The first stop we made was at the house and gallery of Angelina Quie and Antonio Coche. They are artists who came up with one of the painting styles that is prevalent around the lake, of worms and birds eye view. The work focuses of the culture and people working in Guatemala, all the colors and textures around. It was neat to see both where they work and where they sell their work. We learned that with most artist couples, both the male and the female will paint, but only the male will sign the works. It was neat to learn that Angelina signs all of her own work ,and has created a name for herself, rather than being forced to hide behind the name of her husband. We also learned that they teach painting classes for free to the community so others can have goods to sell.
We then had the opportunity to see the weaving process by a company that makes all their string, fabric, dyes, and products by hand. It was neat getting to watch the whole process, and see how much effort these women put into their work. This organization was a women's co-op, and they work and sell together to help build community and stability economically.
From there, we visited a non profit called Alma de Colores, a restaurant but more prevalent a workshop for those with disabilities to make art. They provide the space and machines for people to make crafts to sell, to help them make a profit and a living. It was such a great experience to see this type of organization promoting the arts while also providing an opportunity for success for those who are belittled and considered worthless in Guatemalan society.
Overall the variety of experiences we had was so great. It really open my eyes ot a lot of the cultural differences, in Guatemala as a whole, as well as in the art. There are so many things going on in the world that we have no idea about, and this was a really amazing experience to be able to see such different aspects of the culture.