The Evolution of Art In Puerto Vallarta
Since its inception nearly thirty years ago, the art scene in Puerto Vallarta has matured in many ways. Beginning with a single gallery in 1971 to over 20 in this the first year of the new millenium, the galleries and their artists have grown to bring a wealth of culture and appreciation to the community. Seeing a need for a vehicle to display the talent that was abundant here, Jan Lavender, owner of Galeira Uno, opened the first gallery in Puerto Vallarta. She states the reason for the continued success of the art community as a whole is because, " this is a pleasant place to live and work with international exposure art has multiplied here because there is a market. Art feeds on itself, it is exponential, it adds to the quality of life for visitors and residents."
An obvious advancement is the numerous art genres that can now be found in Vallarta. There are galleries such as Muvieri where the native indigenous art of the Huichol Indians can be found. So too, are folk art galleries like Puerco Azul, where items are still made with centuries old techniques that have been handed down from one generation to the next. There are also galleries that feature silver crafted into one of a kind jewelry pieces and small-scale sculptures, as can be found at Galeira Pladi. The glass art medium has also made a big presence. Galeria Em produces custom orders of stained, etched, and blown glass as well as offering glass art objects from their cache of artisans. Antique Mexican and international artifacts of the highest quality along with master prints of great artist such as Diego Rivera, are displayed at Café des Artists Galerie, and the popular Mata Ortiz pottery can be found at Galeria de Ollas. These specialty art galleries have contributed greatly to the diversity of the art scene in Puerto Vallarta today.
While much of the business being conducted still relies upon the tourist trade, repeat clientele are making up an increasing percentage of the city's art industry. Gary Thompson, owner of Galeria Pacifico explains, " Puerto Vallarta is the kind of place people keep coming back, because of have the opportunity to become acquainted with a specific artists. This allows them to follow the image, allure and the whole mystic of a particular artist and can follow his or her work and their artistic progression from season to season." Many art patrons are known to plan their Puerto Vallarta vacation around their favorite artists' exhibition in order to add to their personal collections.
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