By Colleen Sorenson I believe good things are worth waiting for and sometimes that wait can take 14 years. In 2012, I took a walk along the banks of Arroyo Las Cachinches, when there was no walkway and no murals. To address the unsightly tagging found on the back sides of many houses along the arroyo, I presented to the city an idea for an outdoor gallery of street art, along with an outdoor classroom for urban nature. It was then that I learned street art was not permitted i

By Natalie Taylor There are those who settle into a community, carry out the duties of their profession, and spend their lives fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to them. Others, however, are not content to remain within the boundaries of their calling. A passion drives them beyond those limits. Father Fernando Manríquez is a priest, charged with leading a congregation, but he stepped outside his vocation, tapping into other interests present since childhood. I asked h

By Catherine Marenghi The envelope please! The 22nd Annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival has unveiled its eagerly anticipated roster of keynote speakers and distinguished faculty. The Conference will be held February 10–14, 2027, at the Hotel Real de Minas in San Miguel de Allende. The 2027 keynote speakers are: Amor Towles, an internationally bestselling novelist celebrated for elegant storytelling and unforgettable characters. Before becoming a writer

By Richard Hochberg San Miguel de Allende has long been known for its thriving arts scene, and theatre has played no small part in that story. Back in 1982, Lola Smith founded Players Workshop, planting the seeds of what would become more than four decades of quality English-language productions. Smith passed away in 2026 at the age of 100, but her influence on San Miguel's theatrical landscape remains profound — without her vision, the town's stage scene might look very diff

By John Challis, Board Member, Operísima Mexico Beyond its celebrated visual arts and cultural festivals, San Miguel de Allende has earned a reputation as one of Mexico’s leading opera destinations. The longstanding seasonal contributions of several esteemed opera organizations continue to sustain a vibrant tradition of training programs, concerts, and competitions that attract emerging artists and audiences from around the world. Since beginning its activities in San Miguel

By Staff Writer When we began the Atención Book Club, we had no idea how much interest there would be. After all, there are many book clubs in this city—why create another one? Ours is unique because we feature local authors and ensure that they are present at the event. That gives the audience an opportunity to ask direct questions and explore issues that only the writer can answer. We have held four presentations, and they have been remarkably different in genre and content

By Carolyn Studer “Somebody once told me, ‘Don’t worry. Great things happen in small spaces.’” — Papacho Sirdey, jazz pianist and producer After moving to San Miguel de Allende, the only thing I missed was the small, intimate jazz clubs I frequented in Los Angeles—places like the Baked Potato and Charlie O’s, where you could hear exceptional musicians surrounded by people who truly loved listening to jazz. So I was delighted to discover the concert series at Cine Bacco—a 25-s

By John Challis, Board Member, Operísima Mexico Beyond its celebrated visual arts and cultural festivals, San Miguel de Allende has earned a reputation as one of Mexico’s leading opera destinations. The longstanding seasonal contributions of several esteemed opera organizations continue to sustain a vibrant tradition of training programs, concerts, and competitions that attract emerging artists and audiences from around the world. Since beginning its activities in San Miguel

By Felecia Ford When music is truly your calling, it has a way of finding you throughout your life—and Karen Libby’s story is a wonderful example of that. It is my pleasure to introduce this month’s Music Spotlight on Karen, one of my favorite musicians in town. FF: What are your earliest memories of music? KL: I grew up in upstate New York with parents who loved music-Jazz, mostly 1920’s & 1930’s was always playing in the house. My father had a massive collection of old 7

By Staff Writer The Music Society of San Miguel (MSSM) proudly presents the 2026 Chamber Music Festival, a celebration of artistic excellence, music education, and cultural exchange in San Miguel de Allende. Bringing together internationally acclaimed artists and distinguished ensembles, the festival offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience world-class music while fostering artistic development and community engagement. The festival opens on July 10, at the histori

