A year ago, the idea of the first urban gallery in San Miguel arose, and it is now a reality in Malanquín, at the “cajón” bridge.

The idea was to provide positivity. “We cannot intervene in public spaces with aggressive ideas,” said the director of Culture and Traditions, and initiator of the project, Paulina Cadena. Initially, the idea was to portray illustrious characters, such as human rights activists Rigoberta Menchú and Malala Yousafzai. However, collaborators, including the 10 artists, settled on an open theme. 

The requirement for participants was that the paintings represent well-being, family, female empowerment, friendship, creativity, and music. The exhibition,which began Nov. 21 and ended Nov. 27, will be formally inaugurated in a closed ceremony on Dec. 10 by Mayor Villarreal, who will be accompanied by the mayors of several other UNESCO cities in Mexico.

The showcase will last eight months, and then there will be a call for new artists.

Here are some images, courtesy of Karen Kelly.