Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Nearly one hundred guests and friends of the arts gathered on the roof-top terrace of Plaza Mar Condominiums on Thursday, January 12, to honor sculptor Jim Demetro.

The event was held to acknowledge the Lifetime Art Achievement Award presented to Demetro by the State of Washington. The dinner and reception also celebrated his 25 years as a sculptor.

During the event, Demetro gave a brief history of how he switched careers from a mechanical engineering consultant to a sculptor, and the enormous support he got from his wife Eva.

Today, Mr. Demetro has more than forty-seven public sculptures on display throughout the United States and internationally. Hundreds of his works are in private collections all over the world.

A long-time resident of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Jim Demetro is the creator of many of the city's most iconic public sculptures, so he took this opportunity to discuss how his work on Mexican sculptures began.

His first piece was inspired by the Xuitla Dancers resulting in the Vallarta Dancers, which Demetro donated to the city and is now installed on the Malecón. His next gift to Puerto Vallarta was the bronze "Washer Woman," which is installed near the pedestrian bridge at Molino de Agua.

Jim's latest Puerto Vallarta creations include Andale Bernardo, the burro sculpture in Lazaro Cardenas Park, again donated to the city, and the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton sculpture that graces the entrance to La Iguana restaurant at Casa Kimberley.

During Thursday's celebration at Plaza Mar, Demetro also had his current work in process on display to show attendees how an artistic concept begins to take shape in clay.