National Fund for the Development of Arts and Crafts
Encyclopedia
The Fondo Nacional para el Fomento de las Artesanías or National Fund for the Development of Arts and Crafts (best-known as FONART) is a dependence of the Secretariat of Social Development
(SEDESOL). It was established in 1974 to promote and protect traditional Mexican handcrafts
. The agency has four main programs including artisan training, retail selling and the sponsoring of craft competitions as the local, regional and national level. FONART directly helped 26,600 artisans in 2006, but the agency has been criticized for being inefficient and not meeting the demands of national transparency laws. Currently, it seeks the capacity to authenticate crafts on a national and international level due to competitions from imitations from Asia.
Training is offered to help artisans improve the quality and design of their products, while maintaining traditional cultural elements as well as making production techniques more environmentally friendly. Grants are awarded to qualified individuals or organized groups mostly as an alternative to traditional banking. Annual regional competitions to honor artisans who have excelled in their craft, as well at those who stand out in areas such as innovation and the preservation and rescue of traditional techniques. Competitions are held at the local, state and national levels. Winning pieces are then considered to be high-value items.
FONART also has a buying program where pieces are purchased directly from artisans at regional centers or through agents that travel to crafts areas periodically. FONART also buys pieces from different state-run institutions that promote crafts. The acquisition system has five storage centers located in the states of Jalisco
, Michoacán
, Oaxaca
, San Luis Potosí
and Mexico City
.
alone, competitions include the Pintores de Alto Balsas (folk painting on amate paper) in Xalitla, the Concurso de Hilado y Tejido del Huipil
(huipil) in Metlatónoc
, the Concurso de Alfarería con Engobes Minerales (pottery) in San Agustín Oapan, the Concurso de Laca Artesanal (lacquered items) of Temalcatzingo, the Concurso Municipal de Joyería (jewelry), the Concurso Regional de la Costa Chica
, the Concurso de Laca (lacquered items) in Olinalá
and the Concurso Nacional de la Feria de la Plata (silverwork) in Taxco
. The last is a national level competition. Pieces are judged on design, technique, materials used in its production and if the piece represents an ethnic culture of Mexico. Another factor is if the piece uses a sustainable resource.
. The best-selling items are ceramics, lacquered items and glasswork. Most products come from Oaxaca, Chiapas
and Michoacan. In contrast to most other craft outlets, crafts at the FONART stores are more upscale and more varied. The FONART store reached sales of over 2.5 million pesos per year. However, one problem that FONART stores have had is that most are not placed in tourist venues. However, recently, the agency has begun to work with the federal Secretariat of Tourism in order to find more ways to sell to international tourists as well as use crafts as to attract tourists to rural areas.
. The offering of crafts by vendors at this event is quite varied with representatives from all Mexican states as well as the Federal District of Mexico City. In exhibition were 500 pieces deemed to be the most representative of Mexican crafts.
nearly shut down the agency, stating that it was not living up to goals, particularly in the selling of crafts purchased from artisans. More recently, FONART has been criticized for failing to conform sufficiently to federal transparency in information laws, including the lack of publication of mandatory information on its website.
for the right to fine companies that import Asian imitations of Mexican crafts. Another proposal is to register regional and craft trademarks to ensure that genuine Mexican crafts are marked as such at the national and international level. Currently, thirty three crafts have this type of trademark at the state level. These include the crafts made in Oaxacan locales such as San Bartolo Coyotepec
, Santo Tomás Jalietza, Teotitlán del Valle
and San Martín Tilcajete
.
Secretariat of Social Development
The Secretariat of Social Development is the government department in charge of social development efforts in Mexico...
(SEDESOL). It was established in 1974 to promote and protect traditional Mexican handcrafts
Mexican handcrafts and folk art
Mexican handcrafts and folk art is a complex collection of items made with various materials and intended for utilitarian, decorative or other purposes. Some of the items produced by hand in this country include ceramics, wall hangings, vases, furniture, textiles and much more...
. The agency has four main programs including artisan training, retail selling and the sponsoring of craft competitions as the local, regional and national level. FONART directly helped 26,600 artisans in 2006, but the agency has been criticized for being inefficient and not meeting the demands of national transparency laws. Currently, it seeks the capacity to authenticate crafts on a national and international level due to competitions from imitations from Asia.
Purpose
FONART was founded in 1974 and since 1995, it has been under the supervision of the Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL). The overall purpose is to protect and promote traditional Mexican handcrafts, opening national and international markets for craftsmen as many of these workers live on poor, rural and indigenous areas. There are an estimated 8 million artisans working in Mexico, and FONART directly helped 26,600 of them in 2006. Those who live in impoverished or indigenous areas have priority. In 2007, the agency had a 71 million peso budget, 42 million pesos of which were generated by sales of crafts.Main programs
FONART has four different programs to promote and benefit Mexican handcrafts. These involving artisan training, technical assistance, financing, craft competitions and a government buying program.Training is offered to help artisans improve the quality and design of their products, while maintaining traditional cultural elements as well as making production techniques more environmentally friendly. Grants are awarded to qualified individuals or organized groups mostly as an alternative to traditional banking. Annual regional competitions to honor artisans who have excelled in their craft, as well at those who stand out in areas such as innovation and the preservation and rescue of traditional techniques. Competitions are held at the local, state and national levels. Winning pieces are then considered to be high-value items.
