The Search for Art Supplies

I decided I would and should organize the art supplies at the Centre before I buy more, to figure out what they have and don't have.

The shelves are full of stacks and bags of items, but it's hard to see what everything is. At the studio where I teach in PEI, it's hard to keep it clean, but each item does have a designated container or basket and shelf.
  
I bought some storage containers at Soriana's and Wal-Mart but I use a particular stackable plastic basket for pencils and color pencils that can be tossed around the tables easily and then stacked up by the kids easily. So, I was on a mission to find them! Crazy, I know!
Mom and I went to the Tepehua Treasures for a couple of hours to help Moonie and the volunteers do some merchandizing. This a great little shop where donated items are sold and proceeds go to support the Education program at the Centre.
<<please note, there are lots and lots of other things happening here, other community centres, education programs, private and public schools, cultural centres, etc., but my goal is to help the Tepehua Community Centre, so that's why it's the only one you'll see me writing about>>

These are products made in the Tepehua sewing program. I'm going to buy a set of the lovey pot-holders before I leave.

                            We helped put out new items that were donated and priced.
As it happened, I bumped into Bud there. Wow, this must be a small place! I bumped into the only person I knew! ha ha
He showed me where the dollar-store-like place was on the map he gave me, and the art store was not far from there in Ajijic, a community west of Chapala
After we finished at Tepehua Treasures, Moonie introduced us to another great restaurant where I had a taco salad of course!
And then the mission continued to find the dollar store. I got really mixed up driving on the bumpy roads of Ajijic. It's really hard to follow a map and read the street signs (although there are few) and drive at the same time. Not to mention, when someone on a horse walks by I get a little distracted! This was my first time driving in this area and its a compacted little area with narrow streets. I finally found the plaza. I parked where I could and we walked from there. The dollar store was closed for Siesta! Of course. We made it to the art store to get my own sketch book, and then decided to take in the sights of the plaza while we waited for the dollar store to re-open. We stopped for tea and explored some other small shops, and there were a few artisans selling at the plaza. Everything is so beautiful. Altough we're still window shopping, I stopped to admire some pottery. The young woman could not speak any English but numbers are the same. She wrote the number on her hand. 150$...so approximately $15.00 for a beautiful clay pot. Great price but I have to explore before I decide on my take-home items. She saw us later in the plaza and brought the pot to me with 120$ on her hand. Oh my...I resisted... Later she spied us in the coffee shop. She brought the beautiful pot over. 80$ on her hand. I bought it. I gave her 90$. That's about seven dollars Canadian. She was lovely and she had her little girl with her and in the end, I just wanted to give her anything. I may or may not take the pot back to PEI, but I do like it.
When the dollar store opened my mission was complete. They DID have the baskets I was looking for. I knew it! They also had most of everything else I need for teaching kid's art. Good scissors and colored paper, cardstock, paint brushes, pencils and erasers, string, clothespins, clipboards, bulldog clips, etc, etc. I am excited now. No need to travel up to Guadajara for these items.
I have $300.00 Canadian from my donated funds to buy supplies. I will spend $100 in the dollar store, buy a nice cart with wheels for transporting supplies from storage to classroom and buy a new, larger white board for the classroom.
I'm so excited!