Giving crafts people a helping hand

Introducing lead-free clay to Mexican artists.

Diane Daniel | June 2008 issue

For centuries, Mexican potters relied on lead to add a shiny glaze to their colourful ceramics, creating health risks for artisans and consumers. At one point, glazed pottery was said to be the top cause of lead poisoning in Mexico. In 1993, the Mexican government passed laws minimizing its use, but these standards were never enforced. Now, the Mexican organization Barro sin Plomo (“clay without lead”) and its partner Aid to Artisans, a Connecticut-based non-profit group that offers assistance to artisan groups worldwide, are turning the situation around.

“The ceramics market in Mexico had almost collapsed,” says Alex Kuzma, director of development at Aid to Artisans. “We helped create lead-free production and new kiln technology, which also has led to reductions in the amount of wood used in the firing process.”

That campaign, which might be replicated in other countries, is but one of the projects Aid to Artisans has initiated. In Colombia, for instance, the group is working with artisans displaced by the country’s civil war. “The big news is that our Colombia team generated over $138,000 in sales of products during the recent ExpoArtesanias craft exposition in Bogotá,” Kuzma says, adding that a top Colombian designer has become interested in working with some of the craftspeople. The region’s crafts include native wood bowls, tagua bracelets and chamba pottery.

Aid to Artisans also helps groups market products by assisting with research, pricing, merchandising and Internet sales. It runs an online shop, selling some of its clients’ products. Purchases from the store support its programs.

Find out more: aidtoartisans.org

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