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Exhibition shows artist's humorous vision
With a humorous vision of Mexico, Alfredo Langarica’s work is now being exhibited at Galería Pacífico until December 24. Alfredo Langarica is a young artist from Guadalajara, whose chunky figures inspired in the Aztec and Olmec figurines express the traits of a fresh and young Mexico with malicious ingenuity. One cannot help but smile at his amusing depiction of irreverent angels singing, everyday characters having a shower, surfing on roof terrace or having a beer. The images reflect Mexico’s great sense of humor grounded in a deep knowledge that everyone is on the same road in life, seen through Langarica’s delightfully funny and human touch, which comes through in expressive faces and the naturalness of postures and incidents and his provoking details.

"Toys for Tots" picnic held in city
As announced by Kelly Trainor, U.S. consular agent, this year’s “Toys for Tots Picnic” fundraising event will be held at the American school campus on December 1st, featuring live music from the Hard Rock Café, raffles and many other exciting activities such as the Children’s Theater with Disney characters at 11 a.m. The event is free, though donations of $20 pesos are welcome. The Mariott Hotel, U.S. Navy League, the U.S. Consular Agency and the American School are the organizers of this traditional family charity picnic. Proceeds will go to the Toys for Tots program and 12 other local charities.

Guadalupana festivities revive traditional roots
Puerto Vallarta will not only be celebrating its 150th anniversary but one if its most emotive traditions, the Guadalupana festivities. Expect religious processions along Calle Juárez during the first two weeks of December. This year the organizers of the festivities have also planned a revival of the past and have asked the community to participate with traditional costumes representing Vallarta’s old tradesmen and women such as fishermen, dockers, washerwomen, peasants, tortilla and water vendors. The most awaited procession will take place Dec. 2nd on Juárez at 8 p.m., when descendants of the founding families are expected to reenact main characters that participated in the founding of the town, once called Las Peñas de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

Marmottan shows keen eye in exhibit
Until Dec. 15 Catalan artist Josselyn Marmottan is at Galería Nova on Corona with a new collection of paintings, which she describes as “moments.” Subtle and delicate brushstokes of color evoke the sensual pleasure of perception, where her keen eye captures the delight of experiencing a flash of life conveying a unique instant of awareness, which produce a similar injection of life on the viewer. Her new paintings portray the happiness of self-discovery, where the nature of observation rather than the observed is revealed. This evolution may be traced in her portfolio, where as well as her extensive curriculum, one may also appreciate the different stages of her work through her numerous exhibitions. Her former defined forms, figures and intense colors, have given way to a suave veil of lilacs and silvery motifs, which reflect the delicate refinement of her vision and the joy of living.

Columbian premieres Mexican paintings
Flor María Bouhot will be presenting her premiere Mexican painting exhibition at the Judith Ewing-Morlan Gallery located on Miramar 237 on November 28 with a reception cocktail at 6 pm. Though Flor María Bouhot is from Columbia, she has recently emigrated to Mexico, and Puerto Vallarta will see her first exhibition in this country. With a profusion of powerful colors and imagery, this collection of paintings is presented as a journey from the classical to the whimsical and outrageous.

Puerto Vallarta stadium receives facelift
The walls of Puerto Vallarta’s sports center, Agustín López Contreras, have been pulled down as part of the remodelling plan passed by City Hall. The purpose of this project is to enhance urban space with a clear view of its extensive fields and to stimulate the practice of sports and competitions with an improvement in security on the premise. The remodelling also includes a renovation of dressing rooms, new walkways, lighting and 200 new parking spaces.

Colunga presents new sculpture series
Gabriel Colunga will be presenting his new series of bronze sculptures titled “Creation” at Galería Dante, Basilio Badillo 269, on Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. with a reception cocktail. Gabriel Colunga is from Guadalajara and has exhibited his work in solo and collective exhibitions in Mexico City and Guadalajara. He also has had individual exhibitions in Germany and London. Women are the featured motivation of his work, and a love-hate is forever present in his irreconcilable portrayal.

Puerto Vallarta declared "Friendliest City in the World"
According to the readers of travel magazine Condé Naste, Puerto Vallarta is the friendliest city in the world, having obtained the top score (92.5) in the Reader's Choice Award. In addition to the “friendliness factor”, Puerto Vallarta was rated number 8 in its listing of favorite destinations. The other top cities were Paris, Sydney, Rome, Florence, Bangkock, London, Venice, Hong Kong and Vancouver. It is striking to note the kind of cities Puerto Vallarta competed with in this interesting travel assessment and comforting to know Americans still appreciate the warm welcome and remarkable amiability of its local folk.

