Every year I like to reflect on what these past 12 months were like for me personally as well as highlighting major events in the world (with some bias, of course). For this year’s review of 2025, here is my best shot at what made the cut….
As I approach my 72nd birthday, I always like to reflect back and assess the year and what would be different going forward. For this year’s birthday, I want to reflect on the process and outcomes of my first yearlong travel as a solo nomad at the age of 70 in helping others understand what it entails. As I enter my second and final yearlong travel, I hope to add to these reflections documenting what I’ve learned while experiencing the emotional and physical changes that come with aging. Here goes…..Reflections.
As 2024 ends, half of this country is dreading what will be four years of insanity. I can only hope that there will be an awakening that leads to controlling the worst impulses of human greed and our government becoming a corporatocracy. For now, let see what will become of our democracy. I for one, truly believe that most Americans are more pragmatic and centered than those on the right or the left…..
Art Basel, also known as Miami Art Week offers a combination of art fairs, museum exhibitions, satellite art programs, public art and murals seen through its many neighborhoods and commercial districts. There are over a dozen art fairs and it’s almost impossible to see them all. During this first week of December, the Art World in Miami is showcasing every form of art …. exhibitions, installations, performances, panel discussions and workshops representing every demographic and special interest group with plenty of parties, receptions and meetups. There was something here for everyone…..
II arranged my travels to be in Mexico City during its Art Week scheduled February 7-11th, 2024. Here is why…. ZONAMACO is the largest art fair platform in Latin America, which stands for “México Arte Contemporáneo Organizacion.” Unlike other art fairs I’ve attended, Mexico’s premier Latin American Art Fair is a combination of four sections: art, design, photography and antiques, all under one roof. Now entering its 20th anniversary, the fair has achieved an international reputation with a focus but not exclusively on Latin American art and it does not disappoint ….
I’ve always loved Rufino Tamayo as an artist and a muralist. Little did I know he was also an avid art collector of Mesoamerican Art. During my stay in Oaxaca, I visited the Tamayo Museum of Pre-Columbian Art of Mexico and was blown away by the throve of ancient archeological artifacts collected by Tamayo and gifted to the city he was born in. This avant-garde modern artist has two museums named after him for good reason, leaving behind a legacy unequal to most artists of his era…
There are certain times during the year that you may want to visit the city of Oaxaca (although most anytime would be good). December is clearly one of those seasons. A time of festivities–full of music, colorful traditional dresses, ancestral dancing, and unique cuisine. An urban city designated as a heritage site surrounded by the Sierra mountains at 5,000 feet above sea level. This city, which includes the state of Oaxaca, is known for its indigenous art and handicrafts. Maker of at least 8 different types of mole’ and the home of Mezcal with way too many varieties of this mystical libation to take home. It is the homeland of the Mixtecos and Zapotecos, who decedents today represent over 16 ethnic groups. An entirely distinct part of Mexico, perfect for celebrating the holidays and ringing in the new year. Here’s why ….
As 2023 ends, so does part of ourselves as we leave a year of world complications that will only impact us more in the future. With each passing year, I remain in awe of how there is so much that is changing before our eyes. Every year I like to reflect on what these 12 months were like for me personally as well as highlighting what’s happened in the world (with some bias, of course). We can be both grateful and disappointed at what actually took place and did not. So, in this year’s review of 2023, here is my best shot at what made the cut….
Art is an universal language that engages us to reflect, learn and be inspired by its presence in whatever form. Therefore, it is not surprising that art universally has been a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown districts, neighborhoods, and commercial corridors. There are tons of examples of how art a in any form has contributed to transforming abandoned buildings, parcels, and street corridors into vibrant sites that attract many of us to be present or become part of its transformation. But art can also be a gentrifier and displace both longtime residents and businesses from remaining in these communities. The question here: How can art be part of a revitalization strategy without entirely changing the fabric of a community that leads to its displacement? I’d like to share a model of how it’s being done in a historically Black city in Miami Dade, Florida that I have the pleasure of working with for the last 14 years…
It was time to move on from Merida to the next city, heading two hours southwest to the historic city of Campeche. A city that reminds me so much of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, where my parents were born. The similarity is mostly in its architecture, narrow sidewalks, cobblestone streets and the fortress that surrounds the city. Most of it well-preserved, a defensive walled city going back to the 1600s, created for the sole purpose of protecting itself from pirates. Yes, pirates, much like those we see in movies….
