Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.
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La Mano Magicaprint-friendly versionNo one I know has been better able to embrace the fullness of the Mexican aesthetic than Mary Jane Gagnier de Mendoza. She and her artist husband, Arnulfo Mendoza, opened an art gallery and folk art store called La Mano Mágica (Alcalá 203, Oaxaca, Oax. 0-11-951-6-4275 from the States) in Oaxaca in 1987, the same year Deann, my wife, and I opened Frontera Grill in Chicago. And both our enterprises have been dedicated to bringing the best of Mexican craftsmanship to as broad an audience as possible. Through her gallery and store, Mary Jane has become a pipeline for remarkable alebrijes (carved wooden fantastical figures) from nearby villages, world-famous trees-of-life from Izúcar de Matamoros, ex-votos and masterful hand-blown glass and iconic Talavera pottery. The list goes on, but it doesn’t stop with Mexican fork art. Mary Jane and Arnulfo mount exhibits of fine artists (the emphasis on local artists – some of them among Mexico’s most noteworthy), and, thankfully, Arnulfo’s work (exquisite tapestries, multidimensional guaches and acrylics) finds a place. While Oaxaca often seems awash in all kinds of art (you never know when – or if – you’re going to come across a bit of brilliance), La Mano Mágica has done the sorting for you. RB
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