Our Mission
We promote Mexican culture through popular art and traditions to create awareness, empathy, and community between Mexico and the US.
Our Vision
Mexican Folk Art Collective is a bridge and facilitator of cultural educational spaces through folk art and Mexican traditions.
We are a group of artists from different towns in Mexico and Mexican artists living in the USA. Through pottery (barro), cartonería (a traditional technique stronger and smoother than papier-mâché) sculptures and masks, textiles, corn husk creations, fashion design, dance, and music we are happy to share our culture and traditions with you. Some of us work in a family studio, some of us have a traditional heritage passed down from generation to generation, and some of us are experimenting with a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, but we all respect and appreciate the work of each other.
We want to share with you what is behind our traditional art forms by talking about our cities, our towns, our studios, and our inspiration.
Thank you for supporting us by sharing our website with one of your friends.
News:
Día de Los Muertos
Goodman South Madison Libray
Madison, WI
November 1
Dia de los Muertos
Goodman South Madison Library
Meeting Room 115
Nov 1 | 1 – 3pm
Celebrate the Day of the Dead at Goodman South Madison Library! This bilingual, all-ages event features a community altar created by local Mexican Folk Artist Andrea Muñiz, where you can add artwork and family photos. Join in arts and crafts like painting cempasúchil (Mexican marigold) designs on fabric, play Día de Muertos-themed lotería. Bring your own photo to leave or make a copy to share at the altar.
Day of the Dead Mexican Folk Art Workshop: Papier Mâché Skulls
Meadowridge Library
October 27 | 5 – 7pm
Description
Create traditional papier mâché skulls to celebrate Day of the Dead. Ireri Andrea Muñiz Ortega, a local Mexican folk artist, will guide participants through the process of creating the skulls from scratch in this three-part workshop. Registration is required. To register, click the link below or contact your local library.
Crea calaveras tradicionales de papel maché para celebrar el Día de Muertos. Andrea Muñiz, artista folclórica mexicana, guiará a los participantes en el proceso de creación de las calaveras desde cero en este taller de tres partes. Es necesario registrarse. Para registrarse, siga el enlace a continuación o comuníquese con su biblioteca local.
Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario
Día de Muertos at Above and Beyond Children Museum
Sheboygan, WI
October 25 and 26
Day of the Dead Workshops
October 25th 10:00-11:00, 2:00-3:00
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván leads a traditional paper cut workshop for kids and families. This workshop will help produce a community created altar exploring the Dia De Los Muertos celebration, and the ofrenda altar’s role in Mexican culture.
Registration is limited
Day of the Dead Ofrenda Building Demonstration
October 26th 9:30-2:00
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván builds a traditional Ofrenda in the exhibit space.
Bring a flower and or a photo of your loved ones.
Registration not required- drop in anytime!
Kohl’s Family Sundays: Día de los Muertos
Milwaukee Art Museum
October 19, 2024, 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Gather together with family and friends to celebrate the beauty and tradition of Day of the Dead. Explore the meaning behind symbols of the holiday through hands-on art activities, enjoy performances, grab a treat from a local food truck, and more!
Meet artists from around the state and learn about how their heritage inspires what they create. Work with artists Gabriela Marván and Ireri Andrea Muñiz Ortega to craft a tissue paper marigold with a loved one’s name on it to add to the community ofrenda, paint a ceremonial tortilla with Tortilleria Zepeda, and create an earth skull with beans and corn with Yesi Pérez. Drop into the Kohl’s Art Studio to design a plaster sugar skull with Yesica Coria and see the collaborative artwork she created with local students in Windhover Hall. Dance with Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance and hear music by Latino Arts Strings Program.
LINEUP
All Day | Visit the galleries, borrow free activities from the ArtPack Station, see student artworks, and make art with guest artists.
Noon | Enjoy a musical performance by Mariachi Infantil and Mariachi Juvenil of the Latino Arts Strings Program.
2 p.m. | See a dance performance by Ometochtli Mexican Folk Dance
Reúnanse con familiares y amigos para celebrar la belleza y tradición del Día de Muertos. Agreguen a la ofrenda comunitaria, conozcan a artistas locales, disfruten además de eventos musicales y otras sorpresas, ¡y mucho más!
2025 Día de Muertos Announcement
2025 Driftless Region’s Día de Muertos Celebration Announcement 🌼
Due to the current political climate, our team has made the difficult and heartbreaking decision to not host a public event this year.
This celebration holds a special place in our hearts, and we still want to contribute to the regional celebration by growing the crop of cempasúchil (marigolds), which will be available to purchase for home ofrendas.
