Since November, Guadalajara’s must-see institute of art and probably my favorite local spot has been in a “post-pandemic” stage, with just one or two time-outs, and I didn’t even know it.
In 1997 UNESCO declared Instituto Cultural Cabañas a site in the Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad (Cultural Heritage of Humanity), designating this former, very spacious orphanage and its chapel in the city center as the jewel it is.
Of course, out-of-towners are not currently flocking there as they used to (although, notably, the premises and environs are sometimes bustling with people receiving Covid vaccinations). And the exhibitions—currently three, plus the famed Jose Clemente Orozco murals and a community yarnwork project commemorating those lost to violence—may not be of the international blockbuster variety. But for me, wandering more or less alone through the Cabañas’s breathtaking colonnades and patios (23 of them!) is always half the fun, regardless of the shows. The museum has accommodated the pandemic with routing signs and disinfection routines, and there are plenty of attendants on hand to make sure to avoid groupings and other no-nos.
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.