SATURDAY NIGHT ARTWALK
By Lin Robinson

There are lots of galleries in the Golden Zone with beautiful objects from all over Mexico. But people who like art done by local hands have always known to look for it downtown. Recently local artists and artisans became a lot easier to find, and their work easier to view...just come down to the Plazuela Machado for some Saturday Night Art Fever! The historic Machado has become the nucleus of the local artists´ community since the formation of the Saturday Artisans’ Bazaar, an open-air sale of craftwork and fine arts every Saturday night under the spreading trees that surround the old Plazuela. Tables show off prints, sculpture, clothing jewelry, toys...and the craftspeople who created them. You might find a hand-painted blouse, an old stone mortar, an intriguing woodcut signed by the artist who hands it to you, tuned wind-chimes, a stitched leather case, or a crystal necklace. Tourists, concert-goers, lovers, and bargain seekers circulate among the booths, many munching nuts, pies and treats for sale around the Plaza. It’s a festive but relaxed scene, with special tables where children can paint, and tots romp safely in the railed gazebos. Live music fills the air as creators show off their wares. This summer a new dimension has enfolded the Bazaar and made it even more interesting to art buffs. Two new galleries have opened in the Machado area, joining NidArt and the Bazaar as rich browsing spots, making it possible to see the cream of Mazatlán-produced art within a two block radius. Both newcomers are located in the historic Casa Machado, the big yellow building on the west of the Plazuela, on whose wide porches generations of Carnival Queens were crowned. Blas Nayar has located his gallery on the building’s north flank, next to the entrance to Casa Machado Museum. The old vault with its niches makes a good place for Blas’ paintings and woodcuts...as well as his classes. On the south side of the building, right by the Ambrosia restaurant, is the Elina Chauvet gallery, a cheery space full of wonderfully whimsical paintings, clothing, and ceramic works. NidArt has been there for years, just steps past the columns at the entrance to the Angela Peralta Theater, but has recently incorporated new work from two other, more distant galleries. The new jewelry and paintings join the

leather masks and incomparable ceramic sculpture in this charming gallery that is also a private home. These galleries are also open in the daytime, but Saturday night is a great time to see a wider gamut of work and also enjoy the music, dining, and “people watching” of the Machado at night. The Bazaar was originally formed as a collective by Nayar and Chauvet in order to give downtown artists and craftspeople a place to show their work and sell direct to the public. It has gone through some changes and political reversals, but continues to develop. After a few flirtations with the municipal art system and the Downtown Historical Society - both of which wanted to “own” the artists and charge high rentals to merely set up tables in a public park - the Bazaar morphed into a democratic group that jurors participants to ensure that everybody is selling mostly handicrafts, local fine art, books or antiques. It might seem strange to North Americans, who are used to cities that embrace such weekend artists’ markets, that the Bazaar not only receives no civic support, but is actually hindered and hassled by a city hall unfamiliar with the concept. They have been shut down, their space limited, their rents increased. But the artistic spirit - and the enthusiasm of aficionados - has kept it around. As the winter progresses, there is generally an influx of more artists, especially some very fine jewelers. There is often live music, such as drumming and Andean flutes at the Bazaar, and always good live sounds from performers in the restaurants. So the Saturday night art walk is a perfect way for visitors and residents alike to expose themselves to the local art vibe. Stroll through the bustling Plazuela while chatting and dickering with artisans, browse the galleries, which stay open on Saturday nights to accommodate viewers. Then relax with a drink or dinner in any of seven restaurants with sidewalk dining on the European-style Plazuela. Places to nosh or sip range from very fine dining with jazz to American hamburger joints, to bohemian cafes and posh desert joints, to authentic Mexican cuisine. Lots of people make the Saturday Bazaar a regular weekly stroll, like Sunday evenings at the Flag Plaza by the sea. So, music, good food and drink, artwork all around, and people having a good time...plenty of reasons to head for the Plazuela Machado on Saturday night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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