Hermes Arroyo

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Arroyo was born and raised in the town of San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico. He was one of thirteen children, exactly in the middle, but his family did not make handcrafts of any kind. His interest in it came about in grade school, when a classmate name Antonio Almanza, brought nativity figures made by his father, a locally noted artisan named Genaro Almanza, who had a workshop nearby on Calle Jesus. Arroyo’s fascination with the figures extended to all aspects of Almanza’s work. This led to an apprenticeship with the master craftsman, as well as a familial, with Almanza becoming a godfather to Arroyo. From Almanza, Arroyo learned to work with wood, gold leaf, fabric, paint, molds, sparkles, plaster, resin and more, mostly related with the making and care of religious icons and other paraphernalia. He also worked with Almanza to mount art exhibits and creating props, costumes and scenery.

However, Arroyo’s studies did not end there. He studied art at the Centro Cultural El Nigromante in San Miguel, as well as art in the city of Monterrey. This combination of training means that Arroyo produces more avant guarde pieces as well as traditional ones.

Today, Arroyo is the head of the family that produces various handcrafts, and who are still based in his childhood home on the steepest part of the Calle San Francisco in the historic center of San Miguel. One room is specifically dedicated as his workshop, filled with paints, accessories, paper, and partially completed works, with little room to move. However, his work can be seen throughout the house, both finished products for customers as well and projects to improve the living spaces.