The hierarchy of the visual arts can be vastly different in the United States than it is in many parts of Mexico. A new exhibit, “Rosas y Revelaciones,” at Denver’s Museo de las América puts that idea in a clear perspective, using an impressive — at times mesmerizing — array of hand-made objects to make the point.

In the United States, the people we commonly refer to as “artists” — meaning painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers, installationists — are at the top of this particular social order. They are often considered special. Their work is separated out and shown in museums, and it can fetch high prices on the art market.

Folks who express their creativity to make more functional objects — like clothing, quilts, jewelry and household objects — are just that: folk artists. We

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