Guatemalan art from her A.M. Stein Imports gallery is featured in the "Flowers and Fiestas" exhibit from July 31 until Sept. 4. The paintings feature Mayan culture and are created by independent and mostly self-taught artists in the country.

Crouse began collecting the works while she was in Guatemala adopting her son, Carlos, in 2002. An aspect of her faith that encourages adherents to make the world a better place inspired her to continue featuring the artists in Utah.

"I'm very particular. These are artists; each individual piece is a work of art and the artists are committed to that," Crouse said. "I have had to work hard to find the best artists, and I only buy their best work."

On her first trip to Guatemala, Crouse noticed that oil paintings from the highlands were popular tourist souvenirs. While much of it was kitschy, Crouse said that she knew enough about art to know that a few were truly amazing.

Amassing a list of names through interviews and by diving through books on South American art, she began locating the paintings with the help of guides and interpreters. Despite the danger of traveling in that part of the world, every year she was able to find more artists.

Many of the paintings feature markets and festivals from unique perspectives. Several artists in the highlands paint from a bird's-eye view, creating a dynamic combination of shapes and colors giving new life to traditional themes.

Artist Paula Nicho Cumez's work has been featured at the National Museum of the American Indian of the Smithsonian. The night before Cumez left to attend the opening ceremonies of the museum, Crouse purchased from her a painting of four "corn women" depicting a creation myth of the Mayans.

"They come from a culture that doesn't separate art from the objects of daily life," Crouse said. "They love color and intricate detail. Complex weaving is a part of their tradition."

In addition to her desire to share her finds with art lovers in Salt Lake City, Crouse is also motivated by the principle in Judaism of tikkum olam, meaning "to repair the world." Her methods for procuring the art are approved by the Fair Trade Federation. Every purchase benefits the artists' cooperatives and communities in Guatemala.

Out of a desire to give the cooperatives more work, Crouse decided to contract artists to create Judaic-themed items that could be used for holidays here in the United States.

She started with handmade table linens depicting the six-sided star, among other symbols. She also imports kippots or yamakas, the caps worn by Jewish men, created with the vibrant colors and designs typical of Guatemalan crafts.

By ordering a large number of them for a special celebration such as a bar mitzvah, families can add a unique touch to their event while adhering to tikkum olam, Crouse said.

Lavine Shapiro, development director of Salt Lake City's Jewish Community Center, sells the kippots in the center's gift shop.

"The artists do beautiful work and the people who buy them feel good because it's meaningful," Shapiro said. "[Crouse] lives and breathes what she's doing. She has a commitment to the Mayan women, and it gives her the opportunity to give back to the country that gave her her son."

Her love of textiles and her admiration for indigenous artists also led Crouse to the fabrics of Mali and Kente cloth of Ghana.

Friend Daniel Burg, marketing director for Salt Lake City's Jewish Community Center, purchased one of the Mali fabrics and has it hanging in his home.

"It takes up nearly an entire wall," he said. Crouse's commitment to fair-trade values was an incentive to buy from her instead of searching for similar products on the Internet, Burg said.

Crouse's unique Mayan, African and Judaic pieces from the Guatemalan highlands can be viewed:

* at Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, in the "Flowers and Fiestas" exhibit, July 31-Sept. 4.

* at A.M. Stein Imports, 3804 S. Highland Drive, No. 7, on Wednesdays from noon to 7 p.m. or by appointment.

* at the Park Silly Sunday Market in Park City on July 29 and Aug. 12.

* on her Web site at www.amsteinart.com