Vallarta Pride Art Auction
I was so excited when Hector Belloc invited me to see this year’s Art Auction in a new locale inside Vallarta’s newly designated “Art District.” Hector, the Executive Manager of the event and Art Director of Tierra Fisica, the company in charge of logistics and curating the artwork, teamed up with the Vallarta Pride committee to present “Futuramar.”
Two streets were closed to traffic, the red carpet spread out beautifully, and gallery owners dusted and tidied their storefronts. The food and beverage providers outdid themselves with gorgeous presentations. Adjacent, tables laden with “swag bags” awaited.
I had the pleasure of sitting with Mexican/Canadian artist Miriam Aroeste, sculptor Francisco Sanmiguel, whom I have known for nearly 35 years, and painter Sergio “Checo” Diaz Lopez Babun. We enjoyed the icy cold beer and tasty tequila cocktails.
Sofa groupings and about 200 chairs were in front of the stage and down a side street to comfortably accommodate the anticipated crowd. Two enormous screens were strategically placed so everyone could easily see the cataloged auction items clearly.
In other words, the stage was set, the players were ready, but the audience was less than expected, with only a hundred people showing up, and only half of them in the market to buy pieces from the richly curated collection.
Hector Belloc told me that only 12 out of 50 pieces of fine art were sold. A lack of marketing and community energy undermined what should have been a spectacular art celebration to close Pride Week and the end of our busy tourist season.
Hector hopes the Third Annual Vallarta Pride Art Auction in 2026 will be extraordinary, saying he was not overly worried about this year’s poor attendance numbers. We all must encourage the community to participate more in these kinds of events, not only for the luxury and party but with a passion for Art. Our city’s history is woven with artistic distinction, and our corporations need to care more about future cultural events like the Art Auction, which enriches the image of Vallarta and creates a prosperous future for all of us. Thank you, Hector Belloc, for a job well done; the location was terrific and beautiful, and it was a pleasure for me to meet your lovely mother!
Scrabble at Qulture, a mango smoothies meet-up then dinner at Veggitalia with a dear friend this evening. May you all have an equally perfect day.