Arte por Excelencias at FIART 2019

As part of the activities carried out throughout the year by the publishing group of Arte por Excelencias on its tenth anniversary, and also as usual during the International Craft Fair, the 48th edition of the multicultural publication of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The presentation was attended by Mercy Correa, director of the National Craft Center of the Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, an institution that regularly collaborates within the publication. In her words, Mercedes stressed that the fair this year is dedicated to the 500th Anniversary of Havana and goldsmithing as a craft event:

“You can see in the main entrance two central stands that exhibit pieces of the Goldsmith's Museum, as well as a selection of the work of contemporary Cuban goldsmiths. We wanted to promote handicrafts by being a manifestation of the most significant in Cuba, and with that paying homage to such a strong tradition, which is not just jewelry, it is much more; for which the public will be able to appreciate pieces such as bars, sculptures, and works with different metals such as copper, iron, silver, etc”.

Before the permanent influx of the public, she warned that it is always a good indication, because "this fair, in addition to a commercial purpose, is held with an intention to promote aesthetic values ​​and our creators."

In the context of this presentation, the present artisans were introduced to mallhabana.com, a virtual store that is part of Gold Black, one of the companies of the Excelencias Group, whose branch based in the country develops this trade through this project that emerged in 2006 with the objective of becoming a market of the Cuban family.

René Legrá, one of his representatives, explained to the artists how it could be Mallhabana, a new sales channel, a space where their products can be marketed through the FCBC, and thus add to this business branch that has become an important supplier of several of the country's importers, mainly in the tourism sector.

For the closing of the presentation, tribute was paid to the artisan Dámaso Crespo, recently deceased. A tireless promoter, and someone to whom culture, crafts and their artists should pay tribute for their work in promoting the guild, defending traditions and national identity.