Gary L. Collison, Professor Emeritus of American Studies and English at Penn State York, died last year. During his more than 30 year career he taught courses in American studies, American literature, humanities and writing.

Gary was also a Mexican mask enthusiast. Over a period of years he carefully gathered masks from most of the states of Mexico, as well as a few excellent examples from Guatemala. He made every attempt to collect that which was traditional and authentic, often traveling to remote villages. The result is a remarkable selection of high quality masks for serious collectors.

To present these masks effectively, I have asked Bryan Stevens, who was Gary’s friend, to be a guest curator for my site. Bryan will provide descriptions of these masks, in terms of the character, dance, village, and culture. In some cases he will be able to provide information about the individual carver. He is well qualified to do this, as he has assembled a very large collection of his own from Mexico and Guatemala, has developed friendships with many other important collectors, and has an extensive library of relevant books on the subject.