Ode to "La Calle Loíza"

Welcome to "La Fiesta de la Calle Loíza"... Enjoy our Neighborhood. 

 "Now is the time, the beginning of a golden age, where two cultures and folklore collide to provoke the senses: the young unafraid Puerto Ricans exposing their ideas in a totally new artistic way... New restaurants that mix the old ways of doing business in the area, like the Dominican Markets where you can find a variety of goods, including a nice, very nice cold Medalla beer. " 
Welcome to la Calle Loiza - posted December 9, 2012

Another Saturday Culinary Trip

Saturday, July 6, 2013 - We decided to visit the Municipality of Ciales, Puerto Rico. It was the result of a day before planned Saturday Trip. We wanted to repair 2 chairs bought a couple of years ago at an Ad agency where my wife worked. When the agency was moving to another building they decided to sell their current furniture and change their décor. She was told that our chairs  were made by someone from a family in Ciales, a local artisan. The chairs have a wood frame with the back and seat made with a knitted bulrush. Searching for someone skilled enough to repair them, we found Master Artisan Mr. Guadalupe Villalobos who carries his Puerto Rican Family tradition of making furniture made from wood and bulrush in the Municipality of Ciales; a family legacy for over 100 years. We met him at his workshop and brought him the chairs to repair, he talked to us about their tradition, family history and even gave us a brief class on how to make the bulrush knitting. Talking about our chairs, he remembered that these were made by his brother who died a few years ago. Also, he told us that these chairs were a reproduction based on the 1940's Architect Henry Klumb's Easy Chair, he even confirmed to us that he collaborated in the restoration of the Henry Klumb's Chairs that were used for Architect Klumb Exhibition at the MAPR (Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico)a few years ago. Talking to him was really an enriching experience.

Following our visit to Mr. Villalobos workshop, we began our culinary trip, beginning with a quick stop at "El Colmado Bar La Ultima Copa" for a cold beer, as always, and continue through Route 149 South to a local Smokehouse called "Asao". Route 149 is the route to take South to the Municipality of Ciales from the Municipality of Manatí, which is located at the Northern Cost between the Municipalities of Florida and Barceloneta at the east and Vega Baja at the west. Our final stop was at the Historic Coffee Museum (Museo del Café), as we were told the address is as follow: "drive to the center of town, pass the town's Plaza and the Town Hall and you will find it at the right before Banco Popular".

Enjoy some pictures of our Saturday Culinary Trip and some helpful links.

Talking with Mr. Villalobos about the process of drying bulrush.

Mr. Guadalupe Villalobos' Workshop

Links: 
Master Artisan Mr. Guadalupe Villalobos
Architect Henry Klumb Biography
ASAO Smokehouse, Ciales, Puerto Rico
Museo del Cafe de Puerto Rico

Style Me Pretty!

Yes, we do Spectacular Weddings in Vieques, Puerto Rico! 

One of STEM Events Fabulous Wedding Décor at the W Retreat & SPA was featured on stylemepretty.com. 

Follow this Link to see beautiful pictures of our Décor: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2013/06/24/viegues-island-puerto-rico-wedding-from-lexia-frank-photography-STEM-Events-Decor

Local Portraits: Fernando Villanueva, 21 Years Later

Fernando Villanueva's 21 Years Later exhibition opening at Galería Petrus was a success (held June 13, 3013). Talking to El Vocero newspaper, Villanueva described his attitude towards his creation - "My painting incorporates all the horrible happenings at the economic level...The survivors will be real artists with a real sense for the Art. My interest is for the people to feel shocked in a positive way when they came to see my Art with so much color in it." (Article published by El Vocero newspaper, Tuesday, May 11, 2013)

Villanueva was born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico and graduated from the School of Plastic Arts of San Juan, Puerto Rico. His work has been individually and collectively displayed in Puerto Rico, as well as in the United States.

Follow the following link: fernandovillanuevaart.com

Our picks:

El Gallo

Gato Miau

Red Flamboyan

Let's Celebrate Father's Day!

A New Artist in the Making!

"Urban art represents a broader cross section of artists that as well as covering traditional street artists working in formal gallery spaces also covers artists using more traditional media but with a subject matter that deals with contemporary urban culture and political issues." Wikipedia

Urban Art by a New Artist, please comment if you like it, I will keep you posted.

"TOP TOP"

A nice picture of CARAS magazine "Top Top" section where a talented group of makeup artists was received at the home of our Creative Director Anabelle Barranco for a photo shoot.

Follow the story at: Caras Magazine Facebook Page