Mendoza City, the provincial capital, is a blend of old and new, tradition and modern business activity, tall buildings and expansive green parks, tree-lined avenues and pedestrian malls. The best way to discover the city is on foot. Postales del Plata offers a number of walking city tours that include visits to museums, art galleries, churches, theatres, and Artisan´s Row in Plaza Independencia. Local musicians play in the squares at night, and are invited to play at Chacras de Coria Lodge and Valle de Uco Lodge.
Special theatre and musical performances are scheduled throughout the year in the Gabriela Mistral Theatre and Julio Quintanilla Theatre. In February, the Tonada Music Festival in Tunuyan draws the finest musicians from all over South America. In March, The Vendimia Festival brings dancers and musicians together in a weeks long celebration of the harvest season.
Depending on the time of year of your visit, Postales del Plata will give you the option of including the best special events in your itinerary, as well as scheduling specific cultural activities to suit your desires.
Alex Dobson, writing for Grapevine says, "If Mendoza could be said to have an Artists' Quarter, it's the peaceful district of Bermejo. Here reside artists, some of whose names are known all over the world ø yet sadly quite off the tourist circuit.
Mendoza is a sort of artistic archipelago. Separated by sheer distance from the artistic influences of Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Patagonia, Mendocinean artists have been free to develop their own distinctive forms of expression.".......Exactly. Mendocinos take pride in their uniqueness, and Postales takes pride in arranging distinctive art tours to fit your interests. Aside from Tango and Flamenco lessons that can be arranged at Chacras de Coria Lodge, or Valle de Uco Lodge, there are Tango classes downtown every Monday and Wednesday night at 9 pm, and on Wednesday night after the class you can join the group at a local tango restaurant on Calle San Martin for dinner, wine, and to practice what you've learned.
If you are looking for museums to visit on your own, here are some suggestions.
Museo de Arte Moderno
The museum is hidden underground in La Plaza Independencia. The permanent salon hosts art from Mendoza from 1930 to today. It includes paintings, ceramics, drawings and sculptures. The exposition salon is dedicated to individual or collective works.
Subsuelo Plaza Independencia, Rivadavia y Mitre
Tel/Fax: (0261) 4257279 / 4495811
Museo de Bellas Artes de Mendoza
(Museo El Fader)
The Mueso de Bellas Artes de Mendoza is an art gallery hosting original paintings by local artists. The museum is known as El Fader, after the extraordinary plastic artist Fernando Fader, who is responsible for painting the beautiful murals in the hall and pool.
Inquiries: Tue - Fri 8.30am - 6pm, Sat & Sun 2pm - 7pm.
San Martín 3651, Mayor Drummond, Luján de Cuyo. Tel: (0261) 4960224
$1 entrance fee
El Museo del Área Fundacional
The museum is situated on La Plaza Fundacional and Las Ruinas de San Francisco. It opened on 20 February 1993 and has been used as the annex for archeological excavations.
Alberdi y V.Castillo, Mendoza. Tel (0261) 4256927
museofun@nysnet.com.ar
