Marta Turok facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marta Turok
Turok at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City
Born	Marta Turok Wallace 1952 (age 72–73) Mexico City
Occupation	anthropologist
Years active	1974 - present
Known for	promotion of Mexican handcrafts and folk art

Marta Turok (born 1952) is a Mexican anthropologist. She focuses on how societies develop their economies. Marta Turok is also a leading expert on Mexican folk art.

Through her research, government jobs, teaching, and support for artisans, she has worked to make Mexican handcrafts and folk art more respected. She also helps artists improve their financial situation. Her efforts have been recognized with awards from many groups.

Early Life and Education

Marta Turok was born in 1952 in Mexico City. Her parents were from the United States. After World War II, they moved to Mexico City and started a postcard business. Marta grew up speaking both English and Spanish. She also learned about both Mexican and American cultures. She went to the American School in Mexico City.

University Studies

Marta went to Tufts University in the United States for her first degree. She was able to create her own study program there. For her final project, she traveled to Chiapas, Mexico. She researched handcrafts there.

She worked with an anthropologist named Walter Morris, Jr. They studied the history and meanings of traditional designs in Mayan woven cloth. This idea was new at the time. Later research showed that these designs once had meanings, but most have been forgotten. During this time, Marta learned to speak Tzotzil, an indigenous language. She also learned to weave on a backstrap loom. She graduated in 1974 with a degree in anthropology.

Later, she studied ethnology (the study of cultures) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She graduated in 1978. In 1996, she earned a certificate in marketing from the University of California Berkeley.

Career and Contributions

Instead of becoming a university professor, Marta Turok chose a different path. She wanted to help artisans directly. Her goal was to improve their economic lives. She also worked to promote the cultural value of handcrafts and folk art. She taught artisans about marketing. She also worked with collectors, museum curators, and the public.

Government Work

Marta Turok started her career working for several government agencies. She also taught classes on traditional Mexican textile design. Her government work focused on creating rules to raise the status of handcrafts. She worked with the National Indigenous Institute. She also worked with the Fondo Nacional para el Fomento de las Artesanías (FONART). At FONART, she helped create guidelines to identify handcrafts with artistic and cultural value.

In 1988, she became the executive director of the Popular Cultures Bureau. She was the youngest woman to hold such a high position in the Ministry of Education. During her time there, the agency grew a lot. She also helped establish the Mexican Sport Confederation. This group helps preserve ancient Mexican sports and games. Her agency also published books about folk art and popular culture. These books covered topics like a special purple dye from sea snails, organ grinders, and charro music. She also started a project to preserve weaving and sewing traditions in many indigenous communities.

Non-Profit Work and Museums

In the late 1980s, Marta Turok decided to work for non-profit organizations. In 1989, she founded the Asociacíon Mexicana de Arte y Cultura Popular (AMACUP). This group focuses on making new products using traditional techniques. It also works to make sure that handcraft production is good for both the economy and the environment. AMACUP helped bring Mexican goods to new markets. These included international specialty stores and museum gift catalogs. They also reached major Mexican tourist centers. Marta Turok was the president of AMACUP until 2012.

In the 2010s, she led CENIDEART. This is a research center at the School of Handcrafts. Today, she is a curator for the Ruth D. Lechuga folk art collection. This collection is at the Franz Mayer Museum. With the School of Handcrafts, she worked on officially recognizing handcraft traditions. With the Franz Mayer Museum, she has organized many exhibits. These include Traditions, Mexican Popular Arts and Mexican Lacquerware.

Marta Turok also helped curate an exhibition for the National Museum of the American Indian in 2011. She has trained artisans in marketing and environmental practices. For 40 years, she has been a judge in Mexican craft contests. She continues to be active in academics. She gives talks on Mexican handcrafts and folk art. She also teaches seminars and courses. In 2016, Marta Turok and Margarita de Orellana became responsible for the large collection of Ruth D. Lechuga. This collection includes over 20,000 items, books, and personal belongings. It was donated to the Franz Mayer Museum.

Awards and Recognition

Marta Turok's work has earned her many awards. These include the National Contest Award of First Place in Marketable Products. She also received the Mexico City Export Prize for Crafts Export Enterprises. Other honors include the Miguel Covarrubias Prize and the UNESCO De Facto Award for Innovation in Crafts for Mexico and Latin America. She also received the Van Deren Coke Award.

See also

In Spanish: Marta Turok para niños

Images for kids

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  Turok at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City