Lake Chapala Painting Guild President Lois Schroff is eager to bring her group of painters into the limelight – especially painters new to the area.
Her mission, she states, is to “introduce painters who have arrived here and may not be familiar with groups they can enter.”
Schroff was one of a small group of painters who founded the Guild five years ago as an offshoot of the Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA).
Whereas ASA has about 300 members and represents a vast array of artists and genres, the Guild varies between 12 to 20 members and is made up only of painters.
“We host our own exhibitions and also participate in shows sponsored by the Ajijic Society of the Arts,” Schroff says. “Exhibitions are held mainly during Ajijic/Chapala’s high season.”
Lake Chapala Painting Guild membership is by application. “We review the work and then make a group decision about approval,” Schroff says.
The Guild’s monthly meetings take place the second Friday of each month, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Lake Chapala Society.
Schroff describes a typical meeting: “First, we start with a critique of work that anyone wants to bring in for the group’s suggestions about how it could be better. Then, we have chairs of various committees, such as membership and the website – various things which we expect that the members will sign up to take charge of, because this is a cooperative group of painters.”
The Guild’s yearly exhibitions include a juried show. Jurors needs to be people “familiar with the arts,” Schroff notes. In May, well-known photographer Xill Fessenden juried one of their shows at the Ajijic Cultural Center.
Each year, ASA hosts a large open studios event. Schroff says the Guild last year tried to put on their own event but were unsuccessful because “everybody had prior commitments or favorite spaces they wanted to be in.”
Often Guild members choose to participate in ASA’s yearly event, and many remain active members of ASA.
Coming up
Schroff hopes that one of the Guild’s upcoming shows will take place in February 2017 in a newly opened cultural center in San Antonio Tlayacapan. She explains that the new center will be housed in an existing building on Calle Jesus Garcia, which has been used for various purposes over the years.
On December 3, the Guild will host its second ”Paint Out,” an event that has become popular in the United States and Canada. The Guild hosted the first successful “Paint Out” last year in Ajijic. On the morning of the event, painters will register at Maria Isabel’s Restaurant to venture out and paint, returning in the afternoon for judging and prizes. “All are welcome to participate,” says Schroff.
The Guild is also planning to hold a show December 1 through March 30 at the Chantli Mare Inn near La Manzanilla.
Painters who are interested in joining the Lake Chapala Painting Guild will need to turn in an application, which is then reviewed by the Guild members. For more information about membership, visit lakechapalapaintingguild.org, or email Schroff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..