By Chris Sands via Baja.com

Todos Santos is perhaps best known for hosting one of Mexico's most prolific artists' colonies, an asset the legally designated Pueblo Magico – literally, magical village – shows off to great advantage in its yearly art festival. The 16th incarnation of the annual Todos Santos Art Festival is scheduled from February 13th through 17th,

2013, and will feature works from local artists and galleries, as well as showcasing traditional Mexican performance arts like folk dancing.

The festival's goal is to promote and celebrate contemporary art and the richness of traditional Mexican culture in this charming town on the Pacific Coast of Baja California Sur, and for each of the last fifteen years the talent and creative output of local residents has been on full display, from live bands and public dances to gallery exhibitions and artisanal food and beverages. This year's festival promises similar pleasures, albeit with all new offerings from some of Todos Santos' most sought after names.

Galeria Indigo present Violín, an oil on canvas, by Carlos Castro Diaz, at the Todos Santos Art Festival.

Galería Indigo represents many of the best artists in Todos Santos, including Carlos Díaz Castro, a La Paz native known for his evocative paintings, photographs, and graphic designs. This gifted artist excels in honest yet emotionally compelling portraits that unerringly capture the pulse and poetry of life in Baja California Sur. Violín is a vibrant study that sings with the spirit of the Mexican countryside, and imbues traditional virtues with a youthful vigor and vivacity.

La Montana Azul II by Jill Logan at the Todos Santos Art Festival.

"An interesting phenomenon has emerged over the years I have been painting whereby something makes its appearance that was previously hidden beneath the linear view of the subject," states Jill Logan, one of Todos Santos' most passionate and prolific artists. "This 'something' seems to be the very piece that breathes the life force into each object and from there emerges a unique and individual personal stamp. I am fascinated with catching this 'something' in its purest essence and reproducing it in color, form and emotion."

With a facility that allows her to work with a variety of mediums and styles

- landscapes, seascapes, abstracts, ceramics, paper tile mosaics, and one-off furniture are some of her specialties – N.E. Hayles is one of Baja's most proficient and versatile artists, and a master at iconography.

A resident of Todos Santos for more than twenty years, Hayles has exhibited her work in the U.S., Mexico, and Japan.

Living it up at the Hotel California (such a lovely place). Image: Hotel California

The colorful Hotel California has been a landmark in Todos Santos since its opening in 1950. Once owned by a Chinese immigrant who changed his name to Don Antonio Tabasco, the legendary lodging has been completely renovated, and features individually decorated rooms and suites, and a boutique art gallery and bazaar called Emporio. The hotel is famed for showcasing work from top local artists, and is also rumored to have provided inspiration for at least one well-known musical group.

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