|
August 2, 2004 - Issue #49
News and Features about Puerto Vallarta on Mexico´s Gold Coast
Tips and Topics on Living in Your Own Dream Location
[Go to the Archives]
CONTENTS:
· SUMMER HAPPENINGS
· MEXICAN CITIZENSHIP
· SPOTLIGHT ON MEXICAN SILVER
· THE ADZINE SCENE
SUMMER HAPPENINGS
It has been a great summer, climate wise, not raining every day, but light evening or night showers cooling everything off before another sunny day. The town is overflowing with Mexican families enjoying the beaches, and the traffic is heavy since many drive here from all parts of Mexico. School will start soon, so the crowds will go home and let´s hope they are replaced with lots of foreign tourists to revive the sales in the shops.
A very interesting event was held at our local University of Guadalajara campus last week. A French artist, Gerardo Oconomos, painted a 10 meter long mural to music provided by an 8 piece local jazz group, led by Willow Brizio. The mural was completed in one hour and it was fascinating to see the artist acting as conductor, swirling paint on the canvas using many techniques including his hands in the paint, finally to achieve a stunning creation of boats on the water with the mountains in the background.
A very nice gesture was the free bus from Le Petit France Restaurant to the University so people could attend who did not have cars or did not want to drive. The gallery at the University has some very nice art works, so go out to see it when you have a chance. They also welcome donations of art. You can enjoy Willow and Beverly's jazz duo at the lovely River Cafe. Our favorite French artist, Corinne Duriez, had an exposition of her beautiful animal paintings and other landscapes etc. last week in the patio of City Hall. It was well attended and she will have another show starting Aug. 4 at the Plaza Marina shopping center. Other artists are also exhibiting in the rotunda. There will be art exhibitions in City Hall as well as free musical events each weekend in Los Arcos outdoor theater. For more information contact the Culture Dept. of the Palacio Municipal.
We closed our Galeria Vallarta location in Plaza Neptuno the end of July and have moved all our paintings to our central gallery at Juarez 263. However very soon we will announce a new location in Plaza Marina dedicated to service for the Marina, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias and north shore residents.
MEXICAN CITIZENSHIP
More and more foreigners are deciding to become naturalized Mexican citizens, and it is far easier than it was 10 years ago. An initial application can be filled out on the Secretariat of Relaciones Exteriores website www.sre.gob.mx/juridicos where a clear explanation of the process is provided. Foreigners can apply to become naturalized Mexican citizens by reason of residency, ancestry, nationality and marriage. You are eligible to apply if:
You have lived in Mexico continuously for five years.
Your children are Mexican by birth and you have resided in this country for two years.
You are married to a Mexican citizen and have resided in this country for two years.
You are a citizen of a Latin American country or from the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and have resided in this country for two years.
You can prove to have given the nation distinguished service or work in a variety of fields including culture, business, science and sport, and have resided in this country for two years.
All those applying must prove they can speak Spanish, know the history of the country and be integrated into national culture. In practice citizens of nearly every country in the world including the United States and Canada will still continue to recognize their citizens as their own, even if they have become naturalized Mexicans.
SPOTLIGHT ON MEXICAN SILVER
Excerpts from an article on CNN.com
Melding an entrepreneurial spirit with his love for design and for his adopted country, American expatriate William Spratling almost single-handedly revived Mexico´s handwrought silver industry in the 1930s. The fruits of Spratling´s vision and the continuing legacy that it has inspired can be seen in a new exhibit at Winterthur, Del. "Maestros de Plata: William Spratling and the Mexican Silver Renaissance." The exhibit has also been shown at the San Antonio museum as well as in San Diego, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and New Orleans.
Spratling, a New York born architect and designer who taught at Tulane University, left behind former roommate William Faulkner and other members of New Orleans literary society in the late 1920s to move to Taxco, Mexico. He became a champion of Mexican art and literature, writing articles for the New York Times Book Review and other publications and befriending artists such as Diego Rivera. When U.S. Ambassador Dwight Morrow remarked in 1931 that Taxco had been the site of silver mines for centuries but never considered a home to silversmiths, Spratling was inspired to create a cottage industry. He quickly persuaded an experienced goldsmith from Iguala to move to Taxco and fashion silver jewelry from his designs. Soon scores of silversmiths were working in Spratling´s "Taller de las Delicias" workshop, producing hollowware and simple jewelry items based on Pre-Columbian designs The tourists bought them like mad and at its peak, Spratling´s workshop employed more than 400 smiths, several who rose to the rank of maestro and went on to establish their own workshops, building the foundation for modern manufacturing companies such as Tane, Pineda and many more.
Now we see the results of Spratling´s vision in the fabulous array of silver jewelry offered all over Mexico, as well as the one of a kind designs by jewelers such as Fabio Rizzo, Alejandro Mateo, Stefano, Fabio Vanin, Jorge Flores and others offered at Galeria Vallarta.
THE ADZINE SCENE
NEW CONCEPT IN PRINTS:
We have a number of Octavio Ocampo, Diego Rivera, Botero and other artists framed prints, some on canvas, some with a finish that eliminates the need for glass over the print. These are all at very reasonable prices and ideal for decoration of condos and apartments, and won´t be affected by the humidity.
Galeria Vallarta, Juarez 263, 222-0290
MARTA GILBERT NEW POSTERS
Finally Marta Gilbert has a number of new posters, which are signed, and can be purchased unframed or with custom frames. They can be shipped rolled in a tube if you are not here.
MAX HERVELLA SCULPTURES
These beautiful angel and saint figures are made from a special material called Verstone and finished with antiquing and gold leaf. The artist from Veracruz is now in Vallarta and you can see his creations at Galeria Vallarta, Juarez 263.
SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE INFORMATION:
About Living Your Dream is by free subscription to our own mailing list. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to WebArt@GaleriaVallarta.com with "subscribe or unsubscribe to Dream" in the subject line. If you would like to place an ad or submit an article, please contact Barbara Peters, Galeria Vallarta, Juarez 263, (322) 222-0290 or at WebArt@GaleriaVallarta.com
| |