My name is Johanna Espinosa. I was born in the small, but beautiful country of Nicaragua. I obtained a Bachelor in Fine Arts from The University of Mobile, Alabama. Later on, I pursued a Master Degree in Education at Framingham State College. I am currently a Master’s Candidate of Fine Arts in the Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication Department at The Ohio State University.

Nicaragua is a third world country that has suffered many tragedies. A civil war during the eighties, hurricanes, earthquakes and an unstable government stained with corruption are examples of the hurdles that have produced a country with extreme poverty, economic stall and a deficient educational system. Consequently, the Arts, as many other areas of human expression and development, are still misunderstood and underestimated by the vast majority of Nicaraguans.

None the less, Nicaragua is a country of potters, standing out because of its remarkable artisan production of ceramics. Nicaragua’s craftsmen have been working and painting the clay with the same style as their ancestors. However, not satisfied with faithfully reproducing ancient art, these artisans have gradually transformed their pieces developing unique and original creations.

As a contribution to the wonderful Nicaraguan craftsmen, I am working on my Master’s thesis: “Using Web site Communication as a Marketing Strategy in Order to Improve Nicaraguan Ceramics Sales.” With my research, I want to raise awareness of the beauty and uniqueness of Nicaraguan ceramic and culture, as well as to help improve the quality of life of Nicaraguans by promoting their work. Ultimately, my goal is to design a Web site and a marketing strategy to improve Nicaraguan ceramics sales and international promotion. For these purposes, a field-oriented qualitative and quantitative research needs to be developed to discover the perceptions of my targeted audience/market.

Image provided by Johanna Espinosa.