The Arts of Los Cabos - Article by Sabrina Lear - Los Cabos Magazine

The Arts of Los Cabos

Local and International Artists Brighten
a Growing Creative Community

Article by Sabrina Lear - Los Cabos Magazine - Issue #4

Los Cabos doesn't have the arts and crafts tradition of Todos Santos, its smaller neighbor to the north. Still, that's not stopping talented artists, some with international reputations, from forging ahead and establishing studios and galleries of their own in Los Cabos. Starting in Cabo San Lucas, here are a few notables to whet any collectors appetite.
In Cabo San Lucas, on Boulevard Marina, Cardón Galería in Plaza Nautica is a home furnishings gallery with original art and a good selection of prints from around the globe. Cardón doesn't feature many local artists but does carry originals by realist painter Emilia Leena and originals and prints by American watercolorist John Cook, both of whom are part time residents. Worth a look, Cardón also features original art by Mexican artists from Guadalajara and other areas of Mexico.

Also in Cabo San Lucas, but more comfortably reached by car or taxi, is Kaki Bassi's Galería, off Avenida San Lucas at Libertad and El Arco. Texas- born Bassi has been in Los Cabos for many years, painting in both watercolor and mixed-media format depicting the rupestre art of Baja California's ancient man. Offering custom framing and matting with acid-free materials, her gallery is also home to works by artists from the Cape Region, notably Edmundo Pedraza and Raphael Chavez, both from La Paz. Bassi, a graduate of Texas A & M who has taught and painted abroad, also works tirelessly to promote the arts through seasonal festivals and group shows. Open through siesta from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday; call 114-3-35-10.

At the Hotel Meliá Cabo Real, at the Cabo Real Resort in the Corridor, is the Galería Super Nova. On the lower level of the hotel near the staircase, this new gallery features original art by well known artists who reside in Los Cabos. Super Nova also carries small replicas of ancient Aztec art and locally etched glassware of excellent quality. Painters Kaki Bassi, Antonio Viveros, Rafael Chávez and Edmundo Pedraza are all represented as well as local metal sculptor Rick Murray. For exhibition information, call gallery director Betty Ann Wilkinson at (624) 14 4-00-00. Also in the Corridor, at the Hotel Casa del Mar, are works by Luis Rionda, a local restaurateur and gifted artist originally from México City, who has painted for thirty years and considers himself a Fauvist. His colorful canvases combine both naive and realist styles and may be found in the small gift gallery off the hotel lobby, and at his marina-front bar, Olé Olé, in Cabo San Lucas.

A few miles southwest of San José del Cabo, up the hill from Playa Costa Azul off Km. 28.5 of Highway 1, is the Wentworth Porter Studio and Gallery. Porter, originally from Philadelphia, PA, received his B.F.A. from the Santa Barbara Art Institute, and moved his studio to Los Cabos some years ago. Porter has painted much of the American north and southwest, notably in the art colonies of Sedona, Arizona, and Taos and Santa Fe, New México. A professional artist for 25 years, Porter has taught and lectured extensively and is known as a master of light and shadow. A post-impressionist, Porter uses loose, abstracted brush strokes to achieve realistic impact. His vibrant works depict the people of the Cape region, from vendors on Médano Beach to abandoned mining towns, with annual forays into mainland México and abroad. His impressive, original oils are on view locally at the Hotel Palmilla; and Cabo Design Center, Copal and Galería de Arte "Da Vinci" also feature original works and prints. His studio gallery is open by appointment only. By popular demand, Porter will lead two weekend pastel workshops during the 1996-1997 winter season. Call 90 or 91 (624) 14 8-06-01 to book a studio visit or for more information.

