From wood carvings to beaded jewelry, Milagros respectably showcases Mexico's fine artisanship

When husband-and-wife joint proprietors Tom Perilstein and Heather Stockdale first started Milagros Mexican Folk Art 15 years ago, they used to drive from Seattle to Mexico and then go from village to village looking for the finest in Mexican craftsmanship.

Opening Milagros — Spanish for "miracles" — had been the couple's dream since coming to Seattle in 1991, by way of Connecticut and Texas. "When we first moved to Seattle, we wanted to have a shop in Pike Place Market that carries Mexican folk art. We absolutely love Mexico's art," says Stockdale. "We learned to speak the language and went to the villages to find where the Mexican artists stayed." While the couple no longer drives to Mexico — a thriving business and a growing child keep them happily busy — they do travel to Mexico by plane, every four months or so, to hand-pick items for the store.

This colorful, spacious shop showcases an extensive selection of vibrant pottery, hand-painted ceramics, clay figures, traditional masks, wood carvings, basket weavings, papier-mache, tin work, beaded jewelry, and other handmade arts and crafts by skillful Mexican artisans from Oaxaca, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Puebla, Nayarit and other Mexican states known for their exquisite artistry.

Some of Milagros' impressive offerings include kaleidoscopic yarn paintings made by the Huichol artists living in the western Sierra Madre mountains of Nayarit and Jalisco, and the tin nichos (niche enclosed in glass) hand-made by Anke and Jose Antonio Madrazo, a husband and wife team heading the Mexican art studio, Cielito Lindo. "We try to represent the best of Mexican folk artists," says Stockdale, and a quick look around Milagros confirms their commitment.

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JOANN NATALIA AQUINO

Day of the Dead wall art.

Milagros also features the light-hearted skeleton figurines of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a festival widely celebrated not only in Mexico but also around the world. During the Day of the Dead festivities, celebrated from Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, families take part in an age-old tradition that honors their ancestors with feasts and prayers. A wide assortment of Milagros' art reflects this folklore.

"The Day of the Dead is a memorialized celebration. Though it may be somber, it can be a joyous occasion, too," notes Stockdale. "It's a big part of the Mexican culture."

Notable, too, is Milagros' substantial collection of intricately designed, handmade Oaxacan filigree jewelry made of sterling silver with clusters of pearls, corals, turquoise and other seductive natural stones. Their addicting appeal is certain make your knees weak and your pocketbooks empty.

And that's not all. Milagros carries a mishmash of merchandise-from vivid wall art to contemporary pop culture totes and T-shirts- that pays homage to Frida Kahlo, one of Mexico's most gifted and provocative artists; Che Guevara, the Argentine-born revolutionary leader of Latin America; and the popularity of Lucha Libre, a genre of professional wrestling from Mexico that involves high-flying action and disguising masks.

Indeed, with all these unique artisan offerings and a decade-and-a-half of perseverance, Milagros Mexican Folk Art is in this city to stay. Owners Stockdale and Perilstein both admit to loving the energy of Pike Place Market.

"We can't imagine being anywhere else," says Stockdale. "This market brings people from all over the world." One could even call it a miracle.