Misael Ivan Lopez is a Muralist and Artist in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Misael runs The Hive Studio Galleria, where he and other local artists display their art. He also runs the Adopt a Mural Project and the website at PVstreetart.com.
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The
El Dorado Beach Club, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with our toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It was so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends!
This week I’m going to introduce you to one of Vallarta’s great muralists, Misael Ivan Lopez, we are going to hear his story and his Adopt a Mural Project, but first let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, the 13th of June.
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Puerto Vallarta Escapes Hurricane Bud
It’s hurricane season and in Mexico, Hurricane Season runs from June through October, sometimes even into November, and Hurricane Bud just passed by, churning up some swells and dropping rain on Puerto Vallarta.
From CBS News online yesterday,
MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Bud weakened slightly and was once again a Category 3 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday. Earlier it had just barely crossed the threshold of wind strength to be classified a Category 4 storm.
Forecasters said they expected cooler waters to rob most of its punch before a potential collision with resorts on the southern Baja California Peninsula.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and was centered about 325 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip.
The hurricane center said the storm was about 225 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes, near Puerto Vallarta.
Bud was moving toward the northwest at about 6 mph and was forecast to approach Baja California Sur on Thursday as a tropical storm.
“Further weakening, possibly rapid at times, is expected during the next 48 hours, and Bud is forecast to weaken below hurricane intensity by Wednesday night,” the center said.
The center said the hurricane still could generate dangerous surf and rip currents over the coming days, with heavy swells reaching the peninsula later Tuesday.
And of course, as I said earlier, the hurricane passed by, and manifested itself in Puerto Vallarta in the form of higher surf, and much needed rain and the cool lightening and thunder storms that accompany these rainy days of summer.
I have a link to the article in the show notes.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-bud-cabo-today-2018-06-12-live-updates/
What Day is Father’s Day in Mexico?
So, Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday and I was wondering if Mexicans celebrate Father’s day too, and when and here’s what I found in the Wiki Pages about that….
Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. In Catholic Europe, it has been celebrated on March 19 (St. Joseph’s Day) since the Middle Ages. This celebration was brought by the Spanish and Portuguese to Latin America, where March 19 is often still used for it, though many countries in Europe and the Americas have adopted the U.S. date, which is the third Sunday of June (falling on June 17 in 2018).
So, there you have it, Mexicans celebrate Father’s Day same as us, the 3rd Sunday in June, so this Sunday. Now Mother’s Day is different in Mexico, it’s got a special date, it’s always on the 10th of May.
Taxis and Ubers Still Can’t Get Along in Puerto Vallarta
A couple of days ago, on June 11, the local taxi union staged a demonstration, creating a large caravan, and honking and drawing attention to their contention that Uber is operating illegally in Puerto Vallarta. So, they tied up traffic and it was reported that up to 800 taxistas took part in the demonstration across the city.
I don’t know about you, but I use both Uber and Taxis, depending on the situation. I actually prefer taxis, at least I thought I preferred taxis until a couple of incidents last trip.
It was kinda strange that these things happened when I was with my wife in a taxi actually, these happened in succession. We were staying in the 5th of Dicembre neighborhood, just north of Downtown Vallarta, and were heading to Casa Isabel for a sunset dinner, so we walked up to grab a cab, and I’m in the front seat, talking with the driver and Debbie is in the back, and another cab comes driving up beside ours and the the driver of that cab asks me if I want to buy some drugs. I’m like what the f? I look at my driver and he is this older gentleman and he is just shaking his head. So I ask him what he thinks of that? A fellow taxi driver acting that way, and he tells me how embarrassed he is of some of the taxi drivers. How it makes him sad because it reflects poorly on Puerto Vallarta, a place where he was born. So we get up to Casa Isabel, and have the most marvelous dinner with guitar music, the sunset, the great service. I got the Ribs, which were great, and Debbie got a shrimp dish that she loved.
After dinner, we walk down to the entry way, where the cabs drop and pick up diners, and there is this cab waiting. I tell him where I want to go, actually I wanted to make an appointment at the Hospital for an ear cleaning, I know, too much information. So I ask the driver how much? I figure no more than 70 pesos, and he says, yes plus a 70 peso tip. I sluffed that off as a joke, and said, how about 70 pesos then and he agrees. Then we get in the cab and he starts down the steep hill. Casa Isabel is up this steep, curvy hill, and he looks at us in the back seat and he says, this is all in Spanish now, he says OK, Welcome to the ride. Now put your arms up in the air, and he raises his hands off the wheel, and goes weeeee, as we head down the hill from Isabel’s. Then he points to his plastic water bottle was not filled with water, if you know what I mean. This driver was on happy juice. He was drinking and driving, us around, and charging us too. We got out at the CMQ Hospital, paid the guy the 70 pesos and off he went on his merry way. Debbie is all, he was drunk. I’m like, no “S” Sherlock.
The other happened the following afternoon driving back from an interview with the owner of Andale’s George, oh, that’s going to be a really great interview, but this driver was a young guy, and he was acting peculiar, talking with me in Spanish and he is complaining about how slow business was, and how he needed money to feed his family, well, this guy was totally drugged up on meth. We got out of the cab and Debbie says, what was wrong with that guy? So, yes, a couple of interesting incidents, contrast that with our Uber ride from our Airbnb to the airport. The driver was get this, an attorney. He gave up his law practice, and decided to drive Uber. His car was clean, air conditioned, and he was a great driver. We talked about how pissed off his parents were that he nixed his law degree for Uber, but he was saying how although his legal practice was lucrative, he wanted a slower life, and enjoyed driving.
