Friends of Mexican Art’s annual Hacienda Tour and Mercado is our organization’s most important fund-raiser of the year. Ticket holders for this special event will be treated to an intimate look at exceptional homes and the important collections their owners have amassed from a variety of countries around the world.

At the Mercado, local dealers in Mexican and Latin American art have items for sale. A portion of the proceeds of the Mercado benefits Friends of Mexican Art and its goals. FOMA members and the general public are given the opportunity to learn and appreciate Mexican (and other) art more fully through the tour. The Mercado affords everyone the chance to begin or add to a collection of Mexican and/or Latin American art. The event allows the public to become more aware of FOMA and its mission, encourages new membership, and promotes friendship and goodwill toward our organization. Make the Hacienda Tour and Mercado part of your annual calendar!

The doors to four Phoenix homes will be opened to the public as part of the Friends of Mexican Art’s HOME TOUR and MEXICAN MERCADO scheduled for Sunday, February 24, 2013, from 10 am to 4 pm. Tickets for this event can be purchased after January 30 for $35. Ticket holders for this special fund-raising event will be invited to experience homes that contain fascinating, even spectacular collections. Art - especially Mexican art - dominates, adorning all surfaces in these homes. What pulls these collections together is the homeowners’ love of the art works and their inventiveness in displaying it. Come and surround yourself with creativity and discover the fun of collecting.

At the mercado, which will be held at one of the homes, dealers in Mexican art will have items for sale. A portion of the proceeds of the Mercado will also benefit Friends of Mexican Art and its goals. For almost 45 years, Phoenix-based Friends of Mexican Art has dedicated itself to raising funds for the purpose of purchasing Mexican art for Arizona museums, underwriting Mexican art exhibitions in the state, publishing exhibition catalogues and assisting in the restoration of important Mexican cultural landmarks in danger of deterioration or destruction.

Below are descriptions from this year's homes:

•A typical 1953 ranch house that the homeowner has remodeled and re landscaped over the past 20 years. The collection is mainly Tlaquepaque pottery with many vintage pieces from the 20’s and 30’s. The homeowner also lived in Oaxaca during the 1990’s doing research for an anthropology doctorate degree, and acquired hand made Indian village folk art pottery from that area. This home will be very interesting for the collections and the creative and varied landscaping.

•This contemporary Southwest home has been renovated to feature the Native American and modern Latin collection of the owners. The homeowner owns a gallery which features Latin American art, so there is much to choose from in decorating. The home has a 14 foot outdoor facade, 11 foot ceilings, a formal dining room and stained cement floors. Outdoors, native plants and trees complete the Southwest feel.

•Modern exterior design and desert landscaping will greet the visitor to this home. Inside, the decor is eclectic with elements of Mexican (an entire room !dedicated to Day of the Dead), touches of Native American and room featuring theater chairs decorated with Bogart/Bacall and a mural depicting Casablanca. One fascinating feature is a room full of the homeowner’s jewelry arranged in sets on display models - a great way to organize and display her jewelry. The backyard is also full of unusual items (a gate made of a window grate ! from a church in Spain, for example). Overall, this is a fun and unique home with Mexican art and lots more!!

•In an in-home studio, these homeowners create mosaic murals, sculptures, flower pots, picture frames and wall hangings for their house and garden. In the garden, there is a Mexican town depicted in river rock, glass and tile, along with real and mosaic saguaros. Other features are a multi-colored sun , a beehive fireplace tiled in blue and gold, and rusted-metal screens featuring cutouts filled with mosaics. Inside, the kitchen backsplash, the walls of the powder room, and the foyer mirror all display decorative mosaics. Suffice to say that this home is a colorful feast for the eyes.