By Bernardo Moreno
San Miguel de Allende is recognized for its art offerings, including galleries, museums, and cultural centers. You can find a great diversity, from decorative pieces to paintings by renowned artists. There are hundreds of galleries!
At the La Aurora Factory, we can get an idea of what is offered in San Miguel. At Skot Foreman Gallery you will find originals by renowned painters such as Purvis Young, Andy Warhol, or M.C Escher. Galería Intersección exhibits artists who are still creating their body of work, such as Santiago Corral, Rodrigo de la Sierra, Ian Johnson, or Leonardo Díaz, all of them with a long history, with interesting proposals and defined discourses, but in constant evolution. We also have some galleries of local artists who have established themselves and who are leaders in the town: Beatriz Cotaa and Joaquín Piñeiro, Juan Ezcurdia, or Mario Oliva, to name a few.
If you are looking for clothing and textiles that mix art and Mexican fashion of beautiful elaboration and design, Pineda Covalin is an option. If what you need is an architectural or decorative piece for your garden or home, Rachel Horn Home is what you are looking for.
In addition to dozens of artistic options in the La Aurora Factory, there are places to eat, have breakfast, have a beer or a good coffee—Food Factory, Café de la Aurora, or Geek & Coffee.
Changing scene, towards the center of town in the Guadalupe neighborhood, you should go to the Guadalupe Cultural Complex, which currently has two shows on display, Temporalis and Más allá de la imagen. Upon entering the beautiful building that houses the Ignacio Ramírez Cultural Center in Centro, you will surely find exhibitions of multiple works worthy of being selected by the National Institute of Fine Arts.
It is worth a reminder to go to the Museum of Masks and the Toy Museum that sometimes go unnoticed but are truly amazing. It is interesting to observe and learn about the immense collection of masks, mostly Mexican, many of them used in ceremonies, rites, and traditional festivals of various cultures within our vast national territory. At the Museum of Masks, in addition to seeing them, you will be able to learn the story behind them from the collector himself.
The La Esquina Museo Popular del Juguete museum permanently displays more than 3,500 original works collected over 57 years. These are popular toys, and the museum aims to explain the manufacturing characteristics, materials used, and, very importantly, their social role.
We have to emphasize that on April 14, 15, and 16, there will be theater at the El Sindicato Cultural Center, with the play “The Melancholy of the Tourist,” which has been presented in different national and international venues. There is limited space, so get your tickets early.
Lastly, if you are attracted to contemporary art, you cannot miss the opportunity to see the exhibition at Galería YAM, which has always made an effort to have the best of emerging contemporary art, and at Galería Nudo, which has a long history and today shows the work of Mexican and foreign artists.
So, art in San Miguel is everywhere.
