A small bowl in a gift shop in Sayulita, Mexico lead me across country in search for Mexico's best Talavera artist.
About Juan Carlos Castillo Reye’s and his company Alfareria Contemporanea
A medium sized platter takes the artist 4 hours to paint. There are ten artists working in the only factory of it’s kind in Mexico. Juan Carlos has traveled to Spain in search of inspiration for his pottery; his primary influences are from the regions of Los Moros and Talavera. His tiles are sold in Phoenix and San Diego, but his pieces are ordered and shipped individually from his WhatsApp account using his phone number. Photos are on his WhatsApp page. He does not speak English, so you’ll have to order in Spanish. The pottery is fired at 950c/1742f for 5 hours.
Alfareria Contemporanea
Owner: Juan Carlos Castillo Reyes
Our new addres is Chiapas # 56 center zone Dolores Hidalgo Guanajuato, we are located near the artisanal corridor "Jose Alfredo Jiménez".
Alfacontempomx@gmail.com
Telephone (+52) 418 105 5273
Factory
Constitución #28
Col. Padre Hildago
Tel (+52) 418 100 2801
HELPFUL LINKS
My Quest for Mexico's Best Talavera Potter: Part I:
My Quest for Mexico's Best Talavera Potter: Part II:
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MUSIC
Water Lily by The 126ers
Hi some of the pottery is beautiful the colors are just lovely.
@michelle from down under in bundy This pottery house has a style so familiar and yet so distinct here in Mexico. I’m with you on the colors, there is a harmony that sings to me through this art.
@FRESH PRINCESS Yes just beautiful
Ohhhhhh!!!! What did u think of San Miguel de Allende????
I will be going there the entire month of July!!!! I can’t wait!!!!
Tell me what u think Carine and did u go anywhere there????🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
@Maria Roqueta You’ll LOVE it Maria, good choice. It’s beautiful, the food is wonderful, the late night taco vendors near the central churches are EPIC, the shopping and art and architecture are incredible. This place is going to blow your mind. Look up my friend Anado McLaughlin, he’s an artist who lives just 5k out of town. Go to his gallery. Tell him I sent you. He’s magical.
Thank U thank u thank u Carrine!!!! I will look up ur friend and check out his gallery….;)
I know I will be in Heaven in San
Miguel…. I am hoping to reignite my artistic fire and investigate moving there!!!! My friend (acupuncturist) moved to SMA 2 years ago and lovvvvvvvvves it! I will be staying with her.
Thanks so much Carrine for all ur great videos on a land we all need to know more about.
I’m such a sucker for things like this! I’m always looking in the background of your videos to see what I can see and find something interesting. Just like the coffee pot the other day. Any kind of art or gadget I’m such a sucker for. May not be able to get everything but I try to make a mental note and maybe one day….
Thanks as always for taking us on an adventure. I really want to be your shadow on the next one!
@Valerie Rossman You know, if you were with me you’d likely be weighed down with pottery! 😉 That’s so sweet to read, I also live life in the details. It’s funny how we find our ‘people’.
I would be OK with that and probably be laughing at ourselves the whole way! Yes, ‘people’ they are hard to find. I think I have ‘people’ for different aspects of my life. They’re all different but thats what makes you whole 🙂
I’m headed out to yard sales this morning hunting for my next treasure! I’ll imagine the sun is out and that it is warm….unlike the gray rainy day it is.
Buena suerta!
Did you buy that straw hat in Mexico? LOVE it!!
@Beth DeRoos No. It’s been with me for a decade or more…and kind of looking it’s age these days.
That’s our FRESH PRINCESS!!! Tracking down that Sayulita Talavera ware all the way to its origin(Dolores Hidalgo), gettin’ there and finding the local artist’s home/factory, but alas, so close and yet so far, the owner wasn’t home and your taxi driver lookin’ sad and glum. Thumbs up my beautiful buddy, ah,…GP and you so close and yet so far,….well, maybe next time and I’ll personally make ya guys some Enchiladas Queretanas for the both of ya! 😉
@Joe Serrano We were supposed to leave today, but had a laundry misunderstanding, so we’re here until Monday. I’m taking the bus into Guanajunto tomorrow. Any chance you guys are around? I would love to see you.
@Joe Serrano Joe, we just walked by the laundry and it was open. So plans have gone back to the original and we’re hitting the road today. Sorry for the back and forth. But we’ll be back one of these days and I’ll take you up on your enchilada offer.
