By Paola Velasco
La Esquina Museum of Mexican Popular Toys, of San Miguel de Allende has a permanent exhibition of more than 3,500 original works of art. These have been collected over the last 57 years. The museum has three rooms to display its permanent collection, and two rooms for temporary exhibitions.
The collection of handmade toys highlights the creativity, artistic expression, and cultural diversity of Mexican artists. Its main mission is to give the public access to the collections and to highlight toy making as a traditional art form. The hope is for the public to become aware and appreciate the artistic abilities of those who produce these incredible works of art.
The toys exhibited come from different regions, but the artisans of Guanajuato are recognized for their important work. A unique craft is cartoneria, and one of the exhibits shows the clay molds that are used in this technique.
The founder of the museum, Angélica Tijerina, told us how satisfied she was with the recent workshops offered by the museum. One workshop collaborated with The Museum of Anthropology in Madrid, Spain. The Museum has a new director, Ana Barco, who will be in charge of new projects. Currently there is a temporary exhibition representative of the State of Guanajuato. It is worth a visit.
