Bellas Artes San Miguel de Allende

I'm linking up at Monday Mural hosted by Oakland Daily Photo.

January 2016 - San Miguel de Allende Mexico

Bellas Artes is also known as Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante” is only two blocks from the busy Jardín, but it is an oasis of peace and quiet.

The building was originally constructed in 1755-65 as the cloister area of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception (Las Monjas) The convent was founded by María Josefa Lina de la Canal y Hervás, daughter of one of the most famous of all great San Miguel families, the Canal Family.

Quite the lifestyle!!! Their town home now houses the Banamex, right on the Jardín,

 and their country estate became the Instituto Allende. 

Associated with Mexico's Instituto Nacionál de Bellas Artes (INBA), this former place of prayer and contemplation is now dedicated to art.

Bust of Ignacio Ramirez, which is also the name of one's of town's markets.

It is ironic that a former convent, home to several generations of brides of Christ, is now named for one of Mexico's most famous atheists.
Thanks to Wikipedia I learn the following.

Juan Ignacio Paulino Ramírez Calzada (22 June 1818 - 15 June 1879) was a Mexican writer, poet, journalist,lawyer, atheist, and political libertarian from San Miguel de Allende, then called San Miguel el Grande. His father had been a prominent federalist politician. In writings, Ramírez used the pen name, El Nigromante (The Necromancer).

Ramirez is famous in Mexico's literary annals for his speech at the Academy on a topic so controversial that had the effect of a dynamite explosion: "There is no God. Natural beings sustain themselves" (("No hay Dios; los seres de la naturaleza se sostienen por sí mismos").

Long after his death, his atheism was the subject of a scandal in 1948 when muralist Diego Rivera painted a mural at the Del Prado Hotel with Ramírez holding a sign reading, "Dios no existe" ("God does not exist"). Rivera would not remove the inscription, so the mural was not shown for 9 years – after Rivera agreed to remove the offending words. He stated: "To affirm "God does not exist", I do not have to hide behind Don Ignacio Ramírez; I am an atheist and I consider religions to be a form of collective neurosis. I am not an enemy of the Catholics, as I am not an enemy of the tuberculars, the myopic or the paralytics; you cannot be an enemy of the sick, only their good friend in order to help them cure themselves.

Some of the murals.
"WASHERWOMEN" - By Eleanor Cohen in 1941.

"Fanaticism of the people" - By Pedro Martinez in 1939. (The Vampire Hunt)

"WEAVERS" - By Pedro Martinez in 1940.

Cool serene hallways.

Lovely garden with chairs where people feel free to lounge and relax. Art is sprinkled around.

There was a guard on this gallery and the guard was happy to explain the murals in the room.

I was excited to see the name Siqueiros on the door as I had just finished reading Frida and knew that Siqueiros was a contemporary of her husband Diego Rivera and along with Orozco are considered the fathers of mexican Muralism.
Click here for some of Orozco's murals we saw earlier in the month in Guadalajara.

We are not allowed to take photos but we learn that Siqueiros never finished this work of art which takes up the whole room.

It seems Siqueiros left the project in the late 1940s after a political disagreement with an administrator from the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes. The National Institute of Fine Arts acquired the rundown building in 1962, establishing the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez – El Nigromante in honor of the San Miguel writer, atheist and progressive thinker. Theater props had been stored in the room until 1997, when Vida y Obra de General Ignacio Allende went on view for the centennial of Siqueirosʼs birth. 

It may be unfinished but that doesn't diminish the sense of awe one feels. The guard showed us that the heart shape on the upper left shifted depending on the angle you viewed it from.

Image source

There are classrooms upstairs and a great view of the church of the Immaculate Conception (Las Monjas). I will have to take us inside the church!!

Instuituto Allende - San Miguel de Allende

January 2016 - San Miguel de Allende Mexico

We visited this building several times on our stay in SMA.

The institute is a few blocks southwest of the town center. It is housed in a massive building that was originally erected as a country residence for the wealthy Canal family.The family of the Conde de Canal began building on the site in 1735. In 1809 it was sold to the Discalced Carmelite sisters. The art college occupies the rear of the complex and its gardens. The front has a commercial plaza with a café and several galleries.

