The Tenerife Fairground will host until December 8 the XXXVII Regional Craft Fair that has been inaugurated this Saturday by the president of the Cabildo, Pedro Martín, and the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla.
It is an appointment with the traditions of an autonomous nature that collects the patrimonial testimony of more than 137 artisans from all the islands, as reported by the Insular Corporation.
Martín pointed out that “it is very important to come here today and discover that we are capable of putting ourselves back together, recovering energy and launching a new edition, the thirty-seventh of this Canary Island Handicraft Fair”.
Similarly, he added that “today we have the opportunity to recover a good part of our traditions, also creative ways that have evolved over time, in the way of understanding ornament, delicate and manual work, different today from decades ago. but that is renewed with the passage of time “.
Meanwhile, the counselor thanked all the artisans “that one more year show their talent, their good work, their mastery. But, in this case, we are not talking about one more fair. This thirty-seventh edition is, without a doubt, that of the Resistance. That of courage. That of resilience. ”
He recalled that we are still in the middle of a global pandemic, we must still protect ourselves with masks and keep our distances, “but if the Canary Islands and its people have shown something, it is that we are a safe place with responsible citizenship.”
“Two characteristics that we will continue to display in this important meeting, which we hope will be attended by thousands of people, including our tourists who return to walk through our streets, looking for the best gift for their loved ones, a present unique, different, loaded with Canarian essence for this Christmas “, he explained.
It can be visited continuously
The Fair will remain open in the large hall of the Fairgrounds until December 8 and can be visited continuously from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and includes 74 stands on the island of Tenerife and 63 from the rest of the islands. Of them, 58% belong to women.
In addition to the proposal for the exhibition and sale of products, the Fair is completed with three large samples, the first is entitled ‘From head to toe’, and shows the headdresses, hoods and hats as well as the footwear models used in the eight islands since pre-Hispanic times to the present day. An exhibition organized by the Sectorial Council of Traditional Clothing of Tenerife.
Avant-garde traditions
The second exhibition is called ‘Avant-garde Traditions’ and is organized by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Island Councils and will be made up of creations that, using traditional techniques and materials, provide an added value of design and functionality from a rereading of Canarian traditional patterns.
Meanwhile, the third exhibition is made up of the trajectory of eight artisans dedicated a lifetime to the performance of a traditional craft in danger of extinction.
Juan Ramírez Pérez is working on Gran Canaria, dedicated to reed and enea basketry, on El Hierro Andrés Armas León, a blacksmith by profession, on La Gomera the weaver and palm basket maker Carmen Rodríguez Vera, on La Palma the traditional carpenter Pascasio Rodríguez Pérez, for Lanzarote, Eulogio Concepción Perdomo, basket basket maker, for Fuerteventura Juana Mª Montelongo, palm basket maker and for Tenerife Carmen Concepción Pérez, who has dedicated her life to weaving and Marcelino Reyes, basket basket, wicker and cane.
