Kids, adolescents, parents and grandparents can have a ball at this yearly event focusing on the arts and dedicated to children.
On opening day, dozens of art workshops kept children busy, entertained and excited. They used a variety of mediums and techniques, from paint to pillows to candy and more. There was storytelling, music, dance, giant puppets, theater, concerts, food displays, Bonsai trees and origami – everything to stimulate the creative talents of tots to teens. A collective mural was being woven by anyone who wanted to pitch in and all those who did got their name stitched into the artwork.
Workshops are mostly geared to specific age groups: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-18; but some events and projects are open to everyone, parents included.
A decent coffee wagon keeps moms and dads awake during the hour-long workshops while they browse different company and government stands offering information and products. The Biblioteca Juan Jose Areola, a Zapopan public library, has brought a wide variety of children’s literature to browse, offering parents ideas for upcoming birthday presents and giving kids some down time between activities. An interesting display of winning ceramic pieces by Jalisco artists in different categories created over the last 30 years was whimsical and varied.
The fun continues through Sunday, May 25 at Expo Guadalajara. Parking is only 50 pesos for the day and tickets to Papirolas are 40 pesos per person from three years and up. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Make sure the kids aren’t dressed in their Sunday best, as art can be messy.
Sound installation
Visitors to the beautiful Bosque Colomos Park on Sunday, May 25 will be able to witness an unusual artistic happening: a sound installation created by musician and sound artist Armando Castro.
The work, which will be relayed to the audience in the “Presa” (water storage) area of the park facing the Castillo (Castle), will consist of “competing” sounds recorded on the Lerma and Santiago rivers in the Estado de Mexico and Nayarit.
At the same time, orators from the committee known as “Un Salto de Vida” will read out texts highlighting and decrying the excessive contamination in the Santiago River.
Castro is politically active and has performed other sound interventions reflecting on with the Basque separatist movement and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He lives on an organic farm near Tala.
The sound installation begins at noon. The entrance to Colomos Park is on Calle El Chaco. Take Patria to Alberta; El Cacho is the second on the left.