Travel Guide | Juan Beckmann Gallardo Cultural Center

A trip through the roots of Mexican Identity! 

What’s it about? 

Juan Beckmann Gallardo Cultural Center (CCJBG) lies inside a precious building designed for the architect Jorge Loyzaga, who was inspired by the baroque architecture of Colegio de las Vizcainas built in the XVIII century in Mexico City. 

This cultural center was recently added to Mundo Cuervo’s experience in response to the touristic demand in Tequila, Jalisco. It has 6 exhibitions focused on presenting the key elements of Mexican culture and identity, through a common factor: all manifestations of art. 

What to see in Juan Beckmann Gallardo Cultural Centro? 

During your visit to CCJBG, you’ll see several art exhibitions that constitute a path through Mexican history from the pre-colonization era to the present day. 

Mesoamerican Faces  

This is a collection of 1,580 pieces carved by diverse native nations. By admiring them, you’ll get a clear view of how these people used to look at themselves. This Mesoamerican-faces exhibition is placed in 22 showcases, and take a part in the collection of archeologist Alexander Von Wuthenau. 

"Charreria. La esencia de la tierra"

By means of modern museum technology, you’ll learn how a Charros became an emblematic Mexican symbol during the colony, as a result of the introduction of horses in agriculture and farming. Also, this presentation will make you notice the essential role horses play in the most important Mexican armed-conflicts: the Mexican Independence War and the Mexican Revolution War. 

In the room devoted to La Charreria, you’ll find a fascinating collection of costumes, saddles, spurs, ropes, and many other items, restored by experts for you to discover them as they used to be in their time.  You’ll also see a diverse selection of art-work inspired by the UNESCO’s Heritage of Humanity tradition. 

“Los caminos de Jalisco y Tequila”

 Get ready to enjoy a fully restored collection of carriages from the XVII to the XIX centuries. Find maps of roads and dispatches used in the labors related to the production of tequila, as well as, the private vehicles driven by the aristocracy to hang out in the region or to move between Tequila and Guadalajara. 

“Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular Mexicano”

If you have once dreamt about gathering all Mexican-handcart styles in one place, you’ll love this room. This collection is comprised of 551 items. It shows hand-made crafts of wood, carton, natural fabrics, metals, stones, glass, ceramic, and bone. 

234 handicraft-masters, from all over Mexico, are the artists behind this treasure, which is sponsored by Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C. 

Heads: Neofigurative art by Jose Luis Cuevas 

José Luis Cuevas is an XX-Century major exponent of plastic arts in Mexico. Painter, illustrator, writer, recording artist, and sculptor; he had a self-taught formation. Along with another artist, between 1952 and 1965, Cuevas stood out in the “Breakaway Generation”, a generation renowned for destroying the paradigms and structures of Mexican wall-painting. 

In Centro Cultural Juan Beckhann Gallardo  you’ll appreciate the work of his life, the Neo-Figurative-Sculptures collection, known as “Cabezas” (heads). 

Manuel Felguerez abstract-art gallery 

Another breakaway-generation representative is Manuel Felguerez, whose place in Mexican history comes after his pictorial and sculptural work that seems to become alive in front of your eyes. These pieces can be enjoyed in the Juan Beckmann Gallardo Cultural Center. 

Handy information: 

• The center opens from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10 to 18 hours.
• There’s an entrance fee of 70 MXN. 
• Children under 6 years are free of charge. 
• There are a 50% discount for children from 7 to 12 years old, elderlies, handicaps, Tequila residents, students with a valid ID, and Mundo Cuervo Social Club members. 
• Guided visits are offered for a 100 MXN fee, scheduled from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, and from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
• It has a tiny cafe where you can taste the best traditional coffee and home-made fresh bread. 

We recommend: 

• Saving at least two hours for touring Juan Beckmann Gallardo Cultural Center. So you can truly enjoy every exhibition. 
• Posting on social media all your photos and videos with the hashtag #MundoCuervo. 

Look for more information at https://www.mundocuervo.com