Feria de Artesanías de Ponce | |
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Official name | Feria de Artesanías y Muestra de Arte de Ponce |
Observed by | Ponceños in Ponce, Puerto Rico |
Type | Local, cultural, musical |
Significance | Indigenous and native traditions |
Celebrations | Crafts, art, music, traditional foods |
Observances | Yearly |
Begins | Friday |
Ends | Sunday |
Date | Late March or early April |
2016 date | 1–3 April |
2017 date | 31 March - 2 April |
Frequency | annual |
Related to | Taino, Jibaro, Culture of Africa |
The Feria de Artesanías de Ponce (English: Ponce Crafts Fair), formally Feria de Artesanías y Muestra de Arte de Ponce (Ponce Crafts Fair and Arts Expo), is an event that takes place every year in Ponce, Puerto Rico where artists, craftsmen and artisans showcase their products. The products showcased are traditionally hand-made and in small quantities. The fair centers around crafts that highlight the traditional cultural background of Puerto Rico, including Taino, African, and Spanish traditions. The event started in 1974.
Handcratfs and visual arts have a long cultural history in the city of Ponce. Some of its better known plastic artists are Miguel Pou, Librado Net, and Wichie Torres. Many Ponce Historic Zone homes were detailed by local craftsmen that worked alongside prominent Ponce architects in woodworking, ironworking, and metalworking. The Carnaval de Ponce is synonymous with paper-mache Vejigantes. The Museo de Arte de Ponce is an Island-wide mecca for visual arts and regarded as one of the best in the Western Hemisphere. The Taino culture was strong in the Ponce region with Taino cacique Agueybana originating from this region, and the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Park being located in Ponce's Barrio Portugues. Taíno artifacts have also been found in Ponce's Caracoles sector. Ponce was also the Island's stronghold of African culture as African slaves were brought to the Ponce area in large quantities to work the sugar fields during the 19th century sugar cane rush; the only monument to the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico and the entire Caribbean is located in Ponce. Feria de Artesanias de Ponce started in March 1974.