Motown photographer JJ in the Café
April 25, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Art Opening
Judith Anderson
Sat, May 3, 2–4pm
Café Santa Ana
Biblioteca Publica
Reloj 50A

Southern California photographer Judith Anderson will exhibit 20 images of people and personalities from San Miguel and Guanajuato during May at Café Santa Ana. The opening reception will feature an unusual raffle—guests will be invited to guess the location of the single image which was not “Hecho en México.”

The first 50 persons to arrive at the reception also will receive a token gift from the photographer. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of any photographic artwork from the exhibit will be donated to the Biblioteca Pública.

Anderson (aka JJ) has Motown roots and began her academic career at Eastern Michigan University near Detroit studying German, intensifying this interest at the Goethe Institute in Lüneburg, Germany. Her studies continued with Modern Greek for a year and a half on the island of Crete, where she experienced a visual awakening through the alluring Mediterranean juxtaposition of sea and sky, whitewashed architecture and black-clad figures.

Returning to Detroit, she pursued her newfound passion with a studio art degree in photography. While at Wayne State University and College for Creative Studies, she co-produced Readin & Writin Ain’t Everything for a nonprofit film collective. The documentary about the experience of the mentally handicapped in Michigan won a bronze medal at the New York Film Festival.

Beginning with portraiture of children and families, and later evolving into wedding coverage, travel photojournalism and architecture, her work has been influenced by living on the south coast of Crete and in Europe, Turkey, Mexico and Jamaica, where her first child was born. Exhibition and publication of her photographic artwork has gleaned international recognition. This award-winning photographer is now concentrating on production of photographic fine art and a product line.

International art fair in Mexico City
By Margaret Failoni

Art Exhibit
Feria Mexico Arte Contemporaneo
Wed–Sun, Apr 23–27
Centro Banamex
Av. Conscripto 311, Sala C
Colonia Lomas de Sotelo
Mexico City

Feria Mexico Arte Contemporaneo (FEMAC) is much larger this year and therefore is being held at Centro Banamex (an air-conditioned building). It opens (by invitation) Wednesday, April 23 and will be open to the public through Sunday, April 27.

The art of imperfection
By Beverly Russell

Art Opening
Wabi-Sabi, A Collaboration
Shirli Marcantel & Gregory Ellis
Sat, May 3, 5-8pm
Gallery Talk, Sun, May 4, 11-12
Generator Gallery
Fábrica la Aurora

With a home and studio in Atascadero, Shirli Marcantel and Gregory Ellis frequently take walks in the nearby Botanical Gardens, which have become a source of inspiration for their artworks, to be shown at Generator Gallery opening Saturday, May 3 thru Wednesday, July 2.

Paintings in 23 carat gold shimmer with the scintillating richness that only this metal can deliver, but upon closer inspection, a bed of miniature roses, the spiraling whirls of water--“a tribute to the Water Spirit, El Chan”--or delicately cascading leaves can be detected in the subtly beautiful canvases.

The couple, who collaborate on most all of the work produced, became full time residents of San Miguel three years ago after first living in Pozos.

The overriding theme of the work is botanical in motif, including images of gardens, captured on black and white infrared film, and ceramic vases for flowers and other plant material.

They ascribe the Japanese term, “wabi-sabi” to their broad ranging collection of artistic endeavors, which includes paintings, photographs, collages, clay objects and sculpture. The term comes from nature, Marcantel explained, which is seemingly random in it’s configurations and “perfect in it’s imperfections.”

Gregory and Shirli”s work is held in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. Shirli’s photography is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Art’s Photography Collection in Houston, Texas and the Mexic Arte Collection in San Antonio, Texas.

The ceramic containers and “table sculptures’ will be featured in a gallery lecture on Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement, in June. Ben Pitre, an Ikebana expert, and resident of San Miguel will speak about and demonstrate the principles of Ikebana.

Beverly Russell is the author of several books on design and the arts. She has written articles for numerous publications including The New York Times.