By Natalie Taylor Bill Graham has been involved in leadership positions and public service for many years. He was born in St. Louis, MO and went to school at the University of Illinois in Champaign. In 1967, after graduating in business administration, he became a White House Fellow during President Lyndon Johnson’s term. Fellows work as special assistants to the Vice President, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking federal officials. Bill became president of the White H

By Frank "Sugar" Hudson. What these old guys have in common is not wealth or fame. They have something waiting for them. It might be coffee with a friend, a visit with family or a visit to a local winery. Once a week the Guys leave San Miguel de Allende and head for a winery. Now, before anyone starts worrying, let me make something perfectly clear: they are not drinking excessively. They are retired gentlemen conducting important research. At least, that’s what they tell the

By Frankie Cruz-Aedo Stepping off the cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende, an immediate, thumping wall of sound hits you before you even clear the doorway of Flores Drum & Percussion Lessons. Inside, the visual collision of serious rock & roll and pure childhood is everywhere. Nestled beneath posters signed by national rock icons, a professional-grade drum kit sits modified—its cymbals lowered and foot pedals brought inward to accommodate young musicians. Founded to

By Natalie Taylor San Miguel is a noisy city. From the mariachis in the Jardin, to the screeching brakes on the old buses, from soothing chirping of birds to the eardrum-shattering explosions of fireworks, we are treated to sounds day and night. And then there are the regular sounds: the hourly tolling of church bells, the ringing to announce the garbage trucks, and the high-pitched whistle of the knife sharpener. The afilador de barrio is a staple in many Latin nations, and

By Ferdinand Rosa What happens when three artists—each with decades of experience and a distinctly different visual language—bring their work together in one space? This fall, San Miguel de Allende will find out. On October 28th, artists Alberto Lenz, Ferdinand Rosa, and Gene Johnson will open Three Journeys in Non-Objective Art at Estudio Rosa. Bringing together three independent artistic paths, the exhibition also marks the launch of The Abstract Collective, a new initiativ

By Meryl Truett Years ago, when I was living and working in Savannah, Georgia, I was fortunate to be included in an article about artists to watch and collect. I remember what it meant to have an arts writer look at my work at that particular moment in my career and say, essentially, pay attention to this artist. Now I find myself on the other side of that equation. Recently, I have had the opportunity to watch the development of the artist Romería Louise Mancera. I have watc

By Felecia Ford What I’ve noticed about Jack Joshua on stage is that he is humble, incredibly present, and an absolute master on bass! He is the musical director and bass player for his Grammy Award-winning wife, singer Lauren Mitchell, whom we featured in last month’s Music Spotlight. After getting to know Lauren and her story, it only seemed right to turn the spotlight toward the man beside her onstage and in life. This month, we get to know Jack Joshua up close and persona

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey In a city where every wall whispers history, Natalie Taylor has become one of its most attentive listeners. Her work in San Miguel de Allende is not simply about cataloging facts or tracing colonial brushstrokes — it is about weaving connections, uncovering hidden truths, and ensuring that the voices of this place are heard across generations. From Beaches to San Miguel Natalie first arrived in San Miguel almost by accident. “I kept saying no, no,

By Lola Picó Here we are again, you and I, in this corner, alongside an artist. Let’s discover him together. This time, the door opens into Filippo Giusti’s studio. As I step inside, I find myself surrounded by faces and bodies emerging between the figurative and the abstract, layered with shapes and color. There is serenity, mystery, and strength. Moving among his paintings, I sense that Filippo is not simply portraying a face, but reaching for something more intimate. Paint

By Staff Writer What do global security, Mexican politics, wild salmon, a notorious art forgery, and insects have in common? More than you might think. For its eighth season, i³: ideas that inform & inspire returns with five distinguished thinkers whose work spans national security, journalism, conservation science, art history, and biology. Their subjects invite us to consider a question that connects us all: How do we preserve and sustain the people, institutions, ecosystem

