Six contemporary artists show at MERO Gallery
By Julie Doherty, April 20, 2007

Art exhibit Sat, Apr 21, 7pm MERO Arte Contemporáneo Zacateros 24 Cocktail opening

This week, MERO Arte Contemporáneo on Zacateros opened a collective exhibition featuring six contemporary artists from the region. Drawing together work by some of the gallery’s most popular painters, the exhibition is unique in that it represents a wide range of artistic styles, largely within the abstract tradition. From highly textured, minimalist pieces to bold and brightly colored paintings, the exhibition represents a delightful and well-conceived selection of MERO’s artists, keeping with the gallery’s mission to promote art that is both beautiful and contemporary.

The current exhibition at MERO includes work by the gallery’s co-owners, Michelle Wey and Joaquin Piñeiro. As painters, Wey and Piñeiro represent highly distinctive painterly styles. Wey’s delicate abstract paintings are characterized by subdued tones and almost-surreal abstract forms, which are at once angular and soft, and meticulously contoured in light and shadow.

Highly meditative and subtle, these pieces are contrasted by Piñeiro’s instinctive, lively, and bold approach to painting. Piñeiro uses a basic palette of bold colors and isn’t afraid to let paint run or splatter across the surface of the painting. In this exhibition, Piñeiro expresses his signature energy in a series of smaller format pieces, enriched by a layer of encaustic. 

Since Wey and Piñeiro began their collaboration in 2006, MERO Arte Contemporáneo has quickly become one of San Miguel’s vanguard galleries, distinguishing itself through its unique vision for contemporary art. According to its owners, “the special role of the artist in society is to serve as a reflection of his or her times; a reflection that is distilled through a delicate combination of contemplation, detached observation and inspiration.” Representing both emerging and well-established artists, MERO shows work that is fresh and contemporary, while maintaining a connection to aesthetic principals. According to the gallery’s mission statement the gallery exhibits: “Artists who demonstrate a mastery over their chosen medium and a dedication to the importance of aesthetics as the guiding principal in the creation of a work of art are proudly represented by this gallery.” 

Among the artists exhibiting, Magdiel Perez returns to MERO after his recent successful show at the gallery. Working with oil-based paint and encaustic, Perez’s work is characterized by lush textures and a distinctive palette of rich colors. Two other popular artists from the region, Jordi Boldo and Arturo Meade, are also included among the exhibition. Meade’s exhibition at MERO in January featured the artist’s work on paper. Currently, he is showing larger format work and sculpture. My recent works on canvas and prints will also be on display.

Reflections of Peru
By Carolina Culbertson Miller

(ART peru 1)
(ART peru 2)

Photographs by Carolina Culbertson Miller Sun, Apr 29, 5–7pm Bordello Galería Casa de la Turca Organos 19

The spirit and thrill of travel have been tucked away in my soul ever since I can remember. Once I was old enough to travel on my own, I was off.

I lived in Germany for several years, teaching in an Army school, singing in folk festivals and traveling every weekend and vacation—Spain, France, Greece, Belgium, Turkey, Egypt, Syria and on and on. You name it, and I had to see it, with camera, guitar and notebook in hand.

My first big publication was “Hungary on Horseback” in the Sunday New York Times travel section. It was such a success I ventured into more photojournalism—riding on horseback to the castles of France and Belgium, traveling in Guatemala and exhibiting poster-sized photographs of Canyon de Chelly in Arizona, which included a video and tales from my Navajo medicine man friend, Chauncey.

Mexico and the ruins of the Yucatán called me, then Guatemala’s Mayan ruins and on to Peru and the Incas. So much to see, learn and do.

I wanted to go on the Peru trip soon because I was worried about my heart condition and trekking at altitudes of 9000 feet and more. It was now or never.

My current exhibit is based on my travels in many areas of Peru—a wonderful, fascinating country with so many geographic variations: Volcanoes, the snow-capped Andes mountains, the Amazon River valley, the coastal desert sands, Inca ruins and fortresses, ancient burial grounds with long-haired mummies and the Islas Ballestas with thousands of barking seals and teeming with birds and various forms of wildlife.

The more I read about the Inca culture and the previous cultures of Peru, the more absorbed I became. We all know about the queen of ruins Machu Picchu, but there is so much more: the tombs of Chauchilla, the sacred valley, Inca terraces and fortresses clinging to the mountainside and Lake Titicaca at 13,000 feet which is shared with Bolivia are just some of the wonders of Peru. And one can’t forget the floating reed island of Uros, the island of Taquile and the mysterious Nasca lines.


I invite you to my photo exhibit to share the experience, the culture, the people, the animals and the music of Peru. Come! Jump into the feeling; learn and share.