There are figures who not only inhabit the city, they transform it. In art, in San Miguel de Allende, José Luis Mendoza is one of them, perhaps the greatest. He is an artist in the broadest sense, a poet of everyday life, a man deeply linked to life and his people.

To talk about José Luis is to talk about someone generous, yes, and also constant. He is a person who has been there constantly, over the years, promoting local talent, accompanying processes, opening spaces where they were lacking. For many, it was a first encouragement for others, a continued close presence. His vocation has not only been to create, but to make others believe too. He has been a teacher both in classrooms and in cultural spaces, training through practice and encounter.

Actor, director and theater technician, José Luis has built a broad and diverse career. As a writer, he founded and directed the theater company La Comedia del Universo, where different generations found voice and stage. His interest in art has also led him to music, literature and cinema: he is a musicologist and cinephile, he has seen the birth of important processes such as the Expresion en Corto Film Festival, today the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF), where he participated as a jury in its first editions.

As an actor he has collaborated with different theater companies, working under the direction and alongside key figures on the scene in San Miguel de Allende such as Players WorkShop, Oveja Negra and La Troupe. His presence has also extended to cinema, participating in independent films and short films. At the same time, he has labored continuously as a set designer, lighting and technician, contributing creatively and practically to multiple scenic processes.

For 15 years he was in charge of the Art and Culture for la Biblioteca, where he promoted film, music and theater activities with an open and inclusive vision. He has also been part of the city's organized cultural fabric as a member of the Council of Directors of the Community Cultural Center Union and founder of the Allende la Cultura/Viceversa Collective.

What sustains his career is a daily commitment to the community. He has given guidance and social awareness talks to young people in the city and nearby communities. In music, he is part of projects such as Fusión Colonche and Del Maguey, and has promoted training processes with girls, boys and adolescents, such as the group Yolótzin. He has taught theater and music classes constantly, often grassroots and for barter.

His voice has also been present on community radio, talking about water and its care, and in writing, where he works between essays and poetry, with a critical look at the social and environmental.

But José Luis is not only the artist or the cultural promoter. He is a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. A man who has sustained his life through continuous work, without accumulating personal wealth, sharing freely what he has, finding in everyday life a way of being in the world.

Today, after 75 years on the road, he faces a complex health situation. He has undergone surgeries and his recovery has been slow, with the need for continued specialized treatments. The medical and recovery costs are high, and as someone who has lived from his day job, the impact is considerable.

Faced with this, the community responds. People from different moments in their lives, students, colleagues, friends, have organized to support him. This Sunday a Jarocho fandango will be held at El Sindicato, one of the spaces that has also been their home, where musicians will gather to contribute from their craft and call on people to accompany. The proceeds will go directly to José Luis. Other spaces, such as Café 1910, where he has also shared workshops, have joined the fundraiser, and you can use the donate button at the end of this article.

Beyond the very important financial support of a great master in his time of need, in supporting this collective soul, who has given so much to San Miguel, we reward ourselves: we restore our spirit, remind ourselves that there is a network that responds, and get closer to authentic San Miguel.

With your help, we ensure that the energy that José Luis has put into others, into the city as a whole, for decades, now finds its way back.

Please click the button below and give generously towards José Luis' recovery, and come to a landmark event this Sunday night.

Or make a transfer-
Bank: Banorte
Tarjeta: 4189 1432 9125 3279
Jose Luis Mendoza Aubert

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