Art auctions
• Semanario Laguna, in conjunction with La Cochera Cultural, holds an art auction featuring the work of more than 30 local artists, Friday, December 15, 4 p.m. at La Cochera Cultural, Javier Mina 49 in Ajijic. Find paintings, sculpture and photographs.
• Efrren Gonzalez hosts an art auction Thursday, December 28, 3 p.m. on the north side of the Ajiijic Plaza. Oils, watercolors, pastels and more will be on the docket. Refreshing tequila will be served.
Exhibits
• Pancho’s Market West opens its new art gallery Friday, December 15, with live music, red wine and discounts on artwork, all upstairs at the restaurant. Reservations: 333-171-2520.
• An art show and sale by Diana Hunt, Kathy McSweeny, Louise Neal Pedroa, and Glenda Rogers will be held at Mel’s Casa Social, Saturday, December 16, 1 to 5 p.m. This is a fundraiser for Tails of Mexico.
• A retrospective of the sculptures, paintings, drawings and reproductions of the early work by Gloria Elies is up, at the Ajijic Museo de Arte, Privada Flores Magon 3, in Ajijic. Contribution: 40 pesos.
• View colorful work by local artist Rick Present at the new Garden of Dreams Art Gallery. Constitucion 105 in Ajijic.
• New work by Kahuil Vega is still showing at the Centro Cultural Ajijic.
CCAR 1st anniversary
The Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera (CCAR) celebrates its first anniversary, Sunday, December 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with traditional games (loteria and bebeleche), food and crafts. A circus workshop is on from 10 to 11:30 a.m., as is a workshop on Tricky Winds. A drawing workshop takes place from 11 to 11:40 a.m. and a workshop on Monsters as books from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A reading of Maria Baranda’s book, “Querido Pajaro, “will take place from 12:30 to 1 p.m.; a circus presentation will take place at noon and the Chapala Municipal Ballet Folklorico will perform at 1 p.m. All events are free.
Live Music
• Naim Alfaro on cello and pianist Miguel Grajeda offer a program of pieces by Jalisco composers Friday, December 15, 5 p.m. at the Centro Cultural González Gallo in Chapala.
• Flamenco performer Paulina Ruiz accompanied by cantor Diego Marquez, guitarist Fernando Martinez, saxophonist Eleazar Soto and cajonista Emilia Galvez will perform at a dinner concert, Friday, December 15, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Casa del Sol Inn, Javier Mina 7, Ajijic. Tickets, 790 pesos, must be purchased at the Inn.
• Blue Jay Slim and the Blues Machine and Gargamel cover band will perform at the LCS Music Festival, Saturday, December 16, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tickets, 400 pesos, are available at the LCS office Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or at LakeChapalaSociety.com.
• Billed as the last jazz evening of the year, La Cochera Cultural hosts Arne Wernink on trumpet, Chuco Soto on sax, Ross Hubbell on guitar, Rodrigo Barbosa on drums and Gilberto Rios on double bass, Sunday, December 17, 6 p.m. Tickets are 350 pesos. Reservations: 331-978-0196.
• The Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales (CREM) music academy chamber orchestra, choir and children’s choir present a winter gala, Saturday, December 23, 6 p.m. at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera. Tickets, 200 pesos, are available at the CCAR box office or via voyalteatrco.com.
Bare Stage does Holmes
Join Bare Stage to celebrate the end of the year with “The Game’s Afoot” or “Holmes for the Holidays!”
It’s a dark and stormy night–specifically Christmas Eve, 1936. The world’s foremost portrayer of Sherlock Holmes, William Gillette, has invited the cast of his latest play, a notorious theater critic and his mother to his newly completed “castle” for the holidays. (Both Gillette and his castle were real.)
Gillette, recovering from a gunshot wound at the closing of his long-running play, dons his Sherlock Holmes persona to unmask the perpetrator. Then a murder occurs and, amidst all the revelry and confusion, a bumbling, yet sincere police inspector rings the doorbell … and the game’s afoot!
All the elements of a tantalizing mystery are present: murders, intrigue, romantic entanglements, storms, blackouts, and even a séance!
Written by veteran playwright Ken Ludwig, (who also wrote “Murder on the Orient Express”), “The Game’s Afoot” will have you not only trying to figure out who-done-it, but also rolling in the aisles.
Show dates are Friday, December 29, Saturday, December 30, and Sunday, December 31. All shows are at 4 p.m. Tickets, 200 pesos, can be reserved 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..
Bare Stage Theatre is at Carretera 261 in Riberas del Pilar, across from the Catholic Church. Door and bar open at 3 p.m. All bar proceeds go to Operation Feed. Seats are held until 3:50 p.m.
Painting workshops
Efren Gonzalez will hold an oil painting workshop January 2 to 5, 9 to 3:30 p.m. at his gallery. The following week, he’ll hold a watercolor workshop, January 9-12, same hours. All materials are included in the 8,000-peso cost. Information: 331-703-3942.