Trio restaurant opens art exhibition
Restaurants in Vallarta offer an artistic space for artists to exhibit their work. From the most modest eateries to world-class restaurants, many contribute to the promotion of artistic talents. Trio restaurant, on Guerrero, exemplifies such a case, offering occasional exhibitions that become a social event in themselves. The new work of long-time Vallarta resident Cathy Von Rohr opened the season with a collection of jungle sceneries, where a mystical elation transcends her realistic impressions. Original sculptures, delicious aperitifs and the sounds of a great jazz group on the terrace set the scene for a premiere evening.

Punta Mita Properties under new sales management
Group Dine, S.A. recently announced the incorporation of Coldwell Banker Previews International to the organization and management of the Punta Mita development. Coldwell Banker Punta Mita will be the exclusive realtor for the Punta Mita Properties and recently opened a new office owned by Brock G. Squire at the Four Seasons Hotel. Brock Squire commented that Coldwell Banker and Punta Mita´s greatness have come together with a great team of professionals in a common purpose to make a successful promotion of this outstanding development.

Hacienda Cora active in Vallarta's gourmet festival
Hacienda Cora, one of Mexico’s exclusive boutique hotels, is hosting some of the most awaited events of this year’s Gourmet Festival. From Nov 12 – 14, gourmet-cooking lessons will be given by three recognized chefs at 9 a.m., followed by a wine tasting seminar and a gourmet luncheon prepared during the class. Visiting chefs Jerónimo Santiago Vázquez from El Candil, Pierre Lichtenauer from Kabul at the Mayan Palace and Gerard Dupont from Café des Artistes will be offering the public their respective expertise and innovative techniques in Mexican, Indian and French cuisine. Detailed announcements of all events are published in the Gourmet Festival Brochure, available in most hotels, shops and the tourist office.

Another statue hits the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta
The new statue at the north end of the Malecon across from Hotel Rosita was recently inaugurated with more than 300 participants in the ceremony. The statue is the work of Mathis Lídice and symbolizes the passage of time in a spiral ascendancy representing man’s evolution on earth from the first living creatures emerging from the sea to a Christian era, where two emblematic historical figures: the knightly Charlemagne and the poet Aztec king Nezahualcóyotl represent the passage of the two milleniums. The blend of energy from Europe and the Americas is the cosmic driving force that propels women’s leading role in this third millennium represented by the figure of a woman holding a dove.

Malecon closes to traffic to honor Revolution
Pedro Ruiz Higuera, mayor of Puerto Vallarta, announced the Malecon will be closed to traffic during the long weekend celebrating the anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. The debated measure is expected to be enforced beginning frp, 9 p.m. until latenight. This is a preliminary measure to evaluate the feasibility of closing the Malecon on a permanent basis to recover this as a pedestrian area for visitors and residents.

Annual art walks start in Puerto Vallarta
The Art Walks represent an important activity of Vallarta’s creative community and have also become a social event in this town. They are held every other Wednesday over six months starting on October 31. With 10 participating galleries displaying the work of local and visiting artists, they offer an ample choice and variety of styles and disciplines to delight any art connoisseur or to inspire a colorful walk around the old part of town meeting all sorts of interesting creative talents.

Wine boutique opens its doors
Enterprising chef and manager Thierry Blouet from Café des Artistes has recently opened the first wine boutique in Vallarta: Las Cavas des Artistes, located opposite the restaurant. This quaint store, which formerly sold wine to restaurants, is now open to the public with an ample selection of wines from all over the world, as well as champagnes and special delicacies such as an eau de vie made with pears or a Delamain cognac. Elegantly decorated with glossy wine cabinets, it also offers a number of complementary items such as Riedel glasses, known as wine’s best friend. So, with the help of manager Jean Marck Blouet, Thierry’s father, you may also learn to choose the correct shape of glass to enhance the bouquet and taste of your wine.

Exhibits brings together male/female perspective
A masculine and a feminine perspective seem to come together in two recent photographic exhibitions, which will be quite a delight to see together as they offer contrasting visions of two different worlds. The first is located at the Omar Gallery on Leona Vicario, where Belgian photographer Wouter Deruytter presents a collection of large, provocative and sensual images of cowboys with an extraordinary resolution. The second is located at Nova Contemporarty Art Gallery on Corona, where delicate cemetery statues photographed by Erna Borman speak of an inner world of feelings.

New issue of Vallarta Lifestyles now available
The Fall/Winter 2001 issue of Vallarta Lifestyles is now available, featuring Vallarta's Gourmet Festival and its 150th anniversary, along with special profiles on real estate properties.For subscriptions from the U.S.A. or Canada, pay only $19.95 USD. Residents of other countries please add $10 USD to subscription rate. Receive four issues per year: allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the first issue.
To subscribe, send a check to Vallarta Lifestyles, 705 Martens CT. #78-299, Laredo, TX 78041-6010; or subscribe online. You can also find a selection of the articles from this issue online at VirtualVallarta.com/vallarta/llifestyles/index.html.