Viajes Mexicanos – Art & Ceramics Tourism Mata Ortiz

One of the best kept secrets in the art world today is the new revival of classic Mexican art. Speculators and collectors of works such as the Mata Ortiz ceramics have seen their initial investments triple in just the last ten years.

You may want to avoid the tourist hot spots

A great tip if you’re only in the beginning stages of planning your next trip south of the border is to do some research ahead of time. You see, you may have to adjust your travel itinerary to put you where the best deals on art shopping are. For example, tourist attractions are not always necessarily the best places to look.

Prices can be comparable to home

Of course, the most popular destinations, with names like Cancun, Cozumel, and Cabo San Lucas, have their fancy galleries, but you’ll also have to pay premium prices there. In fact, don’t be at all surprised if you find that what they charge is comparable to what you can afford north of the border.

Look out for less-hyped destinations like Oaxaca

Look for less-traveled and less-hyped destinations, like Oaxaca, where woodcarving has been a local tradition for generations. Even so, once there, try to avoid the galleries in the central areas of the town. Keep in mind that taxi drivers get a commission for taking tourists to these hot spots.

Get the inside scoop on bartenders and servers

Talk to the bartenders and servers if you want the inside scoop on what’s going on in town behind the touristy facade and definitely talk to more than one. They typically don’t have commission agreements set up like taxi drivers, and most likely even have local artists who stop by as clients.

Mata Ortiz pottery can be expensive even down there

You will also have to be ready to haggle because if you are a gringo, you can bet that they have already raised the price a bit. Now, some works like the ceramics from Mata Ortiz, with prices easily reaching $300 per pot, can be more expensive than you expected, so know what you’re looking for and know your price range before you head out.