A gourd is a member of the squash family. Grown in corn fields here between the stalks, they are harvested and stored in a bodega to dry. Indigenous people used the casings as practical implemen... read more

Our cover this month is graced with a ceramic plate, lovingly created by local potter Marybeth Coulter-Best. Originally from Meno, Oklahoma, Marybeth makes her home at Lakeside. She credits her Mexican... read more

Ajijic Grill was abuzz with anticipation with all in attendance waiting for the announcement of the five finalists in our 2nd annual, digital photography contest. Nick Paulini of Café Internet Ajijic ... read more

  This month's cover proudly displays the work of Ajijic native, Javier Zaragoza. The Artist was discovered by Niell James, an author and pioneer in this area. She also was the founder of the LCS (... read more

This month's cover is a digital photo of papier-mâché chili peppers taken in Ajijic. These strings of papier-mâché items are known as ristras and are just one of several Mexican paper, art f... read more

Efren Gonzalez was born and raised in Ajijic, a student of the Santos Degollado, Secondary School, at the top of Encarnacion Rosas. Never did the artist dream he would be the painter commissioned to ad... read more

Jose Zuñiga has been making castillos for the better part of 25 years. His father was a Maestro de Fuegos Artificiales, and from boyhood, he remembers being part of the family business. ... read more

As interviewed by A. McGillivray Q: Jude tell us about yourself: A: I was born in Chicago and grew up in the 50's in a small suburb. I married young, had four kids, a son and three daughters. Fourtee... read more

If you live here in Mexico and don't study the culture or experience first-hand this ancient and mysterious country, you are missing the richness that surrounds you daily. It is one thing to go on an a... read more

My friend passed away last week. I want to share her with you. But more than that, I need to explore my own feelings around her death. Why? First for me, so I can understand me better and second to per... read more

A constant fluttering, deafening whirlpool of claws, fangs, fins, tongues and horns bewilder the senses in a frenzied shuttlecock of figures. This is the Mexican art of crafting alebrijes, monsters lovingly formed out of ordinary cardboard. Their grotesque faces and body-parts are delicately sculpted and painted with intricate patterns in a profusion of vibrant colors. Even if the mind tries to identify sections, it is impossible to tell the origin of even one of these beasts, as they are created in the imaginations of the artists and no two are alike. read more