Articles in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta
May 4th - 10th, 2003

La Petite France Schedules Cultural Evening

A magnificent exhibition called the “Miniature Art of Dania…

A Brazilian Evening in Puerto Vallarta” is scheduled on Thursday, April 24. In a beautiful creation of showcases with miniatures representing settings of everyday life, artist Dania Acevedo tells the story of each. A dinner dance in a Brazilian theme honors the artist’s nationality. Proceeds from the $390 pesos contribution will be donated to the Vallarta-Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Clinic. Fee covers the exhibition, a Brazilian drink, the show and dance. Call La Petite France at 293-0900 for reservations and information. Located at Fco. Medina Ascencio km 2.5 at the entrance to the Fiesta Americana Hotel.

Extensive Exhibit Benefits Rehab Clinic

By Anna Reisman

Everyone came out a winner on the occasion of the “Brazilian Night” held recently at La Petite France Restaurant: the guests, the organizers, and most of all, the Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Clinic that received the proceeds from the evening.

The organizers of the event were Nacho Cadena, owner of the restaurant, Brazilian-born Dania Acevedo whose miniature showcases were the focus of the event, and María Inés Angarita, the Clinic’s representative. They had promised an evening to remember and they fulfilled their promise totally.

The restaurant was decorated in yellow and green, the happy colors of Brazil, and Brazilian music filled the air. Dania’s innumerable miniatures were exhibited both in the Cultural Mezzanine of the restaurant and downstairs, around the dining area.

These gave viewers a glimpse into some of the most intimate moments of their creator’s life. Each setting had a story to tell, transporting us to a different, special place, each conveying a mood of its own. The details in each of those incredible showcases were nothing short of astounding, a visible proof of the artist’s “delicate hands and endless patience”, as host Nacho Cadena so aptly described them.

Guests milled around the Mezzanine, enthralled before each of the showcases. There just wasn’t enough time to enjoy them all as they should have been …so much detail, so much to see, and it gave Dania great pride to tell us that every tiny item was an exact replica of its full-size original, down to the ingredients on the side of the food carton on the table.

Afterwards, dinner was served downstairs. The dining room quickly filled to capacity and the guests were treated to a menu composed of typical Brazilian fare that included drinks, appetizers, a choice of four main course dishes and desserts. To add to the excitement, a group of dancers attired in impressive traditional Rio de Janeiro Carnival costumes provided spectacular entertainment to the tune of well-known Brazilian rhythms.