With more than 300 artisans from across Mexico, Original: Encuentro de Arte Textil opens this Friday at the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT).
Billed as Latin America’s largest cultural art market, the event is now in its third edition and is coming to Tijuana for the first time. It will run November 13–16 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Speaking at the morning press briefing, Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza noted that Original was born as a response to the appropriation of Indigenous designs by global fashion houses and has now developed into a central pillar of Mexico’s cultural policy.
A national policy centered on folk art
Curiel de Icaza explained that the initiative focuses on collective rights, fair trade and raising awareness among buyers about the work of Mexican artisans. The goal, she said, is to emphasize that artisans are not only producing goods but also expressing the country’s cultural worldview.
Three hundred master artisans from every state in the country are expected to participate, including about ten from Baja California, many of whom have earned national and international awards.
Throughout the four-day event, artisans will sell textiles, jewelry, decorative and utilitarian art, accessories and one-of-a-kind pieces directly to the public, with no intermediaries, offering both retail and wholesale options.
Additional programming
The program also includes daily runway presentations at 7 p.m. to highlight the artisans’ work. Organizers will offer workshops, business sessions and direct-sale opportunities designed to prioritize artisans, discourage cultural appropriation and avoid price bargaining.