That’s a great hat. The boots were a definite score as well!
@Mike Schotte Thanks Mike.
How ya like those wicked narrow sidewalks?!!? Have to you been to the cafe’s around the Plaza? I really miss San Miguel….the land where I lost my appendix. Well, not lost…. had removed….
@Alan M. Thornton No, we’ve learned to stay away from the plaza eats and hit the side streets. The exception is the taco trucks. Those are good, good, good.
Man, and each one I swear is different than the one next to it. So good!
I need one of those bathroom sinks!
@***** You’re easy, I wanted the entire store.
What a great “find”!!!! Congratulations! It is definitely worth your time spent searching for the right pottery shop!
Wow you were so close from my house in Mexico.. I’m living in Texas right now but it’s so nice to see my hometown in video.. And you are right, people from there it’s beautiful:)
😀
+FRESH PRINCESS I got some talavera pottery and wood made crafts from Mexico like keys holders, jewelry chests, crosses, mirrors, they are made of talavera and wood framing, kinda different though, beautiful, but it’s been in my garage forever. I wanna sell it so I make some money but idk how. I’m thinking about make a video but I think no one will see it.lol
Talavera is a such a beautiful style, I’m sure there will be people interested.
Hi Jose, it is September 2016 and I am just now seeing this video. Do you still have stuff to sell? Where in Texas are you located? We are in the Houston area.
+pennylane hi yes i still have a lot of stuff I’m live close to Dallas..
It’s August 6th, 2016 and I am in SMA for two more months. We went to Dolores Hidalgo once in our van and we only found two stores selling talavera in the town and I think it was Puebla. Do you remember the name of the street with all of the talavera tiendas? Also, I like the tipo mijorica too. I’m sure I just murdered the spelling of it but can you correct me and give me the address of the tienda in town. I would like to go to the factory as well. Is that possible? We drove to Mexico from CA so I can bring some pieces back with me. I look forward to your response. When you showed the address on the 3×5 card, the sun hit it just right that you cannot make out the address. Maybe that was intentional, I don’t know. It would help many travelers going to Dolores Hidalgo to provide at least the name of the street in Dolores Hidalgo. Thank you.
+Jann Flatinger enjoy your trip. The contact info is under the video. Click show more and you’ll find it. I took the bus from SMA and got off on a major road FILLED with pottery. Ask around, you can’t miss it.
Well, we made it to Dolores Hidalgo a second time. We did find the street with all of the talavera stores and we went to the highly touted restaurant for carnitas tacos. We went to the address Constitucion #28 and the factory is no longer there and the people do not live in the house according to the two women in a little store about three doors away. We’re going back for a 3rd time to see if I can find my “majolica talavera” on the main street.
+Jann Flatinger it’s very near the bus stop on the left side. Take the photo and ask around because the shop was closed when I was there, a neighbor called the man and he came and opened for me. His contact info is below the video. You’ll find him!
Three trips to Dolores Hidalgo and did NOT this type of talavera! You have to give the Mexicans credit for being happy simply making a decent living and not existing for the God Almighty $$$!!! Street signs are rare so a GPS isn’t much help. I found the place on your YouTube because it looks just like it. If and when I return to San Miguel, which is doubtful with so many other places in the world to visit, and want this talavera, I’ll get a taxi! Any talavera you buy is much less expensive in Dolores Hidalgo. You can negotiate but they don’t give a lot in their price.
SUPER.NOS VEMOS ESTO VIDEO EN LITHUANIA,GUSTA MUCHO.
That “dude” on the large piece with the Virgin Mary, is Miguel Hidalgo as painted by famous muralist Orozco. Check out his works. He was pretty awesome.
+jvaldeuxo incredible work, thank you for the education ❤️
Yes, I was about to respond, he his Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla,
Also known as Padre de la Patria 🤩🇲🇽 Saludos from California.
Thanks for the post! I’m happy to have found your page. I’m disabled and can’t afford to go myself. I always want to learn more! Thanks for doing the footwork! Hugs!
she is right about the range….from crap to amazing originality….
And suddenly I miss Mexico.
I love these mexican art! is beautiful. ❤️👍
Please learn the pronunciation of my beautiful town. San Miguel de Allende! Double ll in spanish is pronounced as a y
Glad i found your video. I’m headed to Mexico in two weeks to look for a sink. Remodeling my back restroom and wanting a talavera sink.
It will be beautiful!
Need to visit Mexico….