In this post we visit an art museum, a history museum, and meet up with a guide who took us on an art walk.

Museo de Arte de Baja California Sur

Inaugurated in November 2020 in coordination with the Museum of Modern Art of Mexico City. The building is the first space in the south Baja Californian territory dedicated and equipped to receive, mount, and show modern and contemporary art. Included is a room dedicated to South Baja Californian art.

The exhibit room upstairs was in the process of installation, so we missed out seeing more of what the museum had to offer. One area of the museum depicted local and indigenous life.

Another exhibit presented art by Ander and Ferlun honoring the Mexican equivalent of America’s World Wrestling Entertainment.

The character’s eyes in this painting seemed to follow me wherever I was in the room. Even through the mask, I detected an innocence that belied the costume. Those who draw him as a foe, must stay alert to foil any attacks.

And then there were the interactive, colorful, and inspirational paintings by Ivan Guarderrama Torres which lifted my spirits as I examined each one. Scanning the image to the right of the painting combined technology with another perspective of the art on the wall. It was fun seeing how the painting came to life.

Below is the side of the art museum’s building lit up bright with street lamps, attracting photographers documenting such milestones as quinceaneras.

Regional Museum of Anthropology and History of Baja California Sur (Museo de Antropologia e Historia de Baja California Sur)

The peninsula history from ancient times to the start of 20^th century is documented within four rooms of the museum through artifacts, murals, dioramas, and narratives. Originally founded in March 1981, the newly renovated space reopened on December 10, 2018.

We wound our way through the exhibit space starting with the first room that discussed the ancient peoples who lived on the land and continued learning about the first European contact and the development of the Jesuit missionaries.

The Spanish encountered four main ethnic groups upon their arrival. The Pericues between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, the Guaycuras north of the Pricu to Loreto, the Monquis near Loreto and Cochimi in the middle of the peninsula. All were hunter gatherers without agriculture or metal working, but they did produce pottery. They also fished, but only the Pericues had rafts.

The Baja California Sur covers the southern portion of Baja California. La Paz is the state’s capitol. It became the 31st state of Mexico in October 1974. It was previously the south territory of lower California.

The last room depicts the great social movements: Mexico’s independence from the Spanish Empire, the interventions, the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), resulting in the US capturing Mexico City in September 1847 and subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. La Reforma (1850s and 1860s, resulting in a new constitution of 1857), the dictatorial rule of Porfiriato (1884-1911), and events of the 20th century are also discussed.

Although I was able to comprehend the meaning of the displays through translation, I felt I missed out on more detailed information printed in Spanish on the many posters. Knowing how to read Spanish would have been a big help.

Art Walk Tour Cut Short

Early one morning before breakfast and before the heat of the day began in earnest, we joined Amélie Padioleau for an art walk. Amélie is a French anthropologist, journalist, and sailor who has lived in La Paz for the past 10 years. Her bio states, “She collects mythological stories, sea legends, but also true facts about fishermen and local heroes with the courage to rethink their life around sustainability and conservation.”

We were excited to learn the stories behind some of the many murals we saw around the city center. Her talk focused on murals painted in 2013 and those murals created under the Cuidad Mural project in 2017 initiated by Colectivo Tomate. For this project, 25 artists were invited to “paint stories of the community on the walls of the city.”

Her passion for La Paz, the murals, the artists, and the stories the murals represent came through in her presentation and I enjoyed hearing about the murals and their creators.

We started out in the shade created between the multi-story commercial buildings. At one point, we stood in full sun for several minutes admiring a series of paintings, then moved on to find shade while we admired another mural.

By then the heat an humidity was becoming oppressive and Jon was finding it necessary to find a place to sit down. When I saw Jon nod off while he sat on a concrete block, I rushed to keep him from falling. With him slumped over, clammy skin, and eyes rolled back in his head, we couldn’t rouse him from his slumber.

Amélie, said get a wet towel. We didn’t have one. Bailey stripped off her T-shirt, wet it with her water bottle, and draped it over his shoulders. Still no response. Amélie uncapped her water bottle and poured it over Jon’s head.

Finally, Jon stirred awake, a smile on his face. A young-boy smile all proud of himself. He had no idea he’d passed out.

We apologized to Amélie and thanked her for the tour, then called a Didi to take us to the house. Walking back wasn’t a good idea. A cool dip in the pool, a plate of breakfast, and a few hours of rest, chased the heat exhaustion away and returned our big guy to normal. Well, at least his normal.

As I look at the photos today, I can appreciate how the artists incorporated the La Paz history and themes into their creations with the sea and desert playing a large part in the stories the art reveals. If we make it back to La Paz someday, I’d like to take the tour again.

Next up: A sunset sail and restaurants that enticed us in for a meal.

Safe Travels