We have all heard about it and we have probably all visited it at least once, or better yet, you have surely passed through its classrooms like thousands of people, local and foreign, over the course of several generations of students and exhibitors. But perhaps you do not know its history, which has tragic episodes and others of hope that have led the institution to the recognition and legacy it currently has.
History tells that after the war of independence, San Miguel de Allende was plunged into uncertainty, with a large part of its population exiled and the rest without opportunities to support themselves. In 1927, the Peruvian artist and diplomat exiled in Mexico, Felipe Cossío del Pomar, visited San Miguel de Allende at the invitation of his friends Alfonso Reyes and José Vasconcelos; a visit that made him fall in love with the town, where 10 years later he would found the Escuela Universitaria de Bellas Artes in the former convent.
That was the starting point for the rebirth of San Miguel as an artistic epicenter that attracted creative people from all over the world, but mainly from the United States. Little by little, this new art school attracted students, and with them the local economy began to revive. By 1946, Cossío's school became an independent part of the Department of Education of the State of Guanajuato when the National Institute of Fine Arts was created.
Photo via @ins.allende
After this, Cossío was absent for a few years, leaving the school in charge of a lawyer known to him. His return to San Miguel was fateful, as he arrived to find the school practically in ruins due to the poor management during his absence. This did not stop him from promoting first-class artistic education in the town. With a new team of illustrious figures such as Stirling Dickinson, the former Governor of the State Enrique Fernández Martínez and his wife Nell Harris, Cossío founded the Allende Institute in 1950.
When the institute was formally integrated into the University of Guanajuato with its Master of Fine Arts, international recognition began to be noted. By 1960 it was already so relevant that it expanded and opened a Bachelor of Fine Arts program, which many renowned artists have studied since then.
Today, the Allende Institute is a national and international reference for the study of the arts, and now also for languages and other disciplines such as weaving, jewelry, sculpture and more through its workshops. The educational offer of the institute includes a complete bachelor's degree with a flexible program, Spanish courses and various workshops on painting, ceramics, alebrijes, weaving, jewelry, sculpture, engraving, watercolor, oil and everything you can imagine. Here You can learn about them all. This institution is undoubtedly one of the emblems of San Miguel de Allende! To find out the registration calendar and more information, you can check their website institute-allende.edu.mx or visit their social networks Facebook and Instagram.
And although its legacy is intangible, it is worth mentioning the original facilities, which for a long time were “fed” by the creative spirit in the form of magnificent murals that decorate its corridors. This iconic building in the center, which was the residence of Don Manuel Tomás de la Canal y Bueno de Baeza, began construction in 1735, and in 1809 it was commissioned by the Discalced Carmelites of Querétaro to recondition it as a religious building to Don Manuel Tolsá. With the outbreak of the independence struggle, this project could not continue and the building was forgotten until 1949, when it became the School of Arts or Allende Institute, which opened its doors in 1951.
It now functions as a venue for all kinds of events, thanks to its colonial style, with a large courtyard with a central fountain, surrounded by high arches that envelop you in a unique atmosphere. It also houses art galleries, one of which is internationally renowned, Nudo Gallery dedicated to contemporary art. On the website of the venue www.institutoallende.com You can learn more about its history and its different spaces that adapt very well to all types of events. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to find out what's going on there.
