As promised, the two images that belong to the previous post about the Michoacan art festival are below. The first is a photo of a typical Tucuaro mask only produced in that area (and probably made by the master, Felipe Horta). Each one is more hideous/fantastic than the last. This one is probably my favorite ever!

 The photo below was taken at the Feria Maestros del Arte that happens earlier in the year. This gentleman is in full "dress uniform" to the delight of the crowd in attendance at that event in November every year. Another performance that is not to be missed is the "Dance of Old Men" where the performers wear masks that are almost angelic in their countenance. This is the regional Michoacan dance that represents the acceptance of aging in a happy and positive way. It is humorous and very entertaining to watch. To see these dances performed go to You Tube and you'll find a few great examples.

I'm going to let the pictures steal the show this time!
These are from an exhibit called "The Spirit of Michoacan" that was part of a weekend celebration of the arts and culture of the neighboring state of Michoacan, here in the Ajijic plaza. The event was the Purepecha Festival, or the Union of Pueblos. Besides the amazing large-format images . by Jesus Alexandre displayed there, artisans from more than a dozen villages displayed and sold their wares at very reasonable prices. A couple of other images I wanted to share were lost at one point when I tried to save them. Will follow up ...

The artisan community is huge and so diverse there. To the left is a copper craftsman, I believe. They also do a form of ceramics that is unique to the area. Please look at the website: www.visitmichoacan.com.mx to see the whole reperatoire of arts there. As a cautionary, this is the area recently that has had the most drug cartel violence (at least what has been reported ). Again, what I would suggest from over 8 years of visits in the area is to use a large dose of common sense as you would anywhere that is "questionable". Just as a follow-up to this post:  Regarding the photo exhibit in the Ajijic plaza, in the early morning about a week before the exhibit was to pack up and go on tour to San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, N.Y. and Toroto four of the images were stolen in the middle of the night, despite the efforts of the exhibit organizer to provide security around the clock. As soon as the word got out, a local effort here in Ajijic came together to support 

in replacing the stolen pictures. A bank account was established, etc. This is what we do here - when there is a need the community steps up.