FONART also has a buying program where pieces are purchased directly from artisans at regional centers or through agents that travel to crafts areas periodically. FONART also buys pieces from different state-run institutions that promote crafts. The acquisition system has five storage centers located in the states of Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
Craft competitions
FONART sponsors crafts competitions in various parts of the country to promote the sale and quality of crafts produced. This function is under the Departmento de Concursos headed by Raymundo Martínez. The purses for first prize offered at these events vary from 10,000 to 100,000 pesos. In the state of GuerreroGuerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
alone, competitions include the Pintores de Alto Balsas (folk painting on amate paper) in Xalitla, the Concurso de Hilado y Tejido del Huipil
Huipíl
A huipil is a form of Maya textile and tunic or blouse worn by indigenous Mayan, Zapotec, and other women in central to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras, in the northern part of Central America. Some are also worn by men, particularly in Guatemala...
(huipil) in Metlatónoc
Metlatónoc
Metlatónoc is a city and seat of the municipality of Metlatónoc, in the state of Guerrero, south-western Mexico....
, the Concurso de Alfarería con Engobes Minerales (pottery) in San Agustín Oapan, the Concurso de Laca Artesanal (lacquered items) of Temalcatzingo, the Concurso Municipal de Joyería (jewelry), the Concurso Regional de la Costa Chica
Costa Chica of Guerrero
The Costa Chica is one of the seven regions into which the southern Mexican state of Guerrero is divided.It begins to the east of Acapulco and extends along the coast for as far as the border with Oaxaca, where the Costa Chica of Oaxaca begins.Similar to other parts of the southern Mexico, the...
, the Concurso de Laca (lacquered items) in Olinalá
Olinalá
Olinalá is a city and seat of the municipality of Olinalá, in the state of Guerrero, south-western Mexico.-Art:Olinalá is located in the state of Guerrero...
and the Concurso Nacional de la Feria de la Plata (silverwork) in Taxco
Taxco
Taxco de Alarcón is a small city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word tlacheco, which means “place of the ballgame.” However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father...
. The last is a national level competition. Pieces are judged on design, technique, materials used in its production and if the piece represents an ethnic culture of Mexico. Another factor is if the piece uses a sustainable resource.
Retail stores
Fairs and markets are key outlets for Mexican crafts but they are not sufficient. The agency runs a number of retail stores, all of which are in Mexico City with the exception of one in San Luis PotosíSan Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters...
. The best-selling items are ceramics, lacquered items and glasswork. Most products come from Oaxaca, Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
and Michoacan. In contrast to most other craft outlets, crafts at the FONART stores are more upscale and more varied. The FONART store reached sales of over 2.5 million pesos per year. However, one problem that FONART stores have had is that most are not placed in tourist venues. However, recently, the agency has begun to work with the federal Secretariat of Tourism in order to find more ways to sell to international tourists as well as use crafts as to attract tourists to rural areas.
Annual FONART exhibition
FONART and other agencies sponsor a yearly exhibition and bazaar that travels around the country. In 2010, the theme was connection to the twin celebrations of the bicentennial of Mexico’s Independence and the Centennial of the Mexican RevolutionCelebration of Mexican political anniversaries in 2010
In 2010, Mexico celebrated both the 200th anniversary of its Independence and 100th anniversary of its Revolution. The entire year was proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón as "Año de la Patria", or "Year of the Nation." 16 September 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's...
. The offering of crafts by vendors at this event is quite varied with representatives from all Mexican states as well as the Federal District of Mexico City. In exhibition were 500 pieces deemed to be the most representative of Mexican crafts.
Criticism
In the early 2000s, President Vicente FoxVicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada is a Mexican former politician who served as President of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006 and currently serves as co-President of the Centrist Democrat International, an international organization of Christian democratic political parties.Fox was elected...
nearly shut down the agency, stating that it was not living up to goals, particularly in the selling of crafts purchased from artisans. More recently, FONART has been criticized for failing to conform sufficiently to federal transparency in information laws, including the lack of publication of mandatory information on its website.
Efforts to protect Mexican crafts
Another effort by FONART concerns the protection of Mexican handcrafts from cheaper imports, especially those from China and other parts of Asia. FONART has asked the Congress of MexicoCongress of Mexico
The Congress of the Union is the legislative branch of the Mexican government...
for the right to fine companies that import Asian imitations of Mexican crafts. Another proposal is to register regional and craft trademarks to ensure that genuine Mexican crafts are marked as such at the national and international level. Currently, thirty three crafts have this type of trademark at the state level. These include the crafts made in Oaxacan locales such as San Bartolo Coyotepec
San Bartolo Coyotepec
San Bartolo Coyotepec is a town and municipality located in the center of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is in the Centro District of the Valles Centrales region about fifteen km south of the capital of Oaxaca....
, Santo Tomás Jalietza, Teotitlán del Valle
Teotitlán del Valle
Teotitlán del Valle is a small village and municipality located in the Tlacolula District in the east of the Valles Centrales Region, 31 km from the city of Oaxaca in the foothills of the Sierra Juárez mountains. It is part of the Tlacolula Valley district...
and San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete
San Martín Tilcajete is a town and municipality located about from the city of Oaxaca, in the state of Oaxaca, in the south of Mexico.It is part of the Ocotlán District in the south of the Valles Centrales Region...
.