The MujerArtes clay cooperative’s annual Mother’s Day sale and exhibit opens on Saturday, May 5 at the group’s Adobe Studio located in the heart of San Antonio’s Westside.
The exhibit and sale will feature handmade artworks fashioned by the women of the cooperative who work under the guidance of experienced ceramicists.
“This is the perfect place to find a handmade gift that not only captures the beauty of life, but also the realities of living as a woman, as a member of the working class community, as an immigrant, and more,” Eliza Perez, spokesperson for the group, said in a statement.
MujerArtes was first established in 1995 by the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center offering classes in clay arts to working class women of all ages. For most of the time since then, the cooperative operated out of an old house on the Westside. However, last September, the group moved into a new building that is constructed entirely of compressed adobe blocks.
“The new building housing the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Cooperativa MujerArtes is the result of the dreams and hard work of numerous people,” Patricia de la Garza of MujerArtes said at the time the new building opened. “This is the perfect manifestation of ancestral techniques and modern practices. It provides a platform for us to open ourselves up to creativity and to express who we are as individuals, and as a community, through the goodness of clay.”
“For over 22 years, our women’s clay cooperative has facilitated the cultural grounding of low-
income women in San Antonio’s Westside through clay workshops five days a week and over five
exhibits annually,” Perez says. “We have witnessed the growth of women, many of whom have never received formal artistic training, resulting in a diverse group of talented and accomplished artists.”
MujerArtes Mother’s Day Sale & Exhibit, May 5 through 12 at the MujerArtes Adobe Studio, 816 S. Colorado. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Opening day reception on May 5 at 11 a.m. Join us for art, music and food. For more information contact pr@esperanzacenter.org.
