January Love Letter

La cuesta de enero—It’s all uphill in January. The month begins with the end of the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon, the nearly month-long party that terminates with Epiphany (known locally as Día de los Tres Reyes) on Jan. 6. As most cultural outlets are wrapping up their 2008 shows and exhibits, it’s a good time to catch up on what you missed while celebrating, such as the brand-new, super-stylin’ Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo, MUAC for short, (muac.unam.mx), the first public museum to be built from the ground up in the past 30 years in the city. And while on the art trail, Jan. 11 marks the closing date of the provocative Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement exhibit at the Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo (museotamayo.org). Likewise, San Ildefonso is closing their Viento del Oeste Viento del Este exhibit with work of Dalí, Picasso and Miró from the Caixa Galicia Collection on the 4th. Luis Miguel, the only major artist coming to town, is offering a ten-night run at the Auditorio Nacional (January 20–21, 23–25, 27–28, and 30–Feb. 1, tickemaster.com.mx). For those of you wanting to get around town, the New Year offers some relief. With no gifts to buy and little cash to spend, most Chilangos tend to take it easy, turning January into the most traffic-free month, both inside the city and on the surrounding highways.

Marty McLennan