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25 expat voices: Maggie Galton

In their own words

By Inside México Original Print Publication: February, 2009

For the "25 Mexicans You Should Know" edition of Inside México (November 2007) our editorial team sat in a room for hours, proposing and debating names of candidates, eventually whittling the list to a mix of well and less-well-known figures, each illuminating some aspect of this country.

For "25 Expats," we decided to do something different. We put the word out. We invited you, our readers, to tell us who to highlight. E-mailed nominations poured in from around the country, and several of you even called. 

This inaugural group of 2009 finalists is a diverse bunch in terms of where they are from, where they live and what they do. You've helped us round up the expat equivalent of the "butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker." In this case, however, it is the activist, the developer and the expat filmmaker...and the dog rescuer, the theater founder, the birder, and the book store owner. The list goes on.

The common thread running through each selection is the effort these people make to build community between expats and Mexicans.  We think that by doing so, they are helping to expand the definition of Mexico. That is what immigrants do. 

Expat: Maggie Galton

Maggie Galton.

Related Multimedia

Ana Prado

We asked our 25 featured expats if they have a specific Mexico “moment” or memory—something that always makes them think, “Yep, this is home,” or “That’s what I love about this place.” View Slideshow >>

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Business: Artisanal design and product development

Originally from: New York City.

Lives in: Currently I live in Polanco, which I adore. I really enjoy being able to walk everywhere: to the park with my two girls, to buy amazing bread at Da Silva's and fruit at the Saturday morning tianguis-even if it is overpriced!

Living in Mexico: Fifteen years.

Why did you move to Mexico?

I was offered a job in an art gallery.

Tell us about your work with Mexico's artesania. How do you interact with artists and artisans?

I work side by side with artisans to innovate with traditional designs and adapt handcrafted products to current consumer demand. I always maintain a position of great respect towards the artisans as they are inviting me into their particular fields of expertise-back strap loom weaving, burnished pottery, natural-dye techniques, etc.-and offering me great knowledge that one could never attain from a book or class. It is really a privilege.

Twelve years ago I was invited by Fomento Cultural Banamex A.C. to oversee workshops focused on reviving dying craft traditions and innovating with those traditions that were going strong. We did some amazing projects, such as reintroducing 18th century rebozo designs. I still oversee one project for Banamex, but have since also worked for a variety of institutions and foundations, including FONART (the National Foundation for Hand Crafts), and El Consejo Veracruzano de Arte Popular.

I have just launched a line of home and personal accessories under my name, Maggie Galton. These products are sold in the MAP (Museo de Arte Popular) and hotel boutiques such as the Four Seasons and the Nikko. My goal is to create products that are sophisticated, cosmopolitan, and chic, but also handcrafted with identity. I want young Mexicans to be proud of the products that are made in their own country, and I would like foreigners to see Mexican handcrafts as more than the sarape and the mariachi hat.

What other organizations, activities, hobbies are you involved in here?

Yoga, finding curiosities at flea markets, hiking, tennis, horseback riding, visiting food markets, cooking great meals with friends, and touring Mexico City's museums. Most of all, I love taking road trips anywhere in Mexico!

Do you have a specific Mexico "moment" that makes you think, "That's what I love about this place"?

After about one year living here, I sneezed inside a jam-packed elevator one morning and everyone-about eight or nine people-said, "Salud!" I thought to myself, this would never happen in New York City. At that moment I relished the great warmth and sensitivity of the Mexican people and thought "this is where I want to be!"

What are both the best and the hardest things about being an expat in Mexico?

As much as I feel a part of Mexico, I will never be "Mexican." My gringo accent immediately gives me away! Some Mexicans may associate me with negative stereotypes of gringos, and not as someone whose life is dedicated to preserving and promoting the culture and traditions of their country.

As for the best, I can have delicious mole on my Thanksgiving turkey!

 

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