by Janet Blaser
One day I was helping a friend who wanted to buy a house in Mazatlán when we stumbled upon an old two-story home in my neighborhood that was built in the late 1800s. The house was “For Sale By Owner” (Trato Directo), so we got a tour by a cousin of the owners. We walked through the space and out the back door into a big yard with trees, a patio and a garden that made my heart stop—all things I was missing in my little house. I held my breath until my friend said he wasn’t interested, and then I blurted out, “Good, this is my house!” It needed some TLC, for sure—in fact it was flat-out ugly—but I could see the possibilities. I envisioned the upstairs as my studio—three spacious, light-filled rooms with its own street entrance—and that balcony to look down on the street below that the psychic predicted years before. The downstairs had 20-foot ceilings and original beams, called vigas, but no sign of a kitchen and the bathroom was in bad shape. The façade had been modified to a 1950s contemporary with ugly green stone and the original arched windows and doorways were plastered over. Friends who saw it thought I was crazy. It was not a pretty picture.
Although it took two years to purchase the property because of unclear titles (a common occurrence in Mexican real estate), it was well worth the wait. After a lot of mañanas and proxima semanas (next week), my Mexican boyfriend convinced me that I would never get that house until I went to Mexico City and met the owners face-to-face. He was right. I flew to Mexico City, and with a friend as translator, met with the couple and their attorney to sign the papers.
Viejo Mazatlán had been virtually abandoned in the 1970s and there were many ruins begging to be restored. By the time I arrived, INAH, the Instituto Antropología y História, had declared the area a historical district and required a permit to renovate. I wanted to comply with the rules, but the young sergeant at arms did not make it easy. When I wanted to re-create the arches inside my home, he said there were no arches in Mazatlán, even though one could clearly see the delineation under the cracked plaster. But after a while, he left me alone with my local maestro (contractor) to transform this ugly duckling into a swan. I loved the challenge and enjoyed designing everything from the kitchen and bathrooms, with gorgeous Talavera tiles, to the iron work, where I incorporated my sculptural motifs. Using lots of orange, yellows and reds on the walls throughout the home, I warmed up this neglected beauty and brought her back to life. The last detail was to finish the patio and gardens and add a lap pool with my signature spiral design in the tile work. I sometimes hear complaints and remorse from other expats about renovating in Mexico, but I had a great experience and made a lasting ally with my maestro, Tino, who will still come running at my smallest request.
Now that I had a larger studio, I could offer workshops in monotype printing as a way to support myself. This was a specialty of mine in the Bay Area and I had envisioned setting up my studio for classes here. This was dependent upon moving my etching press, which literally weighs a ton, from California. I bought a small open-air trailer that I attached to my van and, with a girlfriend, drove it down across the border at Nogales. Going through the border has been a scary thing for me after a bad experience moving art for an exhibition. Basically I learned to be creative with the true value of my contents. With my press in tow, I went through the “nothing to declare” lane. Of course I was stopped and had to pay duty on the press, but it was less painful than going the official route. Getting the press up to the second-floor studio was another challenge but was solved by hiring five of the local car wash guys from down the street to push and pull this huge, heavy hunk of steel up the stairwell.
I had my first “Monotype in Mazatlán” workshop in 2007, specifically marketed to printmakers from California who wanted an art vacation. I’ve now expanded this fulfilling and successful venture to other great Mexican cities like Oaxaca, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, and also Peru.
Unlike Puerto Vallarta and other popular Mexican destinations, there were no real art galleries in Mazatlán when I arrived and still there are very few. After living there for almost 10 years, I’d bought a little house to renovate for a rental, and then, at the last minute, decided to try it as an exhibition space. For four years, I ran Luna: Arte Contemporáneo, a gallery where I exhibited my own work as well as my favorite area artists. Owning a business in Mexico had new and different challenges: getting a working visa, hiring an accountant and reporting to the local tax authorities. I had a lot of support from friends who volunteered and we staged monthly exhibitions that were well-attended and much-anticipated. These were exciting times!
Through the gallery, I organized a number of interesting events that benefited the local artists and got a lot of attention in the community. We did steamroller printing in the street with the help of the Cultural Department, who secured the steamroller. Large four-foot woodcuts were created by 20 artists and later displayed at Luna, the Angela Peralta Gallery and the Día de Muertos celebration. The public enjoyed seeing the printing process unfold before their eyes. I also organized some international artist exchanges; two were with Bluseed Studios out of New York, who brought their handmade paper process to share with both professional and student artists. A select group of Mazatlán artists also had the opportunity to visit their studio in Saranac Lake where they participated in workshops, stayed with local families and enjoyed swimming, kayaking and hiking. When I was invited to produce an art event for Mazatlán’s International Week, I brought in artists from GAP/Global Art Project who held beginner and advanced workshops and exhibited work at the Museo de Arte. In both exchanges, the local and international artists interacted and learned from each other, sharing their culture and art techniques. With all of these activities, I found that getting publicity for art events in Mexico was a lot easier than in the U.S. The newspapers embraced the arts and often gave us full-color spreads. I sent out press releases and participated in press conferences (in my broken Spanish) and was given nothing but respect and acceptance from the Mexicans. What a change from being virtually ignored in the Bay Area!
