Coleccion de Recuerdos

Coleccion de Recuerdos Museum featuring the Merrill collection of Mexican folk art

Angel Ortiz Gabriel of Tonala has always been one of my favorite artisans. His traditional style of burnished pottery ho...
16/07/2026

Angel Ortiz Gabriel of Tonala has always been one of my favorite artisans. His traditional style of burnished pottery holds great appeal to me. Thankfully, his talented son, Jose Angel is working along side him and will keep the family tradition.

Israel Soteno of Metepec created some of the most admired pieces on display at the museum - three black pitchers represe...
13/07/2026

Israel Soteno of Metepec created some of the most admired pieces on display at the museum - three black pitchers representing historical events in Mexico with three dimensional figures jutting out distinctly; one represents Independence, another Revolution and the third is the Constitution. Getting the pieces from Metepec to Houston and back to Ajijic has been an ongoing story over the last ten years but “vale la pena!” Below is Revolution - visit the museum to see all three.

This carved wood horse and rider are on display at museo Colección de Recuerdos now. It is not signed and if you have an...
10/07/2026

This carved wood horse and rider are on display at museo Colección de Recuerdos now. It is not signed and if you have any idea which Mexican artisan may have made it, please comment. We purchased it in San Antonio, Texas in about 2007 at the Bazaar Sabado held before Christmas, offered in order to fund raise for the San Antonio Museum of Art. This annual gala event attracted collectors and enthusiasts from all over Texas and we waited in line up to an hour just to get a turn to enter the sales area. The event idea was initiated by a man named Joe Nicholson and when he died, much of his collection was donated to this event to raise money for the museum. We were lucky enough to have spotted and purchased it. I’m guessing it was made in the 1920-30s.

Francisco Santiago Antonio and Maria del Carmen Cruz are the artisans from whom I purchased the huge Otomí embroidery at...
08/07/2026

Francisco Santiago Antonio and Maria del Carmen Cruz are the artisans from whom I purchased the huge Otomí embroidery at the Feria Maestros del Arte in 2024. I am not sure if one or both worked on the piece or if others had a hand it making it but however it was made, it is extraordinary.

Martín Ibarra of San Juan Evangelista on Lake Cajititlan was always a pleasure to visit and we would go see him almost e...
06/07/2026

Martín Ibarra of San Juan Evangelista on Lake Cajititlan was always a pleasure to visit and we would go see him almost every time we were in Ajijic. As an artisan, he was best known for his beautiful clay Virgins but we also collected his geometric spheres and vases and my favorites were his animal whistles. He would take a ball of clay and fashion it into a whistle as he talked to us as if we understood every word (we did not). Then he would blow into it to make it whistle. Sadly, he died during Covid at a much too early age. This photo was taken of him at the Feria Maestros del Arte one year when it was still in Chapala; it has now moved to Ajijic. Two of his Virgins and many of his whistles are on display at museo Colección de Recuerdos in Ajijic.

Today I took my favorite wood carvings to the museo Colección de Recuerdos. The Chiapan woman holding her huipile was ca...
06/07/2026

Today I took my favorite wood carvings to the museo Colección de Recuerdos. The Chiapan woman holding her huipile was carved by Chiapas artisan, Jose Alberto Gonzalez & he is pictured with his wife, Maria Susana Jimenez Gomez at Feria Maestros in 2024 where I purchased the piece directly from them. The detail is amazing!

This photo was taken on Christmas day in 1999 in the Tzintzuntzan plaza when we bought pottery from Consuelo Rendon (cen...
05/07/2026

This photo was taken on Christmas day in 1999 in the Tzintzuntzan plaza when we bought pottery from Consuelo Rendon (center). She created her pieces at her home, put them into her wheelbarrow and rolled them to the plaza to sell. I know there wasn’t any one piece that cost more than $10.00 and most cost far less. Wish we had purchased them all! Her work is in major museums in the USA, Mexico and in other countries. It is also in museo Colección de Recuerdos in Ajijic. Read more about her on the museum website (link in first comment - choose the Recuerdos tab)

Come visit! In person preferably but also on line (see first comment)
04/07/2026

Come visit! In person preferably but also on line (see first comment)

This photo was taken 21 years ago at a luncheon in Tlaquepaque at Casa de Las Flores. From left to right is Angel Santos...
03/07/2026

This photo was taken 21 years ago at a luncheon in Tlaquepaque at Casa de Las Flores. From left to right is Angel Santos, Cathey Merrill, Lenore Hoag-Mulryan, Jorge Wilmot and Aurea Solis. Lenore and I were interviewing artisans for an essay she was writing on behalf of Los Amigos del Arte Popular and their special issue in Artes de Mexico. These three artisans were of great help to us throughout the process. Afterwards, Jorge drove Lenore and I to Tonala where we were staying next. He had opera blaring inside the car, the windows rolled down and it was quite an experience - one of a kind, both the experience and Jorge Wilmot. Many pieces of his work are on display in the museum, Colección de Recuerdos at Marcos Castellanos 10 in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. For more information, check the link in the first comment.

Fotoesculturas or sculpted photos in wood are unsigned but thought to be made mostly in the early part of the 20th centu...
02/07/2026

Fotoesculturas or sculpted photos in wood are unsigned but thought to be made mostly in the early part of the 20th century. If you have one or have had one of a family member at any time in your life, please tell us about it. They are often one of the most asked about pieces in the museum. Find link to museum website in the first comment and visit.

Dirección

Marcos Castellanos #7
Ajijic

Horario de Apertura

Lunes 10am - 2pm
Martes 10am - 2pm
Miércoles 10am - 2pm
Jueves 10am - 2pm
Viernes 10am - 2pm
Sábado 10am - 2pm
Domingo 10am - 2pm

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