WATERLOO - In the past two years, the Waterloo Center for the Arts quietly has been expanding its Mexican folk art collection.

On Saturday, a select portion of this new collection will be on exhibit throughout the center during "Viva Mexico," a Mexican fiesta and marketplace. The free event will feature traditional Mexican crafts, samplings of food and live music. Jewelry, textiles, basketry and woven bags will be available for purchase.

There's a serendipitous quality to the growth of this new collection, said WCA Director Cammie Scully. "Ute Stebich, our authority on Haitian art, is also an authority on Mexican folk art. She conducts research on the artists in each region and began giving us pieces. We developed a plan for expanding that collection and so far, we've made two trips to Mexico looking for work by particular artists and visiting markets. The collection will be a bridge to our Hispanic population and provide cultural experiences in the community," she said.

The collection began with the donation by Janet Feldman of more than 300 Oaxacan carved animals, featured in an exhibit during the Phelps Youth Pavilion grand opening in April 2008. Feldman also continues to help build the Mexican folk art collection, Scully said.

So far, Scully and curator Kent Shankle have visited four Mexican states - Guanajuato, Michoacan, Guerrero and Mexico - and the long-term plan is to identify a region each year to acquire art based on the book "Masters of Mexican Folk Art" and Stebich's recommendations. The center purchases from the artists, galleries and in the markets.

The pair has ventured into small villages, which often require walking long distances, to meet or inquire about folk artists in the area, and scoured markets in large and small communities.

"We found some unexpected treasures, and we've been overwhelmed with what we've found in the markets, especially the quality of the jewelry," Scully said.

Shankle agreed.

"The Mexican tradition in the arts dates back centuries and there are many indigenous people, which makes the artwork incredibly diverse. There's so much handwork and there is a great effort to use unusual materials, to make use of their resources."

In addition to acquiring sculpture, pottery, paintings, basketry, textiles and other folk art, they also bought artwork, jewelry, ceramics, basketry and woven bags for the center's gift shop. The buying trips are made possible by sales from the gift store, Friends of the Art Center, and the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Plans are in the works for a larger exhibition of the collection next year.

Contact Melody Parker at 291-1429

or melody.parker@wcfcourier.com.