After 18 years in Mazatlán, I had accomplished so much as an artist and arts organizer in this community that I began to get the itch for a new challenge, a new market for my work and a new place to live. It was time to reinvent myself. The long hot summers with humidity in the high 90s were also beginning to wear me down and so I was looking for a place with a more temperate climate. I looked at Oaxaca, a city I love, but although it had the right climate and a great art scene, I couldn’t picture myself there. So, following my intuition, I turned my sights on San Miguel de Allende. I’d visited there a number of times for short visits but never had an interest in moving there. When I began looking around, I honestly didn’t consider it as an option, thinking that it was out of my price range. But surfing the real estate sites I found a small house that caught my attention. I went there to check it out and rather impulsively made an offer. That was two years ago, and last summer I relived my first experience in Mexico and built a second-floor studio on my new home in San Miguel de Allende.
San Miguel has been an artist’s haven since the 1940s and continues to attract artists, writers and creatives. The Bellas Artes and the Instituto de Allende originally established the reputation as an artist colony and today they still provide an anchor for the arts. There are galleries everywhere but La Fabrica Aurora, a renovated textile mill, with its collective of galleries and artist studios, has become a focal point. There’s always an art opening or performance to attend or an Artwalk in one of the surrounding colonias. There’s an international writer’s conference that attracts a sophisticated crowd and the city boasts a plethora of artisan crafts from all over Mexico. I’m also attracted to San Miguel because it’s a spiritually-minded community with plenty of options for yoga, meditation, full moon ceremonies, etc. It’s a beautiful town situated in the mountains near Mexico City and is filled with classic Old World charm like cobblestone streets and colonial architecture.
I chose my new place in t
he San Antonio neighborhood of San Miguel partly because it hosts an Artwalk once a year which draws hundreds of visitors and collectors. I’ve participated twice now and it’s a great way for me to introduce my work. I had an etching press built in Veracruz for the new studio and now offer monotype workshops in San Miguel as well. I’ve met fellow artists through San Miguel Printmakers and other venues and have participated in a number of gallery exhibitions. This year, I’m bringing the Plastic Madness / Locura del Plastico exhibition I organized in Mazatlán to San Miguel, inviting local artists to create artwork from found plastic to raise the awareness of this global problem. As a member of the San Miguel Literary Sala, I’ve had a place to introduce my book, Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place, and to give readings and promote book sales. I’m finding that San Miguel is a small and friendly town where it’s easy to meet people and get involved in the community.
I now have the best of both worlds, from the beach to the mountains, with studios in Mazatlán and San Miguel. I load up my car with art, my cat and clothes and make the 10-hour drive between cities in order to stay connected and maintain both households. I take the toll roads (cuotas) which provide a smooth and safe ride, and always take a friend for company. At this point, I’m staying the winter in San Miguel (against local logic) because that’s when the town expands with gringos and the event calendar fills up. I’m adjusting to the cold weather, sometimes as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the evenings and mornings, and outfitting myself with a new wardrobe of sweaters and jackets. The days are glorious and sunny and I have good heaters to combat the cold. I can easily rent out my two homes while I’m gone or use them for international house exchanges—so far, San Francisco, Barcelona and the South of France.
Moving to Mexico is one of the best decisions I ever made, and as a single woman, some would even say courageous. I tend to make decisions intuitively and follow the mantra, “Jump and the net will appear,” made famous by Julia Cameron in her book, “The Artist’s Way.” Living in my adopted country is a constant challenge and not for the faint-hearted. We expats have to learn the system and go with the flow, from dealing with immigration to signing up for local utilities. It’s true, I miss simple pleasures like browsing in bookstores and going shopping for something on a whim. On the other hand, I have affordable health insurance and a doctor and a vet who both make house calls at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night. I had no Spanish when I moved, but I continually study the language to eke out my somewhat fluent version.
Living in Mexico has been a wonderful journey that still delights and keeps me on my toes. Because it’s affordable, it has provided me a way to live my dream of being a full-time artist. I’m continually motivated and inspired by my surroundings, the people and the Mexican way of life.
Glen Rogers is an artist/educator who approaches life with an adventurous spirit and a reverence for Mother Earth. Her life journey is one of art and discovery.
Originally from Mississippi, she lived in the San Francisco Bay Area before relocating to Mazatlán, Mexico in 2002 where she lived full-time until 2016. She has since made her home in San Miguel de Allende where she has developed a studio and now splits her time between the two cities. Her enthusiasm for art in community has inspired her to create projects and curate numerous exhibitions like The Monotype Marathon in San Jose, CA and First Friday Artwalk and Steamroller Printing in Mazatlán. Her recent project is Plastic Madness, a travelling exhibition, featuring works created from throw-away plastics to focus on this global problem.
Glen’s book, “Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place,” continues to connect her with audiences at museums, galleries, and community centers. Glen teaches monotype printing workshops in San Miguel de Allende and organizes Art Vacations to Oaxaca, Guanajuato and Peru. As a painter, printmaker, and public sculptor, her artwork has been exhibited internationally in museums and galleries and is in many public and private collections. Glen has an MFA in printmaking and is a member of California Society of Printmakers. Visit her website and blog www.glenrogersart.com, www.artandsacredsites.com.
