In December 2018, during the opening ceremonies for the Noche Blanca, a night celebrating the arts in Merida, SoHo Galleries was honored by Mayor Renan Barrera with an award for contributing and facilitating the arts in Merida for 10 years.
SoHo Galleries now invites the public to celebrate that 10-year anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 23. Festivities begin at 7 p.m.
Since opening its doors in 2009, SoHo has been an art gallery and cultural center for the community and for artists, from both Mexico and abroad.
Owner Adele Aguirre has always had a passion for art. Confessing that her home back in New York City looked like an art gallery, she says she is able to live the dream by having her own gallery. SoHo was opened with the goal of being a cultural hub where artists, creative people and general members of the community could meet and inspire one another. Adele and her team of directors, Yesenia Lope and Aron Echeveria, have made that happen — and then some.
Over these past 10 years, SoHo Galleries has evolved and grown by continuing to promote artistic inspiration and innovation.
Aguirre is drawn to new artists and likes to take a chance on young cutting-edge new talent, while at the same time exhibiting very well-known artists.
The idea is to bring to Merida national and international artists who are able to evoke profound emotions in those who enter the gallery doors. This is the essence of art and the purpose of artistic expression that hopefully the viewer and buyer will experience at SoHo.
In addition, the gallery prides itself on offering affordable artwork. The pieces on display are accessible to a wide variety of people, not only the elite connoisseur.
In recent years, SoHo has also collaborated with fashion designers, chefs, musicians and dancers, hosting events where plastic art fuses with couture fashion, cuisine and music. The result is a sensorial delight. In the near future, Aguirre hopes to also include spiritual elements such as meditation and yoga.
SoHo Galleries is a major player in the support of community outreach programs including “Art With A Heart” and Fundación BAI. “Art With A Heart” is a program run by local non-profit, Yucatan Giving Outreach A.C. which promotes healing through the creation of art by offering art classes to children and youth at shelters and orphanages. Fundacion BAI is an international non-profit organization that works to educate Yucatecans on positive sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention by offering education workshops and campaigns, counseling and free HIV testing. Proceeds from art auctioned off at the SoHo 10th Anniversary Event will be donated to both organizations.F
For the anniversary, there will be performance art, music, and food. Featured artists from around Mexico and Cuba will be there, creating art and meeting the public. This is an event to celebrate not only art, but all the loyal clients and people who have supported SoHo Galleries over the years. A glass will be raised to all those who have been part of this cultural center, during this spectacular night of passion, color, flavors, music and art.
