The craftsman honored this year by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, within the XXIII Insular Craft Fair of Mancha Blanca, has been Juan Betancort Núñez. A potter born in La Villa de Teguise in 1932, who has participated in almost all editions of the fair since its inception in 1989. The tribute was held on Friday night, at the facilities of the Craft Fair.
Juan Betancort Núñez currently resides in Arrecife, although it is in Guatiza where he develops his craft work. There, on a farm he owns, he makes the pieces that will be sold during these days at the XXIII Insular Craft Fair. "Now I am retired and there, on my farm in Guatiza, where I have a little house, I do my little things," he says.
Juan Betancort's arrival to the artisan world, 26 years ago, was almost by chance. A work accident when he was working at La Rocar, led him to be on sick leave and it was then when he started in the world of clay. At that time, the City Council of Teguise organized a pottery course, which Juan Betancort decided to sign up for. "A boy from Tenerife came to La Villa to give a pottery course and I signed up. That's where I started, I liked it and I continued", says Juan Betancort, who remembers that he made then "a little gift" to a boy. "Some small stills that I made. You see, it was a silly thing how I started," he adds.
However, that course changed Juan Betancort's life. "Due to the work accident I had, I almost got depressed from being at home. And since I started working with clay, everything went away. It was a medicine. After two or three days I was as good as new," he says.
Present in 21 editions
Then, it was the year 85 and, since then, Juan Betancort has been working as a potter. A trade that has led him to be present in almost all editions of the Insular Craft Fair of Mancha Blanca, since its inception in 1989. In fact, according to him, he has only missed two and, on both occasions, it was for reasons beyond his interest. "On two occasions, I did not participate, because at first they did not give me a stand. Then they called me, but I had already sold the pieces because I had them prepared, and seeing that I was not going to be able to attend, I gave them to my daughter-in-law to sell them. And I didn't go, but to the rest, I have gone to all of them," he says.
In total, 21 years present at the Insular Craft Fair selling in his stand the clay pieces that he himself makes with his hands. "I remember the first fair that was held, which was held where the Folk Festival "Nanino Díaz Cutillas" is now held. It was a small fair, with barely a dozen booths."
Since then, says Juan Betancort, the fair has changed and "has modernized", although he says that "not so much either". "It has improved yes, especially in expansion. The stands are now bigger, but in the rest it has not changed much. I suppose it can be improved, because things can always get better, but with the crisis you can't ask for much either," reflects this potter.
Few sales expectations
In fact, Juan Betancort himself recognizes that the crisis "is being noticed somewhat". I have been lucky and I have almost always sold everything, but last year was when I sold the least, I had 12 or 13 pieces left," he says. And the expectations for this year are not better. "I think this year I will sell less. There is no money and what I sell are not essential things either. Neither mine, nor that of most artisans and people are not going to buy what they do not need."
Even so, Juan Betancort will take something from this twenty-third edition of the Insular Craft Fair of Mancha Blanca. And it is that, on this occasion, he has been the craftsman honored by the Cabildo, for being "one of the potters who has best known how to maintain and preserve the pottery tradition of Lanzarote, both in the shape of the pieces and in the technique used to make them."
A tribute as a farewell
A tribute that Juan Betancort appreciates, as it is "a recognition" of his work, and that becomes important because, surely, this will be the last year that this potter attends the Insular Craft Fair. "Surely this will be the last year that I participate, for family reasons and for age. I am almost 80 years old and it becomes heavy. My family values what I do very much, but I want to leave it now"
In fact, he says that he did not even plan to be present this year. "My daughter signed me up for the fair, because this time I was not planning to go, but she insisted that I go. Then the Cabildo called me, that they were going to give me the tribute, and I could not escape," he concludes, laughing.