Art in Vallarta in the Art Guide
Since 1950, year in which the first painting exhibition took place, to date, Puerto Vallarta has become one of the poles with greater dynamism in the panorama of national art work and in a powerful magnet that attracts the same collectors and artists from other parts of the world.
It was the year 1950 and Hotel Paraíso celebrated its opening with an art show with works by Ramon Barragan, Joaquin Rodriguez Pedroza and Esteban Ramirez Güereño –being him the creator of the crown on Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, our city’s main icon. Ten years of silence marked the prologue for Manuel Lepe’s appearance in the early 60s, starting with him a time in which both the practice of visual arts and its market have had an exponential growth. In this decade appeared Daniel Lechon, Manuel Martinez, Starr Fojaco and Ricardo Troncoso.
Javier Niño is, without a doubt, the living creator representative of Vallarta's current art creation. He appeared firmly at the beginning of the 70s. Invited by Lepe, he took part of the first “Art Garden”, installed in Aquiles Serdan Park, along with Lepe, Manuel Martinez, Armando Lozano and Paco de la Peña, as well as appearing in a popular TV show dedicated to promote Vallarta and broadcasted nation wide. First level exhibitions took place in Manuel Lepe’s Gallery, where Niño shared honors with Manuel Felguerez, Pedro and Rafael Coronel and Jose Luis Cuevas. Documents from those days show also the art activities from the wonderful painter Daniel Inchaurregui, Jose Marca, Jesus Tellosa, Juan Pueblo, Regino Carrillo, Digur Weber, Rusell Davis, Lucy Chipley, Cathy Von Rohr and Marta Gilbert. The sculptor Armando Lozano showed the work of Alejandro Colunga, from Guadalajar, at the gallery he had just opened.
In 1978, The Department of Fine Arts from Jalisco started promoting activities of our city’s art and culture, with Jorge Souza Jauffred as their delegate. According to such iniciative, Vallarta's trusteeship offered the business spaces on the eastern side of Cuale River’s Island for the art and culture workshops from the same Department. Then, Tomas Arizmendi’s Folkloric Dance Workshop; Alberto Fabian’s Theater Workshop; Jorge Souza’s Literature Workshop and Javier Niño’s Painting one, with Manuel Martinez, Jose Marca, Kathy Huet, Juan Pueblo, Antonio Garcia and Pedro Vazquez’s help, started. There were also new spaces for Art Work exhibition opened at Hidalgo Park, Los Arcos’ Plaza and Cuale River, with work by Jesus Peinado, Roberto Bermejo, Pio Nancy, Dr. Ayotl, Elena Murguia, Carlos Murguia and Pico Resendiz.
The unexpected growth Vallarta’s art market and, consequently, the opening of new galleries and new creators from the 80s to date, makes it impossible –for this so short article- to give a detail listing of the main characters. We emphasize the outstanding presence of Ada Colorina, Ramiz Barquet, Francisco San Miguel, Meg Munro, Bill Megraill, Rogelio Diaz, Jaime Ximenez, Martina Goldberg and Rodrigo Lepe in the 80s, as well as, during the last fifteen years, the activities of Cecilia Bohorquez, Edgar Martinez, Fernando Sanchez, Sergio Martinez, Hania Leñero, Miguel Perez, Sheila Devine and Cathy Von Rhor.
