Mexican Goddesses and Women
The Works of Arq. Arturo Macias A.
About the Artist
 (left) Arq. Arturo Macias A., sculptor of the fabulous pieces that comprise the "Goddesses and Women of Mexico" Exhibit, with the Cihuatateo in Galeria Ixchel Maya, Zihuatanejo.
Arturo Macias graduated from the National Politechnical Institute's School of Architecture in 1951. Since then, his life has followed a rich vein of cultural, musical and artistically creative activities.
He is founder of the Association of Musical Youth of Mexico (1952) under the patronage of the National Fine Arts Institute of Mexico, The Association of Purepecha Culture (1957), dedicated to the investigation, diffusion and conservation of the Indigenous Cultures of Michoacan, and the Music and Dance of Michoacan Competition (1958).
In 1956 he became a permanent resident of the City of Uruapan, Michoacan, which he made his center for investigations of Michoacan art and culture.
In 1967, Arturo Macias was presented with the National Prize from the National Institute of Fine Arts for his work on Michoacan Folklore. In 1968, he inaugurated the World Festival of Folklore in Mexico City, and also organized the "Masters of Folklore" group for the Technological Institute of Monterrey, in which 100 artists participated as part of the official program for the 1968 Olympics.
During the 60's and 70's, the artist hosted numerous exhibits of Michoacan art and culture in Mexico, as well as in Canada and New York.
His musical album "Masters of Folklore", was released by Peerless of Mexico in 1971.
The years 1971 through 1974 were replete with cultural presentations. In the National Auditorium of Mexico City, in 1972, he staged the "Fiesta Michoacana" with 135 artists, and in 1973 was officially invited by the Mexican Institute of Fine Arts to present, once again, his "Masters of Folklore" in the National Palace of Fine Arts.
In 1975 Arturo Macias was awarded the Ariel from the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Mexico, for his film "Auandar Anapu".
The mid-to-late 70's and early 80's took him, with his "Masters of Folklore" on tours through Spain, France and Italy. His sculptural works were on exhibit in the theatres in which his group played.
In 1985, Arturo Macias initiated his work on the fabulous series of sculptures "Goddesses and Women of Mexico" with the preparation of sketches and models, while at the same time giving conferences on Mexican Art, recording native Mexican music, making television appearance and holding various cultural exhibitions throughout the later half of the decade.
In 1991, he began to dedicate himself more exclusively to sculpting large-format figures in wood, while still preparing and exhibiting a series of silk screens in Uruapan, Ixtapa, and Guatemala in 1994 and 1995.
In 1996, Galeria Ixchel Maya was inaugurated in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, with the purpose of exhibiting Arturo Macias's work in an exclusive atmosphere in which it can be fully appreciated by the public on an ongoing basis. Thus was conceived the permanent exhibit of the "Goddesses and Women of Mexico".
Since the inauguration of Galeria Ixchel Maya, Arturo has continued showing his work in various parts of Mexico, Guatemala and, most recently, in The Jacob Javits Convention Center of New York.
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