In case you haven´t noticed, there’s a new kiosk in the portico of the Angela Peralta Theater stocked with souvenir items related to the theater and the neighborhood. It’s the brain child of the affable José Rivera Felix, who says his first job as an architect was assisting Arq. Juan Jose Leon Loya on the restoration of the building. Recent visitors to Mazatlán may not know that the vintage 1874 theater, jewel in the crown of the historic district, was but a shell in the 1980s and under threat of the wrecker’s ball. Some civic-minded residents, including the mayor of that day, José Angel Pescador, saved the building from destruction and eventually gathered enough money to restore it to its magnificent former self. After five years of work, the theater reopened in 1992. Rivera Felix, who has his own architectural firm, has always taken pride in having worked on the restoration and says he wondered why souvenirs of the theater were not made available to the many tourists who visit there every day. He invested in the design and financing of a stock of souvenirs — cushions, T-shirts, lithographs, postcards, shopping bags and the like — then built a kiosk with a design reminiscent of the theater itself. So it

fits right in under the entranceway without a jarring note, which is probably why he received permission to set it up there. An official of CONA CULTA, the national agency for cultural affairs, happened to be visiting local relatives and walked past the theater. When he saw Rivera Felix’s lithographs depicting the historic zone, he was so impressed that he took a batch back to Mexico City. He plans to send reproductions of this art work to major publications throughout Mexico along with descriptions of the restoration of Mazatlan’s historic district, says the architect. The state office of tourism also has decided to publish bilingual folders describing Old Mazatlán illustrated with Rivera’s art work. As for the kiosk, it’s too early to tell whether Rivera’s little side business venture will break even, but the proprietor has hopes of making a go of it. Whether you buy anything or not, you’re welcome to stop and look and maybe chat with Rivera if he’s there instead of the clerk he hired so he could go back to his drawing board. He speaks some English and certainly understands it, and couldn’t be a better ambassador of goodwill for visitors to Mazatlán. jackie@pacificpearl.com