After arriving at midnight Sunday night, we got up early and had breakfast at our respective bed and breakfasts. Steve then took the group on a walking tour to get our bearings in San Miguel, including the Bella Artes (an art school in a beautiful colonial structure that once was a cloistered convent), the Jardin (the town’s central plaza) where we paused for a cool beverage in a lovely colonial restaurant, and, finally, one of the large produce, flower, and meat markets. Then after a little shopping at a market of craftspeople from all over Mexico that would remain only a few days, we returned to our B&B’s at 2:00 p.m. for lunch.

Feeling worn out from the previous day’s travel, our late arrival, the morning’s walk, and the altitude (6,200 ft.), most of the group decided to rest during the afternoon. Jonquil, however, would have no part of that and was ready to see more. So, she and Steve hiked the serious climb up cobblestone streets to an overlook where they could view all of San Miguel. Along the way, they got to see Parque Juarez (a large, formal park dating from Maximilian’s time and full of tropical flora), the springs around which the town originally grew (where local women still wash their clothes), the bull ring (which is usually locked up) and explored many of the alleyways and streets that give San Miguel its charm.

Feeling rested and restored, most of the group set out in the early evening to see what was shaking at the Jardin. There, Steve quickly zeroed in on a street vendor and bought a hamburger which he promptly inhaled. The group then migrated to a nearby restaurant, Mama Mia’s, and had dinner complemented by the music of a small jazz group. (Our week in San Miguel corresponded with the town’s 13th annual International Jazz Festival and jazz was everywhere.) After dinner, Steve led the group to a hot chocolate cafe where we all had hot chocolate and churros (mmm…good!).

We started a little later this morning, beginning at 11:00 with an informative lecture at the Instituto Allende by Rodolfo Fernandez, the Instituto’s former director. The lecture, on Mexican history and culture, was presented in front of a large mural in the Instituto’s courtyard which depicts Mexico’s history. Since Tuesday marked Mexico’s “Día de la Revolución”, the lecture was a great introduction for the day. The city of San Miguel was celebrating “Día de la Revolución” all day and this included a city-wide parade which consisted mostly of children. After the lecture, many in the group headed for the Jardin to see it.

After the parade and lunch, we all took cabs out to a former textile factory called Aurora which has been converted into artists’ studios and galleries. There we went our separate ways to look at paintings, sculpture, jewelry, art books and to watch artists work in their studios. After perusing the galleries and waiting for our cabs to return, one cab left with half the group. The street was then promptly closed down for the rest of the afternoon for a half-marathon (part of the festivities) and the other half of the group had to walk back into the center of town. When we all finally regrouped at the Jardin, we went to a nearby restaurant for snacks and drinks.

Today was a “free” day, but at 9:00 a.m. we all met at the “Jardin de Don Quijote” B&B where most of the group stayed, then moved on to the Instituto Allende to start a day trip to Atotonilco, Dolores Hidalgo, and Guanajuato. Highlights of the day were many, including the church at Atotonilco, the “Sistine Chapel” of Mexico, and the church at Dolores Hidalgo, known as the “Heart of Mexico” (where the revolution of 1810 liberating Mexico from Spain began). We stopped between the two towns to visit a Talavera ceramics factory and saw the pottery in all stages of production. Of course, we also shopped a bit while we were there.

After leaving Dolores Hidalgo, we drove into the mountains to an altitude of 10,000 feet where we stopped in the lovely little town of Santa Rosa de Lima and had lunch. After lunch, we visited a Majolica ceramics factory and…shopped some more. From there, our drivers took us on to Guanajuato, a former silver mining town and capital of the the state. Along the way, one of our drivers, Antonio, who was a gifted singer, serenaded us with traditional Mexican songs. Once in Guanajuato, we visited the Granary (site of a famous battle in the revolution of 1810), the Diego Rivera Museum (located in his childhood home), the Central Mercado (housed in a former cast iron train station), went down into the former mining tunnels (now used for most of the city’s traffic) and took the tram up to the statue of “El Pipila” (hero of the revolution) for a view of the city lights. On the way back to San Miguel, the drivers treated us with a “fuel stop”...the “fuel” being tequila for us.

The PNCA had provided us with an introduction to Susan Plum, an internationally known artist who lives in San Miguel, and bright and early this morning we went to visit her in her home and studio. Susan is currently working with formed glass rods to make both wall pieces and free-standing sculpture. She is also an active advocate of women’s rights and in relation to this she showed us a video of a performance and installation she produced in Queretaro, Mexico entitled “LUZ Y SOLIDARIDAD”. Created to honor the mothers of young women murdered in Juarez, it will soon travel to the Fowler Museum in Los Angeles for the opening of “The Missing Peace”, an exhibition in honor of the Dalai Lama. (You can visit her website at: www.susanplum.net) After the “formal” visit with Susan, many in the group stayed to continue the conversation with her and look at more of her work. The rest of the group spent the remaining time before lunch sketching and photographing subject matter for our days to come in the studio.

