The idea for the Feria emerged during a trip with a friend to 16 artisan villages between Ajijic, Jalisco and Pátzcuaro, Michoacán in March 2002. I realized that I was meeting artists whose work the average person would never get a chance to see. When asked where they sold their work, most of the artists said in their homes, in their local tianguis (open-air markets), or in a larger tianguis in other villages, if they could afford to travel there.

The wheels started turning and I began to think, why not have a Feria at Lake Chapala?

Over the years, the structure of the Feria has changed. At first, I paid for everything and selected the artisans myself. I had no vision of how long the Feria might continue. It took on a life of its own! After four years, I needed help. I put an ad in the local paper that I was having a meeting asking for volunteers. Eighteen people I had never met before attended and by the end of the meeting, we had several volunteer coordinators.

As we grew up, the Artist Selection Committee was formed and we found three state coordinators who would also help us select the artisans; Oaxaca (Linda Hanna), Chiapas (Brigitte Ordoquy) and Michoacán (Terry Baumgart).

It is not difficult to keep the show new and different every year, because of the myriad of incredible artists all over Mexico. We have heard from some of the Feria’s attendees that “the Feria is the same every year” — NO IT IS NOT. Every year we select at least 40-50 new artists from the total of 85.

So, what is so special about the Feria? (1) We offer the public an opportunity to see and purchase the work of some of Mexico’s finest artists, (2) We offer each artist a place to exhibit and sell their work, possibly making connections for future sales that will allow them to continue to make a living selling their art, (3) We give artists the opportunity to meet each other, develop new friendships and connections, and (4) we offer a vehicle to promote the folk-art of Mexico, while at the same time educating the public that such art is in danger and on the verge of extinction.

From the first time I traveled in Mexico, I knew I would live here one day. In August 2022, I will have lived in Mexico for 25 years and I’ve loved every minute of it. Before moving SOB I worked at various jobs including at a nuclear power plant and I managed an Arabian horse ranch. I was 50 when I moved here, so I had to work for 12 years before I received my social security. I opened a small gallery called Avant Gourd and sold my gourd art. Soon after, I moved and began selling Mexican folk art all of this leading to when I decided to begin a Feria at lakeside.