Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - We know Vallartenses are dedicated to tourism, understanding that the more diverse the destination the greater the possibility of attracting a larger number of visitors.

The days of sun, surf and sand being sufficient to attract tourists are long gone. Today, travelers look for a destination that offers adventure, sports, gardening, walking, entertainment, fun, food, theme parks, tours, history and tradition, authentic spaces, special events and romance, when planning their vacations.

I intentionally left culture separately, because I think that it is the most powerful and least understood attraction, and therefore it traditionally receives less public support.

Today, Puerto Vallarta has a new space that must be evaluated in all its dimensions. I refer to the Oficina de Proyectos Culturales that opened on May 28 in downtown Puerto Vallarta at Avenida Juarez 598 on the corner of Aldama, kitty-corner from the traditional Vallarta educational institution, Escuela 20 de noviembre, which has many exemplary teachers and graduates.

The Place

The Office of Cultural Projects (OPC) is a space with an entirely local label, right in the heart of the city; a space for cultural projects: museum quality art exhibitions of international stature, with a very contemporary approach, but with a traditional essence. It is a place to enter, enjoy, reflect, open your mind and heart and to reach the point of feeling the heartbeat of the living soul. It is not an art gallery, it is a living museum exhibit, it does not sell art, but freely offers the feelings that produce art, fine art, authentic art, that which is generated by embracing the artists' most intimate self and that communicates unsuspected sentiments.

The OPC is a place to coexist harmoniously in a space dedicated to beauty, an impeccable space, rescued from abandonment and neglect and turned into a place of meditation, joy, generosity, and simplicity. A place to learn, coexist, have fun, enjoy and enrich a moment of daily life. Alongside the exhibition, you may find a conference, or maybe just fellowship and a cup of coffee, a place to read or listen to a poetry reading.

El Centro

This is what the downtown area needs: to remove the excessiveness, such as the overabundance of buses and taxi stands; to fix the facades, make the signage uniform, and above all integrate a particularly attractive offer to give visitors a reason to come and enjoy the heart of the city. The superfluity of nightclubs (which may also be useful) need to be offset with another kind of offer: more shops, more quality crafts, more eateries, specialty restaurants and coffee shops; more Mexican identity, more shows at the Los Arcos amphitheater, shows of higher quality than the clowns (which in the evenings can be useful too); more fashion boutiques, jewelry stores and art galleries operated by and for Vallarta locals... and more attractive cultural events... a lot more. Then the restaurant and shop owners could start collaborating on marketing programs and strategies to attract local families and visitors to the city center, the most culturally rich part of the entire destination. For now, the Oficina de Proyectos Culturales has already done its part, and I'm sure they will go for more.

The Current Exhibition - "Davis Birks: Paradise in Progress"

Artist Davis Birks is an extraordinary painter and sculptor, who after being born in the US, was impregnated with Mexican flavor and discovered, through his own experiences, a city that is transformed with changing demographics, a growing urban development and a large floating population that stays from 3 to 14 days. The exhibition is an analysis of the past and the present of Puerto Vallarta, opening an amazing dialogue between art and the people who visit. A view of a city in transformation that manages to keep its tradition and aims to preserve its incredible natural, ecological and biodiversity wealth, to preserve the beauty that only Mother Nature can provide.

"Paradise in Progress" is worth a visit to the OPC, so I do not want to describe the exhibition any better, but prefer that everyone discover, interpret and feel it for themselves on one or more occasion.

Support

OPC is definitely an effort that deserves everyone's support, it is a place for all Vallartenses that presume to love this beautiful corner of our Mexico.

Thanks Pilar Pérez and María José for your effort and for making your enthusiasm contagious. It was well worth it.