A Letter From Our Founder

“My name is Casey French, founder of Sumercé Artisans. My passion has always been photography. It is an identity I will carry with me all my life. But I am a storyteller at heart. Sugamuxi was the beginning, the place where I first found my voice.

In June 2014, I accepted a position as a volunteer photographer for the non-profit Fundación Montecito in Colombia. A recent graduate with a degree in International Relations, I wanted to create meaningful work with a deep connection to the places I visited. But I knew nothing about the world—only what was taught in textbooks and lecture halls.

Arriving in the city of Sogamoso, my task was to create a catalog of photographs in order to promote eco-tourism to the region and use the revenue to protect Lake Tota, the largest lake in Colombia. With a list of the thirteen towns making up the Sugamuxi province in my pocket, every day became an adventure. I caught the local bus, devoted the day to exploring, and found my way back to process the images. But I never knew what I was looking for. Felipe, the director and my host, told me he wanted my perspective. To trust my eye, and go capture it.”

“Since that first visit to Colombia, I have traveled all over the world, applying the same principles—to use my photography for social good. In Morocco, I used photography to promote adoptions at an animal sanctuary. In my hometown, I documented stories of struggle and addiction at a homeless shelter. To raise funds for nonprofits struggling during the pandemic, I bicycled 3,400 miles from Wisconsin to California through wildfires, droughts, and lonely roads. The last example is a bit dramatic, looking back, but no matter the means, positive change always followed.

One of the great powers of photography is the ability to freeze the moments that mean the most to us - to capture the places that remain with us long after we left. No place has shown me the kind of unconditional love that a small province in Boyacá, Colombia has. When speaking of my time there, I have always struggled to put into words the warmth and affection I experienced. But maybe it is just a single word, one emblematic of the region: sumercé.  “

“When you purchase from our artisans, you cross the bridge between my two homes—a bridge that has taken over a decade to build. It is my privilege to give back to the people of Sugamuxi who have given me the greatest experience of my life, and for that, I will forever serve the City of the Sun and do my part to protect it.”

Gracias, sumercé

Casey French
Founder of Sumercé Artisans

Meet the Team

  • Casey French

    Casey French is a photographer based in Wisconsin, USA. In 2014, he accepted a volunteer position in Sogamoso, Boyacá as a photographer for the non-profit organization Fundación Montecito. The goal of this project was to create a portfolio of photographs to help promote responsible eco-tourism and fund conservation efforts for the region. Over the years, he has felt a strong emotional connection to Sugamuxi, the province of present-day Sogamoso and the thirteen surrounding towns of Muisca descent. Casey has committed to working with independent artisans whom incorporate ancestral techniques while also supporting projects that preserve Lake Tota and the history of the Muisca.

    Founder of Sumercé Artisans // Photographer

  • Felipe & Juanita Velasco

    Felipe and Juanita Velasco founded Fundación Montecito in 2010, and it’s been their field of endeavor since, mainly on Lake Tota (largest high-Andean lake in Colombia), and more recently also on Eastern Andes ‘La Hondura’ canyon, in Santander. Their mission is to work on benefit of Andean mounts and wetlands, it’s been mostly at Lake Tota and highland páramos. They take a governance and an integrated approach, highlighting a variety of CEPA activities, considering this work mainly as a long-term and complex process. An achievement short time ago was to lead an international award on sustainable tourism as part of the Top-100 Global 2017 Green Destinations for Lake Tota, later (2018) upgraded as Top-3 Green Destinations Americas given at ITB fair, Germany.

    Directors of Fundacion Montecito // Environmentalist

  • Braeden Teifke

    Braeden Teifke, a musician and photographer from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, serves as the Gallery Manager for the physical location of Sumerce Artisans since our inception in December 2023. His role oversees the day-to-day operations and acts as the primary point of contact for our local partners and clients, playing an important part in connecting our organization with the Fond du Lac community and beyond.

    Gallery Manager of Sumercé Artisans // Photographer