Three days of activities marking the grand opening of the Ajijic Museo de Arte (AMA) drew throngs of art lovers and well-wishers anxious to view the first exhibit of heritage paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs that have been acquired for its permanent collection.
Native-born and immigrant residents, as well as out-of-town guests, cheerfully rubbed elbows while meandering through the three levels of AMA gallery spaces, and ascending to the rooftop terrace to take in panoramic views of the lake, mountains and village.
The inaugural festivities wrapped up Friday, June 3, with a program emulating a Mexican village fiesta. Guests enjoyed live musical and folk dance entertainment, along with free-flowing tequila and pozole served compliments of the house. The evening ended with a street parade led by AMA founder Efrén Gonzalez and his family, which ran from the artist’s Muro de los Muertos mural opposite the San Andrés Parish to the new version of the wall of bas-relief skull plaques he is in the process of installing at the corner of Ocampo and Flores Magón.
With a banda playing dance tunes and an entourage of guests following behind, the parade ended at the corner of the cul-de-sac where the museum is located. From that spot Gonzalez’s tall and lanky son Leonardo hoisted a bull-shaped figure rigged up with fireworks over his head and dashed around among joyful onlookers, as the torito spewed out sputtering, multi-colored sparkles.
AMA is opens to the public Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a minimum donation of 40 pesos for admission payable at the door. Selected works from AMA’s permanent collection will be exhibited on a rotating basis every three months.