Although Ukraine falls last in the alphabetical listing of the homelands of performers in the 2020 Festival Cultural de Mayo, the war-torn country seems destined to attract the most attention in this year’s line-up in Guadalajara, and not just because of the bombs and refugees.

When longtime Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (OFJ) cellist Mariana Martinez studied conducting under Hector Guzmán, when he was director of the 90-member group from 2004 to 2010, she must have had more than an inkling of her musical aspirations.

Guadalajara officially took the mantle as 2022 World Book Capital in a ceremony held at the Cabañas Cultural Institute on April 23, World Book Day.

If you are seeking insight into legendary Jalisco-born muralist Jose Clemente Orozco, an exhibit at Guadalajara’s Museo de Las Artes, which houses his second most renowned fresco, packs a didactic punch for anyone who grabs the golden ring.

A mural referencing the scourge of gender violence, created by a European artist preferring anonymity who goes under the name “Capitán Haddock,” was unveiled this week on the Rambla Cataluña, the pedestrian arcade running alongside the Universidad de Guadalajara rectory building, which also houses the Museo de Arte Moderno.

Traditional art and innovative technology meet head on when “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” rolls into Guadalajara on April 6.