By Scott Simmons Scott Simmons recently interviewed Frank Gaydos to find out how a former organization development consultant retired to San Miguel and reinvented himself as a screen/TV writer. SS: How did your journey as a writer begin? FG: It started when I got a B.S. Degree in Language Arts (English, Literature and journalism) from California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly-Kellogg Campus). I was working at the Kaiser Steel Plant in Fontana California nights and goi

By Lisa Babincsak There's no exact moment you realize you've become a long-termer in San Miguel. Nobody announces it. There's no ceremony, no membership card. It just… happens. Maybe you came for six months — or a week. That was a while ago now. One day you're marveling at cobblestones, and the next you're arguing about which panadería had the best bolillos before they changed owners. So, in no particular order: You've been here too long if… You can identify locals by how con

By Natalie Taylor Francois Yohalem has been living in San Miguel de Allende for twelve years and certainly has not been idle. She was born in a little town in the Dordogne Valley in France, but soon embarked on a life that took her far from her birth town. She went to London, then to Washington, D.C., where she found a position with the French Embassy, married and settled down. She then returned to university to study art, and earned a Master’s degree in studio painting. Work

By Carolyn Studer In a large, brightly lit room in a London hospital, a jazz ensemble—a drummer, bassist, keyboard player, and several singers, including a young vocalist from México named Federico Azuz—performed for patients undergoing treatment for various degrees of paralysis. As the band launched into the upbeat swing tune Sweet Lorraine, Federico noticed one patient who was so severely paralyzed he could not even move his eyes. Almost immediately, the musicians began to

By Patricia Schneider Why do we travel? To admire beautiful landscapes? Certainly. To enjoy exceptional food? Of course. To stay in exquisite hotels? That is definitely a great part of the pleasure. I believe that the most meaningful journeys begin the moment we stop being visitors. The true soul of a place is not found only in guidebooks. It lives in its people, its artisans, its markets, its traditions, its stories, and around the tables where generations have gathered. Be

By Catherine Marenghi Atención Book Club proudly presents Martin Fletcher, journalist, author, and retired NBC News Middle East correspondent best known for nearly four decades of frontline reporting from conflict zones as Tel Aviv bureau chief. Fletcher will present his book Teachers: The Ones I Can’t Forget, on August 25th at 3:00 p.m. at the historic Casa Nigromante, Umarán #38, Centro. Fletcher's career encompassed reporting on pivotal events including the Israeli-Palesti

By Judith Jenya Rick Brunson’s life has been anything but ordinary. Raised on military bases across the United States and Europe, he seemed destined to follow a long family tradition of military service. Instead, his early inspiration came from an unlikely source: Mad Magazine. As a teenager stationed in Germany, Brunson began copying the work of cartoonist Paul Coker Jr., teaching himself to draw line by line. That simple act of imitation sparked a lifelong relationship with

By Nikki Miller Big changes start with little things. In the case of Ojalá Niños it started with a woman named Elsmarie Norby and how she opened her gate to the children in San Miguel Viejo, a rural Otomí indigenous village that has historically had little access to resources. Elsmarie moved to San Miguel Viejo in 2007 and began providing school supplies and support to the local children. She founded Ojalá Niños in 2010 offering free classes in art, music, reading, health, co

By Felecia Ford Our August Music Spotlight is on Doug Robinson—a piano wizard, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and musical storyteller whose fingerprints can be found all over San Miguel’s vibrant music scene. Although Doug’s journey began in sunny California, it eventually led him to the cobblestone streets of our city, where for more than two decades he has become one of its most respected and recognizable musicians. With 18 independent albums to his credit and on

By Staff Writer In 2016, when Chef Erick and Carmen opened the doors to Pork Belly for the first time, San Miguel's food scene was at an inflection point. The town was beginning to attract serious culinary talent tired of the grind elsewhere, looking for a place where tradition and innovation could dance together. What Erick brought to that moment was something the city was hungering for, though it didn't quite know it yet: a philosophy rooted in fire, smoke, and the belief t