The Jardin del Arte in Mexico City

You don't have to look very hard to find artwork in Mexico City. The city brims with murals, sculptures, and galleries. One of my favorite places to check out the work of both professional and amateur artists is the Jardín del Arte, an outdoor art show held every Sunday in Sullivan Park. Artists of all kinds and abilities display and sell their creations in this tranquil park located near the busy intersection of Avenida Insurgentes and the Paseo de la Reforma. Lining the tree-shaded pathways are exhibits of everything from traditional landscape paintings and miniatures of Spanish colonial architecture to modern sculptures and lively abstract canvases the size of doors.

Click on the images below to see larger views.

Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Population at All-Time Low

According to a census taken by World Wildlife Fund - Mexico, the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico has fallen to the lowest on record.



Every autumn, tens of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from as far away as eastern Canada to the states of Mexico and Michoacan. Here, they hibernate in the mountainous terrain, coating the oyamel fir trees in brilliant orange blankets. When air temperatures warm in the spring, they begin their long journey back to their northern breeding grounds.

The recent drop in the number of monarch butterflies over-wintering in Mexico is being blamed mainly on drought plus abnormally high and low temperatures in parts of North America where the monarchs reproduce. Also, the insects' Mexican habitat continues to be illegally deforested in order to harvest valuable timber and clear land for agriculture.

Although scientists say that the monarch butterflies are not in danger of extinction, they think that their declining numbers may threaten the annual migration to Mexico.

Mexico has four monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan and the Estado de Mexico. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and now comprise the 56,259 hectare (about 139,00 acres) Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.



For tourist information on Mexico's monarch butterfly sanctuaries, visit the WWF- Mexico website.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum

Sagging American and Canadian retirees aren’t the only ones getting facelifts in San Miguel de Allende these days. The Museo Historico de San Miguel de Allende has been remodeled by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) as part of Mexico’s Independence Bicentennial celebrations.

This compact museum – often overlooked by foreign tourists – is housed in a handsome colonial-era building next to the Gothic-style Parroquia (parish church) on San Miguel’s main square. The museum has two patios surrounded by arcades and two floors of displays chronicling the history of San Miguel de Allende and the Mexican Independence War that began in 1810. Highlighted is the role of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico’s independence movement who was born in San Miguel in 1779. There are also documentary videos plus a replica of a Spanish colonial pharmacy with original medicines and fittings.

Restoration of the museum took two years to complete and included the installation of better lighting, a new security system, plus new drain and electrical systems. The museum was re-inaugurated by Felipe Calderon, the current president of Mexico, on April 4th, 2009.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum is located at 1 Cuna de Allende Street. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is about US$3.00.