Membership meeting
Roseann and Tony Wilshere open their home for the VIVA la Musica! annual general meeting and membership gala on January 20, 3 p.m.
The gala – to celebrate the return of new and existing members – follows the meeting at 4 p.m.
Entertainment will be provided by VIVA’s gifted scholarship recipient Rodrigo Leal, who will play Bach and Mozart piano works. The fare will be champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
After putting in eight years on the board of directors (several of them as president), Rosemary Keeling is stepping down in January. She is, however, prepared to stay on as program director.
The board is looking for members who can give their time and talent to support this vibrant musical organization. For more information or comments email Ann Barry at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Christmas concert
Los Cantantes del Lago, directed by Timothy G. Ruff Welch, hold their annual Christmas concerts on Friday, December 14, 4 p.m. and Saturday, December 15, 7 p.m. at Plaza de la Ribera (formerly Sol y Luna) at Rio Bravo 10 in West Ajijic.
The concerts are being held in conjunction with Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales (CREM), and their new professional orchestra directed by Emmanuel Medeles.
Carols in Spanish and English will be sung (some with the audience joining in). Expect to hear the perennial favorite, “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah,” a combination of fine classical, traditional and folk music, as well as original music by the late Victor Medeles.
Tickets are 250 pesos and on sale at Diane Pearl Colecciones and Mia’s Boutique or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Pottery
Master potter Frank Howell, along with his associates and students, stage their Third Annual Stoneware Pottery Show and Sale on Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15 at Lirios 40 in Mirasol (follow the signs).
The show will feature table lamps, wall sculptures and more. For the first time, Raku pottery will be on show. There will be dozens of great gift ideas and functional items for entertaining or giving.
The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.
New book
Patricia Hemingway presents her new book, “The One Who Got Away,” on Thursday, December 13, 3:15 p.m. at Estrellita’s B&B (next to the Lake Chapala Society on Calle 16 de Septiembre). Hemingway will read from her new collection. Books will be for sale and signed by the author.
Double header
Galeria Sol Mexicano hosts an exhibit featuring the work of two talented female Mexican artists: Claudia Nery and Delia O’Rourke.
Originally from Guadalajara and now living at lakeside, Nery interprets pre-Hispanic images in a figurative style. Shapes and symbols fuse to create their own language of freed emotions with an African influence.
Delia O’Rourke, also a local resident after relocating from Europe, displays her work in the area for the first time. Her style is eclectic, full of energy, life and raw enthusiasm.
A reception for the artists is set for Saturday, December 8, 3-6 p.m. at Colon 13 in Ajijic. The exhibition will be in place until the end of December.
Quattro
Rick Present opens a show of his latest work, “Imagined Landscapes,” on Saturday, December 15, 4 p.m. at Galeria Quattro, (Colon 9, Ajijic). His work is abstract, executed with oil paint and highly textured beeswax metallic pigments.
Galeria Gecko
A new exhibition featuring the work of Eduardo Juarez, a former student of famed Mexican artists Pedro Coronel and Rufino Tamayo, opens at Galeria Gecko, (Ocampo 61, Ajijic) on Saturday, December 8, 3 p.m.
Also on display will be mobile metal and stone sculptures by Daniel Palma. Bound to be interesting. Don’t miss.
Mother and daughter
“Fragmentos Dispersos” is the name of a show of paintings and photos by Eva Ibarra and daughter Carolina Ramos, opening Saturday, December 15, 4 p.m. in Sala 2 of the Ajijic Cultural Center on the Ajijic’s Plaza. The show will be up until December 28.
ASA
The Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA) will be out in force on the Ajijic Plaza on Sunday, December 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work on show is always interesting covering a wide range of artistic genres.
Rembrandt
Master painter Dimitar Krustev will present “Rembrandt, His Work, His Life and His Time,” in another of his “Art Through the Ages” PowerPoint programs on Friday, December 14, noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Lake Chapala Society Sala.