The Guadalajara Reporter

Artistic pair leave their mark on Guadalajara streets and hearts

How is it that a Canadian couple breeze into Guadalajara for a one-week visit, are initially overwhelmed by this buzzing city, but end up staying for two months and canceling their around-the-world travel plans so they can embark on an artistic project aimed at humanizing the people who sell gum and wash windows on city streets, and then miraculously manage to get their project exhibited in a coveted public venue?

Perhaps it was a combination of Marilene Blain-Sabourin and Louis-Philippe Levesque’s youth, idealism, sincerity and talent that explains the fairy-tale dimensions of their Guadalajara sojourn. And their saga took yet another unusual twist as they were set to exit the city on the very day they were interviewed for this story, with no plans to return, leaving behind a striking display of photos and poetry in the pedestrian mall of Avenida Chapultepec along with fond memories in the minds of the humble people they courted for their project.

“When we first arrived, the city was too much for us, but then we started walking in the streets and feeling the smiles of the people who work here,” explained Blain-Sabourin. “They wash cars, sell Telcel cards or flowers or matches. We want ordinary citizens to take the time to talk to them. We want to create more human contact among people. The people on the streets made it a beautiful experience here.”

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