February 13, 2009

We started today with a visit to the Academia National de Bellas Artes. This art school has been in existence for over 200 years. Last fall, Jim and I provided the seed money through the sale of last years South American sketches for the Academia to put out the very first issue of Otra Arte. Otra Arte is a world class art magazine featureing Bolian art and artists! After hundreds of years of art history in Bolivia and an active vital arts community, it is about time there was such a magazine since it will provide a calling card about Bolivian Art that can be used around the world. Having such a publication, was entirely Ivar Mendez´s idea and we just suppported his initiative with money. Ivar, his parter Ivonne Aracena and Jim and I met with the principal and all the teachers of the Academia. I took my tiny travelling paint set and all the sketches done so far on this trip. This broke the ice and bridged the language barrier. With Ivar´s translation, the principal thanked me for my interest and support and I expressed my thoughts on the universality of art and invited all of the staff to visit Nova Scotia as our guests.
Then we toured the school and a student exhibition.

We also learned from Ivar that unless we can extend our trip for a further two months we can´t visit Acapaca on this trip. Disappointing, however things generally work out for the best. We will see other Bolivian areas in the time we do have remaining.

On the walk back to our hostel, I found an art shop with some quality art materials. I got a bit more paper; not as heavy as I like but it is archival quality. I also bought a dozen quality painting sets for kids and pencils, sharpeners and paper. Jim´s wondering where I´ll find a dozen kids who want an art lesson and I´m wondering how I can buy more paint sets once I run out!

This afternoon, we visited two galleries, (the national gallery and the museum of contemporary art). It was interesting to see work by Mamani Mamani, the artist we visited last night and also to see work by the two artists that we were going to have dinner with tonight.

At 7:30, Ivar and Ivonne took us to their favourite restaurant, Villaserena and ordered for us all the best of Bolivian food and drink. The highlight was sharing the evening with two more of Bolivia´s top artists; Mario Conde, a hyper realist watercolourist and Victor Hugo Echeverria, a sculptor. Both Mario and Victor were charming and delightful. I had so much in common with them and it´s always a treat for a solitary artist to meet kindred spirits. Again I issued invitations to be our guests in Canada and discussed the possibilities and benefits of some Bolivian Canada art exchanges.

The last two days have been a gift from two exceptional people. Ivar Mendez is not only a world class neurosurgeon in Halifax and researcher and innovator, he is also an artist and a passionate philanthropist. His partner, Ivonne Aracena, is a dentist, a teacher at the university and a potter. She´s kind, wonderful and the perfect social planner. She will also be living in Canada in the near future.
Throughout my life, I´ve had the amazing good fortune of just happening to get to know some very special people. For many years, these special folk have always been older than me. I assumed part of their wisdom and passion was because they were further along in their lifes journeys. Ivar and Ivonne are both young enough to be my children but I am inspired by their energy, committment and eclectic interests. Being a special person obviously has nothing to do with age.

For most of my life, I have harboured a passionate belief that enhancing creativity, enhances creative thought and this is integral to being a leader, a teacher, a researcher. Only by thinking outside the box, can world problems be negotiated. Ivar not only shares this belief, he´s living it.