By Liam Stidham I grew up listening to rock thanks to my dad. He set a wide influence on me as a kid and I'm thankful for that. But my mom has made sure that I also got a good dose of classical music. She enrolled me into piano and violin lessons when I was really young and she has always dragged me to see classical music concerts, plays and ballet recitals. When we heard that San Miguel finally had an orchestra, she dragged me to that too, and I really enjoyed it! In fact,

By Meryl Truett At Estudio Mario Oliva, color becomes more than pigment. It becomes memory, atmosphere, language, and emotion. A Través del Círculo Cromático is an evolving series of exhibitions exploring the emotional and symbolic power of color through the work of contemporary artists whose practices move fluidly between abstraction, figuration, photography, and mixed media experimentation. Each exhibition inhabits a different point on the chromatic wheel—sometimes vibrant

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey When Pascual Hijuelos opened the door to his home, I expected an hour of conversation. He gave me two. What unfolded was not an interview, but an invitation into his world, his work, and the quiet interior landscape that shapes both. His home, with its clean lines and expansive light, feels like a sanctuary built with intention. Vivid paintings — one stretching more than twenty feet — pulse against white walls. Deep, vivid colors and tonal shifts

By Catherine Marenghi Organizers of the annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival announced the establishment of the San Miguel Global Literary Institute, a new umbrella organization designed to offer expanded year-round programs and a global reach for San Miguel’s bilingual and multi-cultural literary organization. Because the new Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in the U.S., contributions are now tax-deductible for U.S. donors. “This is one o

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey When artist Glen Rogers arrived in San Miguel de Allende in 2016, she felt an immediate recognition—this was where the next chapter of her creative life wanted to unfold. San Miguel’s vibrant arts community, and its unmistakably feminine energy drew her in. “It felt like the spot for me at this moment in time,” she says. Rogers’ work is rooted in a lifelong devotion to the Sacred Feminine, a path she began in her thirties while living in the San F

By Felecia Ford Sekouna Conté was born into a lineage of musical and dance tradition. He demonstrated exceptional talent from an early age, quickly assuming leading roles in the ensembles he joined and establishing himself as a devoted guardian of ancestral musical knowledge. Originally from Forecariah, Guinea, Sekou was raised in a culture not unlike México, where music and dance are a way of life. He was supported by his family, who valued both his education and his artisti

By Randolph Rogers The two gentlemen whom I refer to are men who have contributed greatly to the fabric of San Miguel de Allende, and specifically to Colonia San Antonio. Their contributions prove that one can make a difference at any stage of life. Fortunately for San Migue, they chose this place, and we are all the beneficiaries. In many ways, they’ve led parallel lives, but that’s where the similarities end. Their journeys were very different, but the common thread is thei

By Alan Jacobson What happens when the spotlight fades? That’s the question at the heart of Quartet , Ronald Harwood’s insightful and often very funny play about four retired opera singers sharing life in a home for musicians. But beyond its elegant setting, the play becomes a reflection on something much more universal—how we hold onto identity, relationships, and purpose as time moves forward. What makes Quartet so engaging is its honesty. These characters are accomplished,

By Colleen Sorenson An ancient stream runs through our city. For centuries, its waters sustained people and wildlife, enabling settlement, nourishing orchards and livelihoods, and shaping daily life. To celebrate this ancient stream and our local artists, La Vida de Las Cachinches is a captivating new mural project along the arroyo , promoting respect and the beauty of our urban nature. Twelve San Miguel artists are coming together in April 19 th through 22 nd , partnering wi

By Natalie Taylor Stephanie Hough Lanier grew up in Philadelphia. She began with a Catholic school education, but in the sixth grade, she convinced her mother to let her go her to a school run by Jewish mothers, with a more open education she loved. From a young age, Stephanie’s passion was ballet, and she got a scholarship to Elmira College in New York, dreaming of a dance career. But a ballet teacher gave her a reality check: “Have you ever seen a Black prima ballerina?”