A World Full of Christmas Images

A generation ago, virtually all the figures in Nativity sets represented white people.

The Folk Tree art gallery in Pasadena has an answer to that in its current show: international Nativity sets.

The gallery specializes in folk art, especially from Mexico. It’s “by untrained artists who do their own thing. The creativity is fabulous,” said gallery owner Rocky Behr.

For the last eight years, the gallery has been showing Nativity sets from Africa, South America, India and other exotic locales. “The nativities are from around the world and we look for them year ‘round,” said Behr.

Some of the sets, she concedes, are from places not known for large Christian populations, and some of the artists make them for profit. “But the style is definitely related to the people, not to western culture,” she said. “In Mexico, their houses are filled with the stuff we have.”

The gallery is open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Saturday, then it will continue special holiday hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Dec. 30.

New Year’s Eve hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed New Year’s Day, then back to regular hours: Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

It doesn’t cost anything to come in and look. For those who are buying, most of the Nativity sets sell for $10 to $100, with a few as high as $700.