I was particularly excited about was not entirely new, just new to me.  Cuban painter and wood-block printer, Roberto Domingo Gil Esteban was delightful.  His paintings are bright and cheerful and beautifully executed, but it was his woodblock prints that I couldn’t walk away from.  The one that I seized upon is of two roosters contemplating an egg and the title of it is “Paternity?”  Too funny!  My original thought was that it could go to a friend of mine for Christmas.  She’s a great collector and has been wanting a piece of Cuban folk art for some time.  Wouldn’t that be nice of me?  Problem is, I don’t know if I am indeed nice enough to give it up, worthy though she is.

Oh, and there was so much more!  It’s hard not to gush and get all frothy.  There were Tibetan puppets and Uzbek ceramics and Peruvian textiles that I was mad for, but for every visitor, there is undoubtedly a different list of favorite things.  Which is kind of the beauty of it all.

NEXT TIME – for this has become a July tradition for me ranking right up there with fireworks on the Fourth – I will definitely purchase the early admission tickets again, if not go to the Market Opening Party on Friday night.  You pay more for these – in the case of the Opening Party, quite a lot more.  However, with the Market’s increasing popularity has come increasing crowds.  That’s good in the Big Picture, but from a shopping standpoint, this means that by 10:00 and lasting until about 4:00 on Saturday, the booths do become quite congested.   From 4:00 until closing time at 6:00, it slows down and the tents become more navigable once again. Sunday, the second and final day, gets pretty reasonable after lunch, ” they say.”  The risk there is that many of the “goodest goods” are long gone.  Who wants to be saying “Coulda…shoulda…woulda,” at the end of the Market and still have money left in their pocket, begging to be spent?  Not ME!

Not to be missed: The International Folk Art Market

July 3, 2012

For color, cultural richness, and acquisitive opportunity, you can’t beat the International Folk Art Market.  Held annually the second full weekend in July in Santa Fe, NM, this year’s Market holds plenty of promise.  Beyond Borders has sponsored artists in the past, and though we’re not participating as a vendor this year, it’s not because it’s not worthy.  It IS!  By plane, train, automobile, or on horseback, if you can make it, GO!

According to their press release dated May 23, 2012, the mission of the Market is to “provide a venue for master traditional artists to display, demonstrate, and sell their work.  By providing opportunities for folk artists to succeed in the global marketplace, the Market creates economic empowerment and improves the quality of life in communities where folk artists live.” Many of the artists come from developing countries where political, social, and environmental hardships can make everything – including the creation of art – challenging. To illustrate the impact of Market sales, $2.3 million went directly to the artists last year alone. That money was carried back to villages around the globe and used to build homes and schools, to dig wells for clean water, and construct generators for electricity.  It’s a powerful bottom line.

It might be well to mention here that the Market is also A LOT of fun. In addition to the wondrous array of folk art for sale, there is ethnic music, dancing, and food, not to mention the visual feast.  Many of the artists come in their local, native costumes, and to be honest, the shoppers are pretty colorful too!  A few years past, there was a petite, blue-eyed blonde woman, heavily laden with her Market purchases, wearing a Pakistani bridal gown, mirrored and appliqued in brilliant shades purple, scarlet, and yellow.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her – she looked amazing.  So I told her just that.  Her reply was, “Do you like it?  I absolutely love this gown.  I got it in India years ago.  But you know, here in the States, you can’t wear it just everywhere.” I sympathized.  Probably not.

It’s not too late to plan your trip.  The official Market website www.folkartmarket.org has everything you need to know in the way of events, artists, getting tickets and getting around.  Get clicking and when you see what marvels are in store, just try to tell me you’re not tempted to drop everything and go.  (I won’t even believe you.)