Week of December 29

Vallarta Artists Invited to Painters’ Week in Holland
Local artists Meg Munro and Bill Megrail are among artists selected worldwide who have been invited to Domburg, Holland, in May to participate in a painters’ week. A small seaside resort, Domburg was the home of famous painter Piet Mondrian. Many of the paintings by Vincent Van Gogh were also painted at Domburg, especially his windmill series. Since Bill and Meg are traveling so far, they have been invited for an entire month, all expenses paid. Gallería Dante represents their work locally.

Costa Rica Investors Interested in Vallarta Ecotourism
In an effort to promote the benefits of ecotourism in Banderas Bay, Costa Rica investors will travel to Vallarta in May with specific project proposals in mind, Ramón Sánchez Villa, manager of Bay Tours and Adventure, announced recently. Costa Rica is recognized worldwide as a leader in ecotourism ventures. Many diverse educational and entertainment programs have been put into action there. Sánchez Villa also emphasized the importance of adopting similar projects locally, as ecologically sensitive travelers increase worldwide.

Motorized Beach Sweepers Arrive in Vallarta
Vallarta beaches can look forward to a motorized beauty makeover thanks to the arrival of the first beach sweepers last week. These sweepers, made in Germany, were recently acquired thanks to federal funds provided by the Technical Subcommittee for Maritime Zoning, ZOFEMAT. They can handle small debris and larger pieces of driftwood as well, improving the overall cleanliness and appearance of our beaches.

Bilingual Children’s Book Authored in Vallarta to be Introduced
Elementary school teacher and “Vallarta Voice” contributor Cynthia Beare will introduce her new book, “I’ll Think About It,” at a book-signing event to take place in Vallarta this week. Ms. Beare came to Vallarta last year to fulfill a lifelong dream of living in a coastal tropical destination and developing her Spanish skills. The book, intended for children who read or speak English or Spanish, details the story of Selena, a modern day princess who does whatever she wants whenever she wants, eventually questioning if getting your own way is always the best alternative. Vallarta artist Luis Miguel Sepúlveda provided illustrations. The book signing will take place at Galerie des Artistes, Leona Vicario 248, El Centro, on Saturday, December 27, 6 – 8 pm. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Week of December 1

Galería Omar Alonso Celebrates Anniversary
Galería Omar Alonso, Vallarta's only art gallery specializing in photography, recently celebrated its second anniversary. The well-attended event included an exhibition of some of the latest works by acclaimed Guatemalan photographer Luis González Palma. "Once you get past your second-year anniversary, you know you've overcome the most difficult stage in the process of opening and running a gallery," commented Alonso during the celebration. Recent renovations in the El Centro gallery included the addition of an exhibition hall. Future expansions to include even more exhibition space are planned for the coming year.

New Hospital To Open in Vallarta
Based on the well-established model of the Cornerstone hospitals in the USA, Cornerstone Vallarta Hospital plans to open in the spring/summer of 2004. The general specialty facility will include 13 physician offices, four intensive care beds, three operating rooms, pre-op and post-recovery rooms and overnight stay. Located opposite Plaza Caracol, Cornerstone Vallarta Hospital will offer the following services: orthopedics and traumatology, urology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, cardiology, general surgery, pediatrics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist, allergist and a nutritionist, plus an array of other specialties such as oncology, rheumatology, rehabilitation, endocrinology, neurology, gastroenterology, hematology and dermatology. It will be affiliated with major US, Canadian and European insurance companies.

Vallarta Hotel Association President Speaks Out
“It is necessary for Vallartenses to begin talking about Vallarta and its beauty with true passion,” stated Gabriel Igartúa Sánchez, recently elected president of the Vallarta Hotel Association. Among the Association’s primary goals will be to continue strengthening its marketing strategies geared specifically toward the USA. This will be accomplished through new partnerships with airlines currently flying to Vallarta (and hopefully increasing their flights) as well as new ones.

John Huston Tribute Ends Successfully
Mexico's film biz luminaries and various members of the John Huston clan gathered in town this past week to pay tribute the late film director, who put Puerto Vallarta on the map when he filmed "The Night of the Iguana" here 40 years ago. Huston’s son, actor Danny Huston, who introduced a restored print of "Iguana" (courtesy of Martin Scorsese) on Thursday as well as a packed outdoor screening of "Prizzi's Honor" on Friday, announced that the successful tribute also served as a precursor to the launch of a Puerto Vallarta Film Festival next year. "In the spirit of my father – who worked in the studio system and outside of it – it will be about films that go against the flow," said Huston, who was joined in Vallarta by his mother, Zoe Sallis, and sister Angelica Huston. Among those on hand for a balmy final night beach gala were event director Robert Roessell, Gabriel Figueroa, Jr. (son of "Iguana's" director of photography) and singer Maria Conchita Alonso, who treated the crowd to three impromptu post-dinner songs.