Bellas Artes: The Tour

When my grandmother heard I was going on this trip she became extremely jealous that I would get to visit one of her favorite places in Mexcio City... Bellas Artes. I was first introduced to this gorgeous building with a walking tour of the plaza. It is amazing to see the splendor of such an important monument of Mexican art. I´ll admit that I was not familiar with the history of Bellas Artes and was amazed by the influence of such a building and the art that it embraces.

We were introduced to one of the directors of the arts who talked to us about the influence of the arts in Mexico. I was unaware of Mexico City, D.F. stronghold on the arts of a country where art is so highly regarded. It seems that D.F. is the city that holds the most theaters, dance halls, dance companies, music schools, etc... uncomparable to any other city in Mexico. Mexico City houses 89 percent of the cultural arts, while other cities such as Guadalajara and Mazatlan showcase a smidegeon of the arts. These facts help me to understand the Mexican government´s support for the arts, but mostly in Mexico City. Unlike America, the arts are strongly supported by the government and not private sectors; therefore, it is easy for the government to determine where they want the majority of the investment, and it is clear to see that the government wants Mexico City to be the epitome of the Mexico cultural world!


During the tour, we were able to see backstage, and boy did I want to belt out a tune or so on stage. What I loved most about being backstage was the tiny altar built to the Virgen de Guadalupe in support of the arts. The large framed picturesseemed to give approval to all who would be entertaining her. As I sat in the audience, I was able to witness the practice of ´La Boheme´. The opera singers were quite impressive, and I did sing a tune or so as we left the building, but what was even more striking was the gallery hosted by this magnificent building. The three most famous muralists of Mexico history all had a piece to share in this gallery. The following is a work of art from Jalisco muralist Jose Clemente Orozco. As you know, I was strongly attracted to this mural due to the strong color (passionate red) being used. I seem to like Orozco´s bold statements as you hear later as I discuss my visit to Guadalajara... Here is an example of Diego Rivera´s work. This work was originally commissioned by Mr. Rockefeller himself in New York City. When Rockefeller saw the contents of the original mural (promoting communism), he had the mural destroyed. Rivera then changed the mural and painted it again for this specific building. I have a postcard of the whole thing...
And last, but definitely not least, my favorite muralist... Siqueros. I´m not quite sure why the picture came out so small, but I do have a postcard of this as well. This remarkable mural struck my eye, and I could not divert my eyes to anything else. The passion in his painting moved me, and I am forever an admirer of this beautiful work.