LA BARRA DE MI CORAZÓN

Yesterday I was rewarded by seeing the fruits of my labor (and also the community at large). You see, my wife and I have been continually giving back and helping with the redevelopment of Barra de Navidad after it was devastated by a hurricane a few years ago. The waterfront and many of the restaurants and shops suffered damage and the beach was pretty mangled. So, with all this said, my photography was instrumental in the present redevelopment of the beach in Barra de Navidad.

This is what happened … I took several shocking photos of the beach during it's "worst of times" and I never really wanted to share these with anyone, however, the local municipal asked me if they could use the photos to do a presentation to the Governor of the State of Jalisco which would show how much damage was done to Barra de Navidad. To make a long story short(er) … these photos ended up being published in many newspapers from Guadalajara to Mexico City with much to do. Then the Governor came to Barra de Navidad for the first time this last summer to see the damage firsthand. After all this, the State of Jalisco and the State of Colima created funding to aid Barra de Navidad in the redevelopment of the beach and the town as a whole, along with a planned resort and new marina.

Fast forward to the present and you will see the following photos below of the new community exhibition space at the Hotel Tropical that our gallery (Barra Foto Galeria) was asked to help display. I worked hand in hand with the Architect and Director of Tourism to display something the people of this region could take pride in. I guess my talents are expanding into gallery/museum design … lol. And yesterday was the day that the Secretary of the Governor of Jalisco came to visit and have a walk-through of the exhibition.

Currently this is a temporary exhibition to promote Barra de Navidad. The exhibition will feature historical digital photos from our gallery collection, plus donated photos, public domain photos, and some recent photos of mine. The exhibition will also feature old artifacts from the region. All of this is presented in a time table format from past to present and ending with the vision of the future that includes a scaled model of the beach. So the future looks bright and the planned changes should be a welcomed addition to the already fantastic culture of this area. I can't wait to see the blending of the new with the old. Barra de Navidad will remain the funky little beach town it has always been but have a new splash of the future thrown in. And for those folks that have never been here .... I would tell them that this town is a magical place! That's why I am participating in the artistic growth of this area while building a stronger visual connection to the past with old photos as well as embracing the future with my present photography. Hopefully this temporary exhibition is the kickstarter for a permanent cultural center or museum in the future. That is my dream. Enjoy!