Fiesta and art
A new exhibit with the title “The Rainy Season,” featuring several stunning paintings by Nancy Gray, opened Friday, December 9 at La Bella Vida.
The show is just in time for the special Fiesta de Navidad (Christmas Party) at La Bella Vida on Saturday, December 10, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
La Bella Vida is located at Calle 16 de Septiembre 4 in Ajijic. Gray’s paintings will be on exhibit for a week.
Pure’pecha
Don’t miss the congregation of artists and artisans from Michoacan who will gather at the amphitheater on the Ajijic malecon (lakeside walkway) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 9, 10 and 11 (maybe some on the 12th). The exhibition will feature work from Ocumicho, Patamban, Cocucho and villages near Lake Patzcuaro. Featured food will be atole, hand-made blue tortillas and other special dishes favored by our friends in our neighboring state. This is guaranteed to be a fun and interesting time. Don’t miss!
Annual show
Galeria los Amigos (Javier Mina 35, Ajijic) will open its doors for an all-out art sale on Saturday, December 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Participating artists will include Victor Romero, Isela Martinez, Bonnie Sifferling, Esther Henning, Arch McKinlay, Shirley West, Judy Eager, Veronica and Epifania. Stop by and enjoy the wine and snacks and pick out your favorite wall art to take home.
Arts and crafts
Local artists and artisans will be out in force at a huge Christmas sale set for the new parking lot that is accessed from Calle Parroquia (across the street from the Marcos Castellanos Elementary School).
The date is Saturday, December 10, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lot can also be accessed from the Pasillo del Arte, west of the fountain. There will be lots of fun and goodies just right for the season.
Collective
An exhibition of prints, serigraphy, and etching will open Saturday, December 17, 4 p.m. at the Daniel Palma Studio Gallery on Calle Ocampo just west of Manix Restaurant in Ajijic.
The artists include Gabriel Mariscal, Daniel Kent, Benito Zamora, Javier Arevalo, Roberto Pulido, Miguel Angel Lopez and Jaime Tafoya. The exhibition will represent the best of contemporary art coming from Guadalajara.
Pottery
Master potter Frank Howell will open his studio for a show and sale of his work and that of his students on Friday and Saturday, December 16 and 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lirios 52 in Mirasol.
The show will feature stoneware and pottery table lamps, function and decorator art and wall art. A donation from each sale will be made to Cruz Roja in Chapala. The telephone number is 765-6382.
Don’t miss it!
Live from Met
In January, VIVA la Musica continues it scheduled bus trips to the Live from the Met programs at Guadalajara’s Teatro Diana.
The schedule includes “The Enchanted Island” on January 21, “The Twilight of the Gods” on February 11, “Ernani” on February 25, “Manon” on April 21 and “La Traviata” on April 28.
Ticket prices have been reduced to 300 pesos for VIVA members and 400 pesos for non-members. Call Marshall Krantz at (376) 766-2834 to reserve your seats.
Enjoy these live broadcasts from the world-acclaimed New York Metropolitan Opera. You might not get another chance!
Another generation
An exhibition of drawings and photography by Simon Velazquez, the 22-year-old son of artists Belva and Enrique Velazquez, will open on Saturday, December 10, 5-9 p.m. at Velazquez Studio (16 de Septiembre 7, Ajijic). This will be an exciting show for “old-timers” who have known Simon since baby-hood and for newcomers to see the kind of exciting talent taking root here in Ajijic.
Auction
Local artist Efren Gonzalez will once again hold the hammer for an art auction to benefit the Chapala Cruz Roja (Red Cross). He’s expecting to have about 50 pieces of good wall art (selected by him) to auction. The festivities are slated for Thursday, December 15, 3:30 p.m. on the Ajijic Plaza.
New spot
Local artist Salvador Ortiz will open an exhibition of his latest works in oil on Friday, December 16, 3-6 p.m. in his gallery upstairs in Plaza Bugambilias. Come out and enjoy his new small-scaled paintings along with the tequila and snacks. Ortiz also has a good inventory of art supplies.
In PV
Ajijic artist Ute Hagen will open an exhibition of her works Friday, December 16, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Galleria Dante in Puerto Vallarta.
Sharing the exhibition will be Linda Kauffman and Javier Zepeda. Hagen’s work is vibrant in color and form. She has exhibited in many important galleries in Mexico and Europe. She is currently represented by Galeria Vertice in Guadalajara and Sol Mexicano Galeria de Arte in Ajijic.