If you've visited the La Jolla de Los Cabos resort, you may have noticed the large works of Los Cabos' most celebrated Mexican artist, realist Victor Cauduro Rojas, painted mural style onto the walls of the resort. They are located in the lobby, restaurant and lower level behind the waterfall. Cauduro's murals have been admired at La Jolla since 1989, the most recent being the lobby works, painted in 1994 with the completion of the resort. Originally from México City, Cauduro is largely self-taught. Painting in oils or mixed-media and using a smoothly applied brushstroke at times combined with textures, his paintings often have an evocative, haunting quality. Cauduro is adept at mixing realism with surrealistic themes and varying perspectives. He has also exhibited abroad and lived and painted in Paris for a time. Popular with upscale Cabeños for his fine commissioned portraiture, Cauduro also teaches; and exhibits lithographs at Galería de Arte "Da Vinci" in San José del Cabo. His studio is in the the La Jolla resort, call (624) 142-05-19 for more information. La Jolla also hosts the annual San José del Cabo Art Festival each March, a popular event with over sixty participants. Now in its third year, the event is the highlight of the season for Los Cabos art aficiónados.

Antonio Viveros, originally from México City, came to San José del Cabo to paint many years ago. His primitive and whimsical Mexican naive paintings are colorful and widely collected. Originally in dance, Antonio, a cultured, well-spoken man with a studio home in Colonia Chamizal, shows a collection of his own work as well as other arts and crafts from the 30's to present day. His frames, designed and handcrafted by partner Eduardo Campos, are works of art on their own. Viveros' art may be seen in the Galería de Todos Santos, Galería de Kaki Bassi, Galeria Super Nova, Copal and Galería de Arte "Da Vinci". His studio is open by appointment, call (624) 142-13-55.

The Cabo Design Center, on Highway 1, south of the stoplight in San José del Cabo, is an eclectic mix of home furnishings and original art. Artist Christina Gaglia, originally from Laguna Beach, CA, paints on silk and designs and makes custom tiles. She also exhibits her own as well as the works of a select group of local fine artists. Her gallery features black bamboo and antiques from Bali and Indonesia, custom wood and iron work and is a design resource for many of the posh villas and condominiums in the area. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays, call (624) 142-35-08 for more information.

In San José's historic district, on Calle Zaragoza, is Casa Paulina. This home furnishing gallery houses a collection of upscale Mexican items from linens to original interior design. It is also the place to view beautifully appealing metal sculpture by artist Julian Garcia. World travelled, Garcia had a studio in Todos Santos for many years, long before its current arts and crafts revival. In 1993, he built his studio home (not open to the public) in the Corridor with designer wife Paulina Gutiérrez de Velasco. Garcia, well known locally for his fine large format works of desert and underwater scenes, has recently been concentrating on metal sculpture. He also exhibits both paintings and sculpture at Galería de Arte "Da Vinci", around the corner from Casa Paulina. Casa Paulina features custom design for business and residential clients, observes siesta from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m and is closed Sunday.

Also in San José del Cabo, at Plaza Mijares next to Café Fiesta, is Copal Galería. An arts and crafts gallery, Copal also features the work of local artist Monica G, who paints in a realist style using resins to create three-dimensional shapes on her canvas. Copal has the largest collection of her work in Los Cabos. A lovely air-conditioned gallery that nicely mixes fine art with Mexican crafts, Copal also exhibits the works of Raphael Chavez, Edmundo Pedrazo, Antonio Viveros, Kaki Bassi and Dennis Wentworth Porter, among others. Galeria Copal is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

New to San José del Cabo is Galería de Arte "Da Vinci," on Morelos, between Zaragoza and Obregon. The largest collection of original art in the area, Da Vinci shows lithographs by Victor Cauduro, originals and prints by Dennis Wentworth Porter, Kaki Bassi, Julian Garcia, Antonio Viveros, metal sculpture by Rick Murray ... all locals... and Max Uranga and Roxanna Pratt from La Paz. Open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., closed Tuesdays. Call Anja Godderis at (624) 142-12-40, for the latest on exhibits and classes in Painting and Spanish.

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