AROUND TOWN


Meetings & Lectures

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

“Finding Resonant Messages in Surprising Places” is the topic at this Sunday’s meeting. Reverend Gail Tapscott shares how she finds highly personal, liberal and life changes in scriptures many UU’s have rejected as religious liberals. She examines the past and future UU use of some Jewish and Christian stories.

Rev. Tapscott, who is on sabbatical for a month in San Miguel, has been the spiritual counselor and Sunday worship leader at the UU Church of Ft. Lauderdale since 1999 and holds a Harvard Master of Divinity degree.

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30am at La Posada de la Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15. Visitors are invited to attend the service and then join the UUs in the hotel restaurant for brunch.



Midday Rotary Club

The Midday Rotary Club is pleased to have Joseph McClain, Artistic Director of Opera de San Miguel, speak on “Opera, Passion and San Miguel” at the March 24 meeting

Joe began his career as a tenor on American and German opera stages. During his 10 years of activity in Germany, he made the transition to stage direction, directing a wide range of British, German, and American plays in the German theater. Returning to the United States, he held faculty positions at various universities. McClain is the founding general director of Austin Lyric Opera, guiding the growth of a company, known as the “Wunderkind” of American operas, from its inception to its achievements as the most successful performing arts organization in Central Texas. As a stage director he has directed productions of virtually all the international operatic repertoire on stages in the United States, Europe and Canada. He served on the Board of Directors of Opera America as Vice Chairman for Artistic Initiatives and has been a full time resident of San Miguel de Allende for 5 years.

The Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende-Midday meets Tuesdays at Hotel Real de Minas, intersection of calles Ancha de San Antonio and Stirling Dickinson. Check-in time is 12–12:15pm and the meeting starts promptly at 12:30. Visit www.rotarysma.org  for more information.

Women Mystics

The free Lenten lecture series on Women Mystics continues at noon on Tuesday, March 24, with discussion about Julian of Norwich (1342—c.1416). Julian is the title given to an “anchoress” or type of hermit living attached to the church but devoted to contemplative prayer. Julian of Norwich is considered one of the greatest English mystics and famous for her saying “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” one of the most well-known phrases of the literature of her era. 

Julian’s major work, Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love, is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language. Deacon Ernie Townsend gives the lecture, followed by a panel discussion, in St. Paul’s Church, Cardo 6.



Classes & Workshops

Chess: patio and terrace

Chess players meet Mondays 5–6:30pm in the north portal of the Biblioteca Pública’s central patio. Players also meet three times a week at Casa de la Cultura on Chorro: Saturdays, 10am–2pm, Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30–7pm.


Botanical art classes in El Charco 

Charlotte Staub Thomas gives classes Monday–Friday, 9am–1pm, March 23–27, in English. The workshop in botanical art techniques uses the garden as laboratory. Classes are limited to 15 and cost US$235 for members of El Charco and $265 for the general public (2,350 pesos or 2,650 pesos). For reservations or information, email nzerriffi@yahoo.com. Classes in Spanish are March 28–29, with Alifie Rojas.

Tours & Excursions

Saturday Adventure Tours

This week is a magnificent one-stop tour to the home and gallery of Mayer Schacter in Atotonilco. Mayer and author wife, Susan Page have a home vibrant with color, and stunning decoration.

Then on to view the eclectic collection of Mexican Folk Art at his Gallery Atotonilco There are painted wooden trunks, costumes of ceremonial dances, complete with the masks as well as the popular painted wooden animals from Oaxaca. Skeletons in all sizes, shelves filled with ceramic figures, displays of pottery from every corner of Mexico and artesania pieces from every state fill the gallery. Mayer’s collection of old Mexican textiles even include ponchos from the time of Pancho Villa!

These tours benefit the Centro de Crecimiento school for disabled children and leave the Jardín, across from the Parroquia, at 10:30am.


