Today browsing on the internet found a great article, that described the work of Máxima Thomas, the Garifuna Museum Director. In 1996, the Garífuna Museum was founded with the objective to promote Garífuna culture and to offer cultural education and tourist services to those who visit their communities, interested in knowing more about Garífuna culture. The Museum offers information through exhibitions on the life, work, and transcendence of Garífuna culture since our arrival to Honduras. Also, it provides a few of the antecedents from the Garífuna’s departure from St. Vincent. We are an educational resource for grade school, secondary, and university students, whose programs explore Garífuna culture but had no previous center for investigation.

Sustaining Local Artists and Producers

To support the Garífuna Museum, they have implemented a craft shop and a small art gallery, which sells paintings, on the first floor. They earn a profit of 10 to 20% from each sale, which sustains the museum and the entrance fees. The Museum also helps Garífuna painters and artists, who sell their work in the area, to make a name for themselves. There is an artisan exposition room so that Garífuna handicrafts can be seen, and so that the artisans can sell their products and get money to cover their daily expenses. There is also an expo-sale of paintings that we call the Art Gallery. However, it still does not meet all of the necessary conditions to preserve the paintings. The paintings are exposed to dust and need a more enclosed place so they don’t deteriorate.

The museum directors are planning to create a Garífuna Plaza, where those people who make typical baked foods and pastries can bring their products to the Museum and market them. Before, there wasn’t a place where you could come to sell and buy Garífuna products. We are satisfying these supply and demands. We also have a restaurant service, where you can sample traditional plates and learn about Garífuna gastronomy. With our food sales, they underwrite the project, “Garífuna Plaza”, which makes the project more sustainable because of the sales commissions they earn.

Since Pre-Columbian times the Lenca ethnic group have been spread out in Central America, in what is now known as Honduras and El Salvador. Now a days, there around 100 thousand lencas in Honduras and they are found in several regions of the country: Intibucá, Lempira, La Paz and Valle. Even though their language disappeared, they have kept alive some of their customs.

Recently their pottery has gained a lot of popularity, because of its beauty. The pottery is decorated with geometrical designs with white and black colors. Besides being a huge success in Honduras, recently it has gained a lot of popularity in the United States and Europe. The Lencas used this pottery to help them with several tasks around the house, now a days, it is being used only for decorative ornaments around houses, stores and offices around the world.

This is a great opportunity for the Lencas to spread their culture and let the world know about the beauty of their crafts and pottery. The villages such as La Arada, the artisans still are making the pottery as their ancestor made it, creating beautiful jugs, jars, bowls, jugs, vases, incense burners and pots. Everything they make is by hand and do not use any machinery or wheels to help them.

Now because of this popularity, there is a need to improve the wellbeing of the Lencas. Honduras arts, as a part of our purpose would like to encourage fair trade and other Socially Responsible movements that will help the Lencas and Honduras. If you are interested in knowing more about the pottery and our projects with the Lencas, please contact us through the form in our blog.  Also soon, we will start selling some arts and crafts from Honduras. Check out our Arts and Crafts Store

Since Pre-Columbian times the Lencas have been spread out in Central America, in what is now known as Honduras and El Salvador. Now a days, there around 100 thousand lencas in Honduras and they are found in several regions of the country: Intibucá, Lempira, La Paz and Valle. Even though their language disappeared, they have kept alive some of their customs.
Recently their pottery has gained a lot of popularity, because of its beauty. The pottery is decorated with geometrical designs with white and black colors. Besides being a huge success in Honduras, recently it has gained a lot of popularity in the United States and Europe. The Lencas used this pottery to help them with several tasks around the house, now a days, it is being used only for decorative ornaments around houses, stores and offices around the world.
This is a great opportunity for the Lencas to spread their culture and let the world know about the beauty of their crafts and pottery. The villages such as La Arada, the artisans still are making the pottery as their ancestor made it, creating beautiful jugs, jars, bowls, jugs, vases, incense burners and pots. Everything they make is by hand and do not use any machinery or wheels to help them.
Now because of this popularity, there is a need to improve the wellbeing of the Lencas. Honduras arts, as a part of our purpose would like to encourage fair trade and other Socially Responsible movements that will help the Lencas and Honduras. If you are interested in knowing more about the pottery and our projects with the Lencas, please contact us through the form in our blog.