Michoacan spirit
Several communities of Michoacan will congregate in Ajijic for their annual artisans’ exhibition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 9, 10 and 11 and possibly into December 12. The venue this year will be the new amphitheater area on Ajijic’s malecon, just across the street from the Abbeyfield home at the foot of Aquiles Serdan on the lakeshore. The exhibition will feature the fantastic ceramics of Ocumicho, pottery from Patamban, embroidery and straw artwork from around Lake Patzcuaro and new work from Cocucho that will include pots for plants, along with their famous urns. Warm, hand-loomed shawls from Anguhuan will be available for purchase.
While shopping you’ll be able to munch on hand-made blue tortillas, typical cold-weather drinks and special dishes from our neighboring state. The event is always a joyous one. You really don’t want to miss it.
Christmas play
La Ola Children’s Shelter will put on a Christmas play, “The Birthday,” the nights of December 1, 2 and 3, 7 p.m. in the theater area behind El Jardin Restaurant on the North side of the Ajijic Plaza. Tickets are 200 pesos each and can be purchased from Tina Hite at 766-4546 or (cel.) 331-471-4039.
Painting guild
The Lake Chapala Painting Guild opens its first juried show at the Ajijic Cultural Center Saturday, December 10 with a reception including refreshments and entertainment from 5-7 p.m. The public is invited to view paintings in a variety of media such as oil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, encaustic, pastel and mixed media. The show will remain in place until Friday, December 23.
Music Appreciation
The Music Appreciation Society (MAS) will continue to sell reduced-rate season tickets for the four remaining events of their season and for the Children’s Choir of Morelia performance until December 8. The reduced rate season tickets are priced at 1,400 pesos, 1,100 pesos and 800 pesos and are available at the Lake Chapala Society ticket booth from 10 a.m. to noon, Monday through Saturday. The Children’s Choir tickets are 350 pesos and will be sold at LCS and at Charter Club Tours in Plaza Montana.
Change
The MAS board of birectors has voted to make a change to the planned 2011-2012 schedule of events. The flamenco group “Viva” from Mexico City will perform on March 13. It is considered to be the premier flamenco group in Mexico.
CASA
The Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic (CASA) has elected a new Board of Directors for 2012. They are (L-R) treasurer Karen Blue, secretary Helena Feldstein, president Pat Carroll, director-at-large Linda Friedman and vice president Annie Green. Mary Ann Waite will serve in the position of immediate past president.
Guitars
The Department of Music of the University of Guadalajara and the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center in Chapala is sponsoring a series of concerts featuring virtuoso guitarists. The next two are on December 7 with Armando Marcos and December 13 with Erick Andres. Both begin at 6:30 p.m. in the main salon of the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center in Chapala, located at Avenida Gonzalez Gallo 1500. Admission is free.
Origen
Galeria Origen y Vision located at Hidalgo 229 in Chapala will host a special event on Sunday, December 4, 3-6 p.m. featuring classical music of India provided by Michael Robbins, Alvario Rubio and others, along with poetry reading by Judy Dykstra-Brown, Mario Puglisi and James Tipton. The gallery will be showcasing the works of several new artists. Get there early to meet some of those artists and browse the fine selection of original artwork in all prices ranges.
Refreshments will be served and there will be a cash bar. The more the merrier so take your friends.
A side trip
The nearby village of San Juan Cosala is reputed to have the most interesting and elaborate altars dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe on Monday, December 12. Actually, there will be religious processions through the town every afternoon about 5 p.m. each of the nine days prior to December 12, with the largest on that day. There will be a fiesta with a fireworks “castillo” on the town’s main plaza that night. It’s well worth a quick trip. If you get hungry you might stop at Restaurante Viva Mexico located at Porfirio Diaz 92 for Agustin’s special chiles en nogada dinner for 75 pesos. You won’t have to go far to experience more of the real Mexico.
Fiesta
The Fiesta de Navidad at La Bella Vida will offer patrons the opportunity to stroll through their garden filled with artists on Saturday, December 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come out and enjoy the refreshments, music and fun with featured artists Nancy Gray and Diane Pearl. The boutique will be full of unique gifts for your special friends and family. La Bella Vida is located at Calle 16 de Septiembre 4 in the Heart of Ajijic. The telephone number is 766-5131.