4. “Raising a Polyglot”
Roxanna Bangura
Veracruz City, Veracruz
I swear the more time I spend here in Mexico the more reasons I have for my move, from how family-oriented Mexico is to how I’ve lost nearly 30 pounds because of all the fresh food. At this point, I should say “we.” My daughter Amaris, who is now 10, is my right and left hand and my main motivation for moving to Mexico.
From the time she was an infant, Amaris was exposed to Krio (my mother’s language), English, Twi (her dad’s language) and Spanish. I would play programs for her in Spanish and when she was three I contracted a family friend who used to teach in Monterrey, Mexico. It was important that my child be fluent in multiple languages; I believe being a polyglot is an essential life skill to have.
I have a Mandarin tutor for Amaris, and she will also learn French and have an International Baccalaureate education, which has world-wide recognition. An IB diploma will position her to attend just about any university globally. These were nearly impossible goals for me to accomplish for her in the U.S. due to the higher cost of living. Amaris will have the opportunity to be mentored by a pilot who happens to be a woman, and learn to ride horses and travel around Mexico and Latin America. I’m willing to make this effort on her behalf because I want her to have as many options as possible in life in terms of career and experiences. I don’t want my daughter to have limitations. I want her to be able to be free, independent and smart. Boxes and pigeonholes should never apply to her. This is why I had the nerve to pick up stakes and move to Mexico.
That said, the actual notion to move from the U.S. came to fruition in the fall of 2016, and we moved in June 2017, when Amaris finished third grade. Prior to that time I was a single mom whose marriage ended in 2013. I desperately wanted to move abroad but was stuck working two and three jobs to make ends meet. I simply did not know how I could move with my daughter.
In my 20s I lived and traveled in Europe and West Africa and always enjoyed immersing myself in other cultures. Fast forward to my early 30s and motherhood and marriage. I suppressed my passion for travel and life abroad during my marriage because I thought I could no longer pursue those things that made me happy. My marriage was really a slow death. I was depressed and just going through the motions, but I was deeply dissatisfied with my life. When my marriage ended I wanted to leave the U.S. again but was clueless as to how I could do it.
I used exercise as therapy and worked multiple jobs to take care of my daughter and myself. Although I managed to hold on to my house for another two years, eventually I also lost that to the bank. My daughter and I had to move in with my mother, which was a big setback. I made sure to get various health and wellness certificates and even looked into becoming an Occupational Therapist. All of this took money, which I did not have. I was at a really low point and it was hard to see my way out.
The one thing that was a constant was living vicariously through the various immigrant/expats abroad sites on social media. I used resources like Facebook to find immigrant and expat groups to gather intel on life abroad. The most influential group for me was Black Americans Living Abroad. I read stories from highly educated, cosmopolitan people who were black like me and I wanted to be just like them again. I wanted expansion and experiences similar to theirs. So as providence would have it, I connected with a sister in Mexico and became intrigued with the country. I read voraciously about Mexico, engaged in my local Mexican community and became a pest asking unending questions to my friend from Puebla who lives in the U.S. I became fixated on Mexico and knew it was going to be home for me and my daughter. For nine months, all my energy and focus was on our move. I had dreams that needed to be accomplished for my daughter, and I knew that Mexico would make them a reality.
I sold and gave away a lot of things, and packed and repacked up until the day of departure.
When we first arrived in Mexico we spent a week in the capital, Mexico City, because I wanted to get acclimated with our adopted country’s capital. We enjoyed the hustle and bustle of such a large city and found people to be friendly and helpful, especially while using the vast subway system.
Initially I chose Veracruz to live because I have a sister here who held my hand during and after the transition. We were able to stay with her for three weeks and she helped me find housing and work, (I teach all subjects in English at a private school and online) as well as a school for Amaris. At first Amaris attended a public school which was ideal for her to acquire Spanish since there were no English speakers. Now she attends a bi-lingual school because it’s important for her to keep up with her Anglophone education as well.
I’m also connected to Veracruz because of the history of the enslaved West Africans in the area. An African freedom fighter and former enslaved individual by the name of Yanga (he founded Yangatown in Veracruz one of the first freetowns in Latin America) is believed to be from Guinea, which is where my paternal grandfather is from. Essentially all of these factors led me to Veracruz.
We’ve now been living in Veracruz for 15 months and have more or less adjusted to life here, but there are times when we miss fellowshipping with our community. The small city that we live in is very homogenous so we stick out like sore thumbs. People are openly curious and downright nosey when it comes to our presence here. Since we live in an area that doesn’t attract many foreigners from the U.S. and Canada, Amaris and I are the cause of gossip and speculation. People inform me of my routines and where I work and what businesses I frequent. As a New Yorker this freaks me out and is so intrusive, but it’s normal here. Almost without fail people want to touch our hair or take a photo with us, which is off-putting and annoying at times. Amaris has learned to assert herself and tell people NO when they ask (and sometimes not) to touch her hair.