At lunchtime, several members of the group met for a traditional Thanksgiving meal in the courtyard of the Instituto Allende. Others shared salsa and drinks in the garden of their B&B. In the late afternoon, just prior to sunset, several of us took taxis up to the El Charco del Ingenio (a botanical garden that Susan Plum had recommended). It was a wonderful place to see a wide variety of native plants, a nearby canyon, expansive views of San Miguel and the surrounding mountains, as well as a beautiful sunset. Susan had described it as a very spiritual place and, indeed, it was. She noted that it is known as a world peace site as designated by the Dalai Lama.

After returning from the botanical park, we went to several different places for dinner as smaller groups. One group was treated to a belly dancer (actually their waitress) during their dinner, while others were treated to classical guitar and vocals while they dined. After dinner, three of us stopped by a very small mescal bar called “La Botica” where we had befriended the two young proprietors. It was a very slow night and one fellow minded the bar while the other chatted with two friends. With us, that made seven people in the place, which almost filled it up. Soon, six musicians walked up and asked if they could play for us. Of course, we all said “sure” and in they came…filling up what remained of the tiny space. Within minutes of beginning their impromptu set of Gypsy Jazz, the place was shoulder to shoulder with standing people and the street outside was packed, as well. It turned out they were the “Hot Club of San Francisco” who were to be the grand finale of the Jazz Festival on Sunday night in the theater. It was a case of “right time/right place” for a rare treat!

Today everyone was free to spend their time as they pleased, although most of the day was to be spent sketching or photographing subject matter for use in the studio. Some of the group did find time to do a little shopping, to buy art materials at a small (but complete) art supply store, or to just enjoy being in San Miguel, which by that time everyone was comfortable wandering around in on their own.

After sketching and enjoying San Miguel for the afternoon, we all gathered late in the day in the studio provided for us by the Instituto Allende. There, we reviewed what we’d done in preparation for painting in the studio in the coming days. We also used the time to discuss what our individual intentions were for creating more finished work and got feedback from the other students. After finishing the critique in the early evening, we all went our various ways for dinner and evening on the town.

Now it was time to bring all the week’s activities to fruition; to go into the studio and channel into creative output all we’d learned about Mexican history and culture, as well as seen and experienced on our explorations of the area. On this, the first of two full days in the “pintura” studio at the at the Instituto Allende, everyone explored their own visions, interacted, and learned from each other. We painted from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. when we broke for lunch.

After lunch, it was back into the studio to paint some more. As we worked, Steve was able to provide each of us with encouragement, as well as concrete suggestions for our growth as painters, despite our different levels of accomplishment. We called it a day at 5:00 p.m. as the light in the studio dimmed with the setting sun. Afterwards, Jenny, Jonquil, and Cindy provided salsa, chips, and drinks in the garden of their B&B.

This was another “free” day. Although there were other tours available through the Instituto Allende, a minimum of six participants was required and we couldn’t get a quorum. Consequently, we all did as we pleased for the day. Three of us went to a spa, “La Gruta”, about ten minutes from town for a dip in the hot springs and an outdoor massage. Others relaxed in San Miguel or rested at their B&Bs. That evening, we all gathered at the “Teatro Angela Peralta” (a neoclassical theater dating from 1873) for the grand finale of San Miguel’s 13th Annual International Festival of Jazz.

The Jazz Festival program that evening included the “Hot Club of San Francisco” (known for reviving the music of Django Reinhardt and French Gypsy Jazz in general), followed by an all-star tribute to Ray Charles. We had prime, second row seats and enjoyed an excellent evening of music. Afterwards, we all enjoyed dinner together at a nearby restaurant, then headed back to our B&Bs to rest up for another day in the studio.

Another day in the studio, continuing our progress. As we all worked on the paintings we had begun on Saturday, Steve floated among the group offering suggestions and providing guidance. Given the delightful weather, some of the group scattered around the Instituto’s beautiful garden and painted from life. Once again, we worked from 9:00 to 2:00, when we took a break for lunch at our B&Bs.

After lunch, we worked two more hours until the light faded again. We all worked feverishly to get our pieces finished for the critique Tuesday morning and by late afternoon fully resolved paintings started appearing on the walls. Not everything got completed, but everything reached a point where it could easily be resolved after returning home. When we were done, we all gathered on the other B&B’s third floor patio and enjoyed snacks and drinks once again .

After the gathering on the patio broke up, we all went our separate ways for the evening. As had become the routine, three of us gravitated to “La Botica” to see our friends, Alejandro and Mauricio, and to sample their mescal. As luck would have it, who shows up again…the “Hot Club of San Francisco”. As was the case the first night we encountered them there, they didn’t stick strictly to the gypsy jazz they’re famous for and played a wider range of music. Once again it was a rare treat to experience such talented musicians in an intimate, informal setting.

At 9:00 a.m. we all gathered in the studio at the Instituto for a final critique of what we had done. For about two hours, we discussed each participant’s work in depth and heard what each had to say about how the trip had affected their work and themselves personally. Everyone agreed it had been a rich, fascinating experience. After taking a few pictures of one another and our work, we then dispersed for a last afternoon in San Miguel before departing the next day.

One last chance to savor the atmosphere of San Miguel and prepare to leave Wednesday morning.