Casa Pich: Supporting Tradition and Artisans in Yucatán

Preserving traditional crafts and boosting the small-scale economy of low-income communities, Casa Pich is a model of social intervention. The private, nonprofit organization in Valladolid supports 520 artisans in 17 communities through workshops, materials, and business support. 

“We work mostly with women. Many of them have never really left their community,” says Casa Pich founder Marisa Castellanos.” Some are very shy, and it can be hard to help them come out of their shell, but they are very talented, and once they see what is possible, they become very excited.”

Many of the materials used to create the crafts are drawn directly from Casa Pich’s material bank. From this shared resource, artisans can create beautiful objects using high-quality materials, which they then “deposit back” with the earnings from their sales.  

The first cornerstone of Casa Pich is training. In 2023 alone, Casa Pich offered 21 courses, including lessons on traditional craft techniques and the history of these crafts, highlighting their value as a source of cultural identity. The program also covered practical business skills, including administration, costing, savings, quality control, and fair-price sales. These classes were taught in Mayan by linguists and accountants from the National University of the East. In total, 292 women artisans participated, with some taking up to three different courses.

Another important aim is to safeguard and rescue traditional craft techniques. The focus is on improving the quality and efficiency of making everyday items. These include garments embroidered with specific stitches, bejuco vine basketry, and traditional hammocks made with various intricate methods. Each specialized course lasts eight weeks. An additional result has been the creation of supportive social groups among the artisans.

Casa Pich also heads initiatives to introduce children and young people to local crafts. One notable project was a pottery course taught by a recognized master ceramicist. For six months, he shared his knowledge with students in his own workshop. Several pottery styles had nearly been lost in the region, but through the efforts of Casa Pich, they have recently regained market value. Economics aside. This course helped recover part of that tradition. At the end of each stage, participants could take their pieces home, which had been fired in a low-temperature kiln.

Looking ahead, plans include reviving other crafts, such as weaving with henequen and cowhides. Items made from these materials have become scarce and expensive, often priced beyond the reach of local consumers and purchased primarily by tourists.

For the time being, for logistical reasons, Casa Pich is working only with communities within a 40-minute radius of Valladolid. There is, however, hope that the center will one day expand its reach to other regions of Yucatán, either directly or indirectly. 

Several crafts created through the initiative are sold at the Básico Pixoy Hotel in Valladolid. The hotel was founded by Marisa Castellanos and her husband, Luis Sánchez Renero. An accomplished architect, Sánchez Renero is the main creative force behind the hotel’s unique style.

The hotel’s focus on nature and its meticulous framing of fields of view through labyrinthian gardens, impressive in its own right, but will have to remain a topic for another day.  

The Pixoy also serves as a showroom of sorts for the work created by the Casa Pich artisans. But the hotel’s primary purpose is to fund the organization’s work.

“For a long time, Luis and I were funding the entire project ourselves,” says Marisa as she gestures towards the hotel’s surroundings. “This, of course, is not sustainable in the long run, so we created this hotel to help fund the organization, so that hopefully Casa Pich will outlive us all.”

As beautiful as the hotel is, and even though it showcases the work of artisans, the sales it generates should serve as a springboard for community members to open their own shops and eventually stop depending on Casa Pich altogether.

What does success look like? “Complete independence for the artisans,” says Marisa. “That they set up their own shops and create a virtuous cycle that benefits families and communities, which can spread and bring more prosperity to the region.” 

Examples of this approach include the community-run artisan shop in Tahmuy and Hamacas Vero in Uayma, both of which started with support from Casa Pixoy and now operate independently.

Crafts created by artisans working with Casa Pich are also sold at the Museo de Ropa Etnica de Mexico (MUREM), a cultural center and museum dedicated to Mexico’s ethnic clothing.

Currently, Casa Pich continues its educational work with new courses in other craft expressions, such as embroidery, carving, and hammock weaving. Beyond providing income, these activities promote collective learning and pride in Maya heritage.