We thank our community in advance for understanding this difficult decision, and we hope that we can reconnect with everyone next year.
Contact joy@driftlesscuriosity.org to order marigolds.
Contact c.marvan@gmail.com for art inquiries.
Sculpture for Kids and Parents Workshop – Alebrijes
Above and Beyond Children’s Museum- Sheboygan, WI
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván leads us in a two-day traditional alebrijes building workshop. We will explore the art of traditional Mexican cartonería and the origins of the alebrijes sculptures.
This two-day workshop is on Aug 23 and 24 from 10-11am. Registration is limited.
Best for children 5-12 years old with a caregiver!
Mexican Folk Art Collective in La Crosse, Wi – ArtSpire
HISTORY: Alebrijes started in Mexico City many years ago. It all began with an artist named Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When Pedro was 30, he fell very ill and had a high fever that made him see strange and wonderful things. In his dreams, he saw a forest full of fantastical creatures—animals with wings, long tails, sharp teeth, and they all had one thing in common: they kept saying the word alebrijes—a word Pedro had never heard before. It didn’t mean anything in Spanish, but in his dream, it felt just right.
Pedro decided to bring these creatures to life. He started creating them using paper and paste. He painted them with beautiful, bright colors and patterns, turning his dream into something real. And so, alebrijes became part of Mexico’s folk art tradition, especially in a technique called cartonería, which is like paper mache, but with deep roots in Mexican culture.
PROJECT: At Artspire we’re going to create our own alebrijes! Just like Pedro, we’ll start by sketching our own fantastical creatures, letting our imaginations run wild. Then, using air-dry clay and aluminum foil, we’ll shape our creatures, adding our own wings, tails, spikes, or anything else that comes to mind. You’ll add color, bring your creature to life, and fill your day with inspiration, joy, and maybe a little bit of magic.
Workshop Timeline
The workshop will happen every hour and a half, limited to 40 participants per timeslot
10:00 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
2:30 pm
4:00 pm
5:30 pm
Sign up suggested. Sign up anytime at the booth, day-of, and show up at beginning of requested timeslot to participate
Mexican Folk Art Collective in Sheboygan, Wi – Above & Beyond Children’s Museum
“We are excited to announce we have invited Mexican artist Gabriela Marván to create and co-curate programming for the next evolution of our Culture Exchange Exhibit. Gabriela works as a Cartonería in Viroqua Wisconsin and is founder of the Mexican Folk Art Collective.”
“Nos alegra anunciar que hemos invitado a la artista mexicana Gabriela Marván a crear y co-curar la programación de la próxima edición de nuestra Exhibición de Intercambio Cultural Comunitario. Gabriela trabaja como cartonera en Viroqua, Wisconsin, y es fundadora del Colectivo de Arte Popular Mexicano.”
Alebrijes Workshop
Aug 23-24. 10:00-11:00, 2:00-3:00 each day
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván leads us in a traditional alebrijes building workshop. We will explore the art of traditional Mexican cartonería and the origins of the alebrijes sculptures.
Registration is limited
Day of the Dead Workshops
October 25th 10:00-11:00, 2:00-3:00 each day
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván leads a traditional paper cut workshop for kids and families. This workshop will help produce a community created altar exploring the Dia De Los Metros celebration, and the ofrenda altar’s role in Mexican culture.
Registration is limited
Day of the Dead Ofrenda Building Demonstration
October 26th 9:30-2:00
Join us as artist and co-curator of our new Culture Exchange Exhibit / Intercambio Cultural Comunitario Gabriela Marván builds a traditional Ofrenda in the exhibit space.
Registration not required- drop in anytime!
4th Annual Driftless Region’s Día de Muertos
After a few days following the 4th edition of the Driftless Día de Muertos Celebration, we received the exciting news that the event was selected as the winner of the Historic Preservation and Cultural Development Award at the Second Annual Vernon County Awards Banquet. Today, we had the honor of receiving the award alongside our lovely friends and co-hosts of the celebration, Joy and Rufus from @driftlesscuriosity. It has been an incredible adventure since we first started this event to celebrate our traditions and culture with the community, but most importantly, to honor the lives of our loved ones. Thank you to all the artists from the collective who have, in one way or another, been part of this event, to the beautiful community, and to Vernon County for this shared award!
See you on the first Saturday of October, 2025 for our next Día de Meurtos Event!
This event is FREE and open to the public! To learn more, visit https://driftlesscuriosity.org/day-of-the-dead/