Cabildo backs the 37th Island Craft Fair with €100,000
The island’s stand will feature a space dedicated to traditional Majorero hat‑making. The Cabildo also congratulated the 2026 Island Handicrafts Award winner, Bernhard Glauser.
Press release – The Cabildo of Fuerteventura is allocating €100,000 to the celebration of the XXXVII Island Handicrafts Fair, which will take place from May 7 to 10 in Antigua. This funding is essential for organizing an event that will host more than 200 artisans from across the island.
In the final stretch of preparations, the agreement enables the continuation of a fair recognized both island‑wide and regionally, organized by the Antigua City Council and the Mafasca Collective.
Both Cabildo President Lola García and Handicrafts Councilor Lolina Negrín highlighted the Cabildo’s commitment to the fair. Over the past three years, the Cabildo has doubled its contribution, reaching the current €100,000, to promote and commercialise Majorero handcrafted products and to disseminate the knowledge, techniques, and skills that form part of Fuerteventura’s cultural heritage.
“We are proud to support the Island Handicrafts Fair, a showcase of our island’s creativity and tradition,” said President Lola García.
“Our investment helps artisans reach new markets and preserves the unique techniques that define our identity,” added Councilor Lolina Negrín.
The officials also congratulated goldsmith and jeweller Bernhard Glauser, who received the 2026 Island Handicrafts Award for three decades of dedication to his craft. His works reflect the island’s scenic charms and contrasts.
Cabildo Stand
The Handicrafts Council of the Cabildo is finalising the preparations for its institutional stand, which this year is dedicated to traditional Majorero hat‑making. The space will display a selection of pieces from the Cabildo’s ethnographic collection, as well as hats crafted by students of the traditional hat‑making course within the EnRedArte program. Their work showcases the recovery and valorisation of this historic island craft.
“It is important to spread the values of our traditional hat‑making, which is part of our identity, and each piece exhibited represents the talent and dedication of our artisan sector,” explained Councilor Lolina Negrín.
The fair’s programme also includes the presentation of the inventory and cataloguing project of master cabinetmaker José Melián Martín. This initiative, carried out by the Handicrafts Council, highlights the legacy of José Melián and has been coordinated by conservator Lorenzo Mateo Castañeyra.