The Instituto Allende is an independent, private, non-profit organization. The faculty and office staff all speak both English and Spanish. Students may take Spanish language classes. Practical courses are given in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, weaving, jewelry, photography, batik, lithography, paper making, etching, monotype printing, and silkscreen. The institute also gives classes on the history of art. Students may earn a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts and a Master's degree in Fine arts, both recognized by many universities in North America.

The first time was to see the murals. On the back wall there is a mural of Mexican history by David Leonardo. In the corner, find El Café, a cozy spot to stop.

The main mural is featured here.

Click here for more photos of murals.

We came back to attend the Arts and Crafts Show. 

Take the stairs in this passageway to the lower courtyard and discover one of the best views of town. On the way discover these stunning murals.

 Didn't I say stunning??

This venue is often used for wedding photo shoots.

Rather fun.

Back through the arches and another look at these murals.

Back amid the bustling craft show we spotted this gated room in the other far corner.

Monday Mural

I'm linking up at Monday Mural hosted by Oakland Daily Photo.

January 2016 - San Miguel de Allende Mexico

We found these murals at the Allende Institute.

The mural, titled Ignacio Allende y La Historia de Mexico was painted by David Leonardo who completed this mural in 1999. Ignacio de Allende, is the figure at the lower right, and Padre Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is at the podium on the upper left. They are heroes of Mexican independence. After 11 years of fighting Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. The efforts of these men from San Miguel de Allende and Dolores, both in the state of Guanajuato were central to Mexico’s fight for independence.

Sunday Stroll around SMA

January 2016 - San Miguel de Allende Mexico

Sunday we set out for the Arts and Craft Market at Instituto Allende.

I bought a couple of cushion covers from this man.

 The show continued in the lane beside the institute. I did buy a Frida ring here.

I spotted this painting inside a restaurant near the Instituto.

Our rather loose plan was now to walk into town with no particular destination in mind.

Popped into this great fabric store that also sold aprons, place mats and shirts.

I wanted to go back to the Bella Artes as I was looking for a specific sculpture. Detailed blog to come.

One of the towers of the la Concepcion church. I will take you inside on another visit.

Back on Insurgentes, ice cream?

Sunday busy outside La Salud.

John declares it is crevasa time so we stop in a local restaurant and have micheladas and guacamole.
Sign for the ladies room.

Back outside and they are lined up outside Gralia's as usual. it is funny as this was our first meal out in SMA and there was no line up. At the time we didn't realize that Gralia is a really big Mexican star.

Another shot of San Francisco.

Back around by the Jardin where the Art Walk too place yesterday.

Not sure what this food stand was selling but it was definitely attracting customers.

We take a quiet street and start our descent.

Street art.

As we reach the end of the street we both suddenly realize where we are ending up, by the Parque Benito Juarez which we had seen when we took the trolley tour. We entered and it was quiet with artists displaying their works along the pathways.

But then we came to a section containing all kinds of potted plants!

 I had plans to come here on February 2nd as I had read about the Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas Day). This religious holiday marks the 40th day after the birth of Jesus. Special masses involve the blessing of seeds for fertility and candles, representing the light of the world.

In San Miguel, Candlelaria is the unofficial beginning of spring and it's become famous for the plant flower sales held in Juarez Park.

But it was in full "spring" on this Sunday. Dozens of vendors line the walkways of the park, selling everything imaginable for the garden.

Carved trees.

 All kinds of items for sale.

Instant restaurants appeared.

 And then as we reached the heart of the park everything multiplied, sounds, plans, people and noise!!

Starter plants in beer cans.

La musica!!

People stroll the paths planning the year's plantings. Old men with wheelbarrows scurry about, carrying bedding plants and bougainvilleas, terra cotta planters and potting soil, to the cars and trucks parked on the street.

As an ex-gardener it was very painful not to be able to buy anything!!! We left, empty-handed. Grabbed a cab and headed for some groceries.
Our walk took us around 8,000 steps.




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