Instituto Allende
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| Type | Arts College |
|---|---|
| Established | 1950 |
| Location |
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico 20°54′33″N 100°44′49″W / 20.909199°N 100.746968°WCoordinates: 20°54′33″N 100°44′49″W / 20.909199°N 100.746968°W |
| Website | instituto-allende |
The Instituto Allende is a visual arts school in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The institute provides a range of courses, and offers a BA in Visual Arts and an MA in Fine arts in association with the Universidad de Guanajuato. Its courses and degrees are recognized by most North American universities. It has been popular with American and Canadian students and artists since it opened in 1950, and the town now has a large expatriate community from the USA and Canada.
The town of San Miguel de Allende is about four hours drive north of Mexico City. It is named after General Ignacio Allende, a hero of the Mexican War of Independence. It is at altitude of 6,200 feet (1,900 m) and has a temperate climate. The town was founded in 1542. It was flourishing by the 17th century, but in the late 18th century suffered from a severe economic crisis. The wealthy inhabitants moved elsewhere, and the town stagnated. The institute brought new life to the town, which is now relatively prosperous. San Miguel has cobblestone streets and old stone buildings, and has been designated a national historical monument.
The institute is a few blocks southwest of the town center. It is housed in a massive building that was originally erected as a country residence for the wealthy Canal family. The family of the Conde de Canal began building on the site in 1735. In 1809 it was sold to the Discalced Carmelite sisters. They may have had the tunnel built that once connected it to the Parroquia. The art college occupies the rear of the complex and its gardens. The front has a commercial plaza with a café and several galleries. The Galería Pérgola, opened in 1951 as an exhibition space for the Institute, has a large collection of works by Mexican artists in different styles and media. The Feria de Lana y Latón, a large crafts fair with vendors from across the country, is held every few months in the central plaza of the Institute.
In 1927 the Peruvian diplomat and artist Felipe Cossío del Pomar visited the town and was enchanted by the quality of light. More than ten years later he founded the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes (University School of Fine arts) in a former convent that had been used as a barracks. The influx of students brought new prosperity to the town. Cossío del Pomar returned to Peru when the Peruvian government granted amnesty to exiles. He sold his holdings, which included a ranch as well as the school, to the Mexico City lawyer Alfredo Campanella.
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Wikipedia