So, there you have it. The Uber wars rage on, just not as overtly as in the beginning.
Okay, since there’s not a whole lot happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, I think it’s time to get to our guest and the interview.
The Hive Studio Galleria in Puerto Vallarta with Misael Ivan Lopez and PV Street Art
My buddy Bob McCuaig, Bob does Photography for a hobby, he’s from Kamloops Alberta Canada, and he sent me a picture of a mural he
discovered in the 5th of December neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta, and also of a gallery, next to that Mural called the Hive. He was talking with a young artist there, Misael Ivan Lopez and he thought Misael would be a great interview for the show. Now Bob is a listener, and a contributor to the show, so what can I do or say other than Bob, you asked for it, and now you shall receive.
I met with Misael at the Hive, his Gallery on the corner of El Salvador. He gave me a tour of the Gallery, allowed me to take some pictures, and then I asked if he minded if we go to a quieter place with less echo. Misael suggested we go to his apartment, so we took a quick walk down the street, and he graciously invited me into his home, his studio, his office, his workshop, and we had a seat and I pushed record. So, let’s meet my new friend, and now yours. An Artist a Muralist a guy with a big heart and so many great ideas for improving Vallarta with color and art, Misael Ivan Lopez The Hive Studio Galleria and The Adopt a Mural Project.
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What a story. The heartbreak of being separated from your family, being deported, and then coming to Vallarta, and finding himself. Making a
transformation. A complete 180. And now, he’s helping unify the Vallarta Art Scene.
I want to read from their Facebook page, a kind of a review of what we just talked about, and it goes like this….
About The Hive Studio Galleria
The Hive Studio Galleria is a cultural base dedicated to showing and collaborating with local, national and international artists on communal events in the Banderas bay area. It serves as the base for Pvstreetart.com, a site dedicated to locating, documenting and creating murals in the pueblos located in the Banderas Bay area with block parties focusing on the beautification and restoration of neglected areas with the creation of public murals shedding light on global environmental issues that concern our communities. We want to create a platform where there can be a dialogue on these issues with the end goal being educating ourselves on solutions we can apply to make an effective social change in society. Funding for these projects will be made from our “Adopt a Mural Project” fundraiser, focusing on working with private and commercial patrons to produce these murals with the resources needed for a smooth work space for the artists that donate their time and talent to creating works that can be enjoyed by the public on highly transited streets where they can get the most exposure.
The Adopt a Mural Project is a fundraiser aimed at connecting with patrons that share the common goal of beautifying our neighborhoods with conscious community projects like trash clean up and the creation of public murals Highlighting global environmental and social issues that are highly overlooked in our society.
The Hive mentality: A beehive is an enclosed structure in which bees work together toward the common goal of protecting the queen the honey production and the overall colony. We use the metaphor of the hive as a way to identify our planet, community of artists, and art enthusiasts. We
are the bees and the queen is the all inspiring muse that aids in our motives. We pollinate by reaching out into our communities to create “honey” our representation for culture and education. Our planet is our hive and we must serve to protect it at all costs. There has been debate over bees being an endangered species, nevertheless we at THE HIVE belief in raising awareness about the importance of bees and the positive effects they have on our planet. We use the metaphor of the bees as a platform for tackling these global environmental issues like waste and endangered species with our public murals created by artists with help of volunteers and sponsors of all walks of life.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
We are always looking for a helping hand of any form during the creation of the murals. It takes a lot of hard work and money from these artists pocket to produce these beautiful works of art for the public to see often with zero help and we at The Hive believe that artists should freely create and their needs met during the creation process. That includes finding walls, providing all the materials necessary for the production and keeping them well fed and hydrated.
If you would like to donate to our cause or learn more about how you can sponsor a whole mural with the “Adopt a Mural Project” go to PVstreetart.com were we can provide you with further information on these cultural events and how you can get involved. If you would like to volunteer contact us at any one of our social media provided below.
Thanks to the artists Quetzal Cocoatl, Mara Diaz, Digilio Freddy Vejar Garcia, Joey Real, Tony Collantez, Emanuele Oretnom, Alex Paramo, — at The Hive Studio Galleria.
Contact The Hive Studio Gallery, Puerto Vallarta
Places Misael Likes to Eat
- Angelica’s Tacos and Quesadillas, Puerto Vallarta
- Barracuda Restaurant, Puerto Vallarta
- Torta Place on San Salvador and Costa Rica in front of the OXXO Great Milkshakes and Burritos
- Same owners as La Aurora near Walmart, Puerto Vallarta
Day Trip
- Yelapa Just like PV 60 years ago
- Likes the Neighborhood Above Downtown El Cero
Okay I have links to everything we talked about in the show notes of this episode so check them out, and make sure you see some of this wonderful artwork, also in the Show Notes. You need to see the work of all these artists, especially Misael.
Okay, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and
more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it
through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
So, thanks to Misael Ivan Lopez, , look him up the next time you are coming to Vallarta. Check out how you can sponsor a mural in Puerto Vallarta. I have all his info in the show notes of this episode. All right and hey, thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!
- PV Street Art Link https://www.pvstreetart.com/
- Adopt a Mural Project https://www.pvstreetart.com/contact
- Local Street Art Gallery https://www.pvstreetart.com/local-street-art-gallery