"Award winning Alebrije by the Angeles family"

Dusty roads lead to a large wooden door that opens the home of Don Jacobo and Doña Maria Angeles. Their home is located in San Martin Tilcajete, a small village located in the outskirts of Oaxaca, approximately 45 minutes from the center of town. The town is famous for alebrijes; handcrafted wooden sculptures painted with intricate designs and colors. Don Jacobo and Doña Maria Angeles are world renowned alebrije makers. They have been very successful selling their beautiful pieces from Japan to Europe. Don Jacobo opened a restaurant in his home for tourists to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of his workshop to further advance their business. However, due to the recent violence in Oaxaca, the Angeles' closed down the restaurant, and business slowed severely. Unlike many of Oaxaca's artisans, the Angeles have clients in the United States with whom they have tried to keep in contact and a website to promote business. A few sales on the internet have saved them from closing down their workshop, and provided them little, but sufficient money for the next few months. Doña Maria explains that she and Jacobo had plans to move to San Miguel de Allende, but decided against it due to unaffordable rent and moving costs. The Angeles are in survival mode, employing a few family members and saving and selling enough to keep their business open. They work from their own home, spending up to sixteen hours a day carefully designing and coloring the Alebrije patterns with thin paint brushes.

With a microloan, the Angeles' would be able to travel to San Miguel de Allende and the United States to offer their merchandise. They could hire more employees and rebuild their inventory. At the end of our visit Don Jacobo proudly displayed his finished pieces which take about three weeks to complete. A positive and open-minded attitude is what has kept his family going. He and his family pose for a picture, smiling proudly holding some of their Alebrijes.