Nestled on 19th Street in the Heights, a small shop brimming with Mexican and Latin American culture celebrates the real world, the supernatural, and magic realisms of the universe. Casa Ramirez Folkart Gallery is covered in Day of the Dead dolls, terracotta sun sculptures, and milagro wall hangings. Bookshelves and tables are filled with tomes on Latino art, culture, and history. Traditional Mexican blouses hang on racks in the back by the sarape blankets, and jewelry, trinkets, and incense fill the space in between.

Casa Ramirez is more than just a place to purchase decor and artisanal trinkets. It’s a place that provokes thought, enchants the senses, and holds the legacy and spirit of late owner Macario Ramirez—an activist, educator, and artist whose passion for preserving Latino heritage and identity has captivated the hearts of many Houstonians since the ’70s.

Ramirez died in June 2020 at the age of 86, due to heart complications. For more than three years, his wife, Chrissie Dickerson Ramirez, has continued his legacy by keeping Casa Ramirez’s doors open to the community. “I’ve learned a lot from him, and my mission now is to continue these cultural traditions as best as I can while not being from the culture myself, yet loving it like it’s my own,” she says. “This place is very dear to my heart, and it’s a very special place.”

Chrissie says her husband’s dream of opening a gallery started with his father, Jesus Ramirez, a folk artist who would take Macario to downtown San Antonio to sell Mexican imports. He also became curious about artesanías (handmade crafts) through his grandmother from Monterrey. Unlike his mother, who didn’t want to be considered a bruja, his grandmother celebrated many cultural traditions, including Día de los Muertos, a heavy influence in Mexican folk art.

“He was determined to learn about this celebration, and he certainly embraced it and considered it a way to honor the past and celebrate his ancestors,” Chrissie says. “He did it to please his father and now it feels as if I’m pleasing him.”

Born to Mexican immigrant parents in San Antonio, Macario grew up as a seasonal migrant farm laborer. He attended San Antonio College for two years, joined the military, and then returned to his studies to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science with minors in education and journalism at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1967. Throughout his career, he was a language advisor for the US Department of Defense and a deputy director of training programs in the US Department of Labor, where he was involved in a study of Latino working conditions. He later worked as a management consultant and publisher.

Chrissie describes meeting Macario in the late ’70s, when he gave a presentation to a group at the First Unitarian Church on HISD’s desegregation progress. Soon after, they built a friendship that evolved into a strong partnership, got married in 1983, and opened the gallery in 1984.

“People valued his opinions, they valued his knowledge when talking about culture, education, and his advocacy in areas of immigration and voting rights,” Chrissie says. “And because Macario was a very warm and welcoming man, I’ve had so many people come in the store just to tell me how much they learned from him.”

According to Chrissie, Macario supported humane immigration regulations by actively participating in marches. When there was discrimination at major media outlets toward Latino journalists, he led pickets outside the stations. In the mid-’80s, he published a Bilingual Voter Guide to improve turnout in Latino communities. Macario also organized a national boycott against Gallo wine in support of Chicano artist Joe Lopez.

Over time, both Chrissie and Macario became strong supporters of Latino writers and literature. Author, professor, and advocate Tony Diaz’s organization Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say hosted its first book reading at the gallery in the late ’80s. Macario supported and collaborated on many literary projects, presentations, and marches with Diaz, including the nationally recognized Librotraficante (book smuggler) movement, a protest that began in response to an Arizona banned-book law in 2012. Diaz organized a caravan that transported more than 1,000 banned books into Arizona.

The couple was also involved in the art and education nonprofit Pancho Claus, which was started by Latino cultural icon Richard Reyes. Known for distributing toys to families in disadvantaged areas while dressed in a red zoot suit, frequently from a low rider, Reyes also mentored at-risk youth and sponsored art exhibits and stage performances for which the gallery served as a venue. Macario was the chair of Pancho Claus’s advisory board from 2005 to 2007. 

Since its inception, Chrissie says, Casa Ramirez was always devoted to education about Hispanic culture. To this day, the gallery provides classes for special holidays and hosts annual events, such as Amor Eterno, which highlights Valentine’s Day with activities like making your own heart gifts and tasting Oaxacan chocolate.

To honor Houston Rodeo season in March, the shop goes full vaquero to celebrate the culture of ranching in the Southwest and Mexico. Stop by to see Macario’s ranchero collectibles and antiques, Tejano jackets, Baja pullovers, bolo ties, and hats. Visitors can take a photo wearing authentic gear, including sombreros, a lariat, and a saddle. Adults can also sip whiskey while shopping for their favorite rodeo attire.

Día de los Muertos, a time that honors the passing of loved ones from the end of October to early November, is the most well-known celebration, and the most important holiday for Chrissie personally. She sets up an ofrenda (altar or offering) in the front of the store for the public to add photos and notes to their deceased loved ones. She hosts a series of workshops all month long on how to set up a personal ofrenda in your own home while explaining the significance of the altar. While this time of the year is very hard for Chrissie, she says the holiday is important for the process of grieving.

“His death is still evolving with me, and it’s given me the ability to keep him close to me and a lot of the things that were important to him, and important to us,” Chrissie says. “There’s so much we don’t know about the spiritual world, and that period of time of Día de los Muertos, where he’s allowed to return, reminds me that he left me very strong. And I’m very thankful for that.”

Chrissie knew that honoring her late husband meant more than just keeping the doors open. In recent years, she embarked on a journey to forge new connections with Latino writers who shared Macario’s passion for preserving cultural heritage. Before his passing, she had created an extensive book collection written and curated by Latinos. She has grown it tenfold since his death, all the while hosting book events and poetry readings, making the gallery blossom into a vibrant tapestry of artistic expression, breathing new life into its walls.

Chrissie says Macario’s legacy is intertwined with the legacy of Casa Ramirez itself. She credits the power of love and commitment, but also the support of her longtime employees, for being able to continue the business. But Houstonians should count their blessings while they still can for having such a store in their community.

“Each year it’s very important for me to do the best I can to honor him,” Chrissie says. “I love the shop, and it won’t last forever, which I realize more as I get older. Nothing lasts forever and everything changes, but being here now is what’s important.”