Gonzalez Gallo Centro Cultural

My casita is situated one block from the malecon and the lake, but I'm also fortunate enough to be just down the street from the old train station which connected Lake Chapala to the rest of the Mexican republic. The center was designed and built by architect and engineer Guillermo de Alba in 1920. "From 1904 to 1909, Chapala was the chosen springtime vacation destination for Mexico President Porfirio Diaz and his family and friends." The building was restored in 1997 and reopened in 2006. It's a beautiful building which reflects the eclectic architectural movement of the early twentieth century. We are in the process of organizing an artist talk/exhibition of work scheduled for May 29th, my last day here in Chapala! Sienna Dahlen (www.siennadahlen.com), a very accomplished singer/composer from Toronto, Ontario, is one of the residents for 360 Xochi Quetzal. She will be performing as well as Diana Spechler, (www.dianaspechler.com/) a writer living and working in NYC, Karen Cohen, (www.karencohen.photoshelter.com), a photographer living and working in Washington D.C., local artist Churro will perform improvised painting while Sienna is singing and perhaps while Diana is reading excerpts from her latest book. I will have a slideshow of my work and have some pieces I have made while in residence here. (www.tanyamoniquejewelry.com) We also hope to have other local and indigenous artists display their works.