Botanical Garden Tour 

A guided tour in English of El Charco del Ingenio each Tuesday and Thursday, 10am–12:30pm, is a fun and informative activity for people of all ages. Entry is 30 pesos (waived for members) and the tour is 50 pesos. Wear a hat and closed shoes. The juice bar next to the gift shop has water and refreshments. The easiest way here is by taxi. Staff will call a taxi for the return trip. Reservations are not necessary. Information: www.elcharco.org  or email nzerriffi@yahoo.com. 

Performances & Events 

Equinox at Chicomoztoc

A new site reclaiming the ancient heritage of the Chichimeca Guanajuato tribe is the Cerro del Culiacan, known also as Chicomoztoc, the highest mountain in the State of Guanajuato.

It is believed, from recent archeological research, to be the original site of The Seven Caves in the legend of the founding of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

An Equinox ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 21 with ceremonial and festive events during the day. The highlight is a special Native American ceremony led by San Miguel de Allende’s international teacher Marcela Andre Lopez, who is Lord Keeper of the Sacred Conch with the oldest Chichimeca founding families of San Miguel.

Art of the Poster: Chat with the curator

Martin Rosenberg, president of the Rosenberg Poster Collection, will be present at the exhibit “The Art of the Poster: Vintage Cultural Posters by Polish Artists 1945–1995” at Galería Pérgola, Sunday, March 22, 2–4pm.

The Rosenberg Poster Collection is the most comprehensive pre-1945 and postwar collection of original Polish posters covering movies, theater, music, jazz, opera, dance, sports, political, circus, exhibitions and rare product advertising. The collection represents, in depth, the work of the leading artists from the acclaimed Polish School of Design. Posters from the collection have been publicly exhibited in 10 states, including museums, government buildings, universities, art galleries, theaters, international film festivals and fine restaurants.

Martin Rosenberg, president of MR Posters, has collaborated in the production of two books on Polish posters and has published articles in magazines and news media.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the documentary Freedom on the Fence debuts at the Biblioteca March 20–21.

Galería Pérgola is located on the back patio of the Instituto Allende, Ancha San Antonio 20, www.galeriapergola.com, (415) 154-5595.



Films & Videos

Meditation Center

The Meditation Center at Callejon Blanco 4, near Quebrada, presents the latest Eckhardt Tolle DVD, Finding Your Life's Purpose, on Thursday, March 26 at 5:30pm. The films are free, though donations are always welcome. Please arrive well before 5:30, as seating is limited and late arrivals disturb others.

If you’ve been searching for your true purpose in life, Tolle has some straightforward advice: stop struggling. For the primary purpose of every human being is simply to be...fully engaged in this moment and aligned with the natural flow of reality itself. On Finding Your Life's Purpose, the best selling author of A New Earth invites you to discover the twofold intention of our human incarnation: to free yourself from the prison of "thought-based reality", and to express in your own way the grand vision that universal consciousness has for your life.

Finding Your Life's Purpose brings you into the vibrant presence of this sublime teacher,as he offers his one-of-a-kind guidance on: The beauty of effortless being, and how to awaken to it Tapping the vast power and intelligence of stillness How to embrace the space rather than the form of this moment Unfolding your purpose through actions in alignment with the timeless present How to see the deeper essence of another human being “You are the consciousness that illuminates the world. Know yourself as that—that’s what life wants with you,” teaches Eckhardt Tolle. With this liberating session of insights and “pointers”, you will enter this stream of luminosity.



Volunteer Opportunities

Does your nonprofit need some extra help, perhaps for an upcoming event? Send short requests for volunteers to edit@atencionsanmiguel.org  with “Volunteer Opportunities” in the subject line.



Atención proofreaders needed 

Atención seeks help with typo suppression—proof reading. The ideal candidates will have some professional experience in journalism or publishing, but we don’t live in an ideal world. Just drop by sometime for the 20-minute, nitpicking proofreading test. Hours are flexible, but the people who come Thursdays and Fridays like wrestling with manuscripts, while the Tuesday people prefer galleys.