From there we proceeded to internationally renowned husband and wife Daniel Ruanova and Mely Barragan's home/studio. They have been in residency in Cleveland as well as Beijing and their work has been exhibited around the world. Daniel recently received a grant from Mexico's National System for Art Creators and Mely received the "III Biennial Award Ciudad Juarez El Paso Museum Of Art". I was not sure how my friends would respond to Daniel's somewhat violent and strong imagery but when he explained the thought process and passion that led to his creations it put a very different spin on the appreciation and understanding of his art. Another interesting tidbit from our visit was seeing how each of them has their own space and style while still sharing some similarities as husband and wife.

The next stop was at Charles Glaubitz' space in Playas De Tijuana. He was also recently selected for the National System for Art Creators. It is the first time ever that the guidelines included the Graphic Narrative category and Charles was the first and only one chosen for this particular category. As he was sharing the ideas behind his creations such as "MacBurro" Charles shared that his origins are German and how he came to live in Tijuana as well. Personally I really liked the colors and themes behind his art. There was a piece that I wanted to buy but my brother in law beat me to it.

The last stop on our excellent trip was at Pablo Llana's studio. Pablo's present work uses recycled materials that are sent to him from as far away as Guadalajara in central Mexico. Practically all the material he uses is from candy and junk food wrappers which are used to create very colorful pieces. The themes he is presently exploring in his work are obesity and consumerism which are clearly reflected in his creations and the materials he uses. I thought his work was very interesting.

At the end of the night I think all of us who participated were very happy and not just because of the craft beer and wine. The "art-tourists" because we had the opportunity to experience contemporary art up close and personal as well as interact with the artists. For the artists it was the opportunity to open up their creations to a different public and sell their artwork. My primary goal that night was that the invitees purchase pieces and to support our creative class by exposing them to people interested in collecting art. However the grand prize that night was becoming more conscious of the quality of work that exists in Tijuana and appreciating art in a different way.

Vero Glezqui www.glezqui.com Daniel Ruanova www.danielruanova.com Mely Barragán www.melybarragan.com Charles Glaubitz www.charlesglaubitz.com Pablo Llana www.pablollana.com Agentes del Arte Contemporáneo www.agentesartecontemporaneo.com Josué Castro www.latentaciontjsd.com

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