Exhibition at Prego Ristorante Honors Mexican Watercolorist Luis Amendolla
The exhibition was organized jointly with Adarte art brokers, directed by Adriano Herrera and Elena Estrada Gonzalez.
IFC’s Cleft Palate Program Presented Annual Informe The presentation was conducted by Medical Coordinators Patricia Mendez, and Doctor Ezequiel Fuentes
Prego Italian Ristorante recently presented a less known facet by hosting an art exhibition with the works of Mexican watercolorist Luis Amendolla Gasparo (1939-2000).
The exhibition was organized jointly with Adarte art brokers, directed by Adriano Herrera and Elena Estrada Gonzalez. It was thanks to their negotiations that a series of watercolors was acquired from Amendolla’s heirs to be shown here.
After the cutting of the ribbon, the wait ended and guests were invited in to the restaurant’s main room to admire the works of Luis Amendolla. His art works are testament of his masterful command of the watercolor techniques with which he gave life to such varied themes as landscapes, marinas, portraits, nudes and still natures, by means of which he appears as an accomplished draftsman and painter.
His sober palette invites to contemplation, to the thorough examination of the creation process, to discover the source of details that bring character to each individual watercolor.
The artist captures with equal sensibility the features of a weather-beaten face, and the classicism of a feminine nude, or the ample serenity of a landscape that is reminiscent of other Mexican master landscapists from last two centuries.
Amendolla’s paintings captured the interest of guests, who expressed admiration while browsing the exhibition. This is the second event of this kind organized by the restaurant, and it is only the tip of the iceberg. Prego has set out to achieve an important cultural altruistic outreach.
Along with the homage to Luis mendolla, there was a collective exhibition with such important names as David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Luis Cuevas.
The Exhibition continues at Prego until February 20 and can be viewed within normal restaurant hours, 8 a.m to 11 p.m.
The presentation was conducted by Medical Coordinators Patricia Mendez, and Doctor Ezequiel Fuentes, the plastic surgeon in charge of the program.
They presented a thorough report on the program’s figures, and although the program’s achievements are quite remarkable, beyond the figures, the true spirit of this successful program exuded throughout the presentation. This is a program that disregarding the limited resources available to it sets its sights on the complete rehabilitation of every patient admitted to the program.
Patients in the program are seen by doctors up to four times a year, and they receive not only surgery, which includes repairing the palate, lip and nose, as well as any other related deformities the patient might have; they also receive dentist and orthodontist consultation and treatment, and very importantly, language therapy.
The medical team running the program comes from Guadalajara, they are all graduated from the Reconstructive Surgery Center, and provide their services for free, and have done so for many years. Emma Gonzalez Serna, who is head of nursing at Versalles Hospital in Guadalajara, has assisted Doctor Fuentes 19 years.
Since last year, the program has received support form the organization Smile Train, which focuses on lip repair surgery. Funding provided by the International Friendship Club goes to covering plain tickets, lodging, food and beverages and specialty materials, such as a highly specialized anesthesia for children.
The Health Ministry’s Puerto Vallarta Regional Hospital hosts quarterly surgeries. In attendance at the meeting was Ron Walker, who is the founder, along with his wife, of the Cleft Palate program, nearly 20 years ago.
The presentation conducted by Doctor Fuentes and Patricia Mendez elicited very much interest among the International Friendship Club membership, and questions poured after the presentation.
As a side note, Doctor Fuentes recounted a near-death experience he had, and said he believes that if he came back, is because his task is not complete yet.