Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Local artist Philippo Lo Grande's new show, "Until We Meet Again," will open at Galleria Vallarta on August 5th, from 6-9 pm. The after-party will be at The Scottsman, a new pub on Calle Libertad, one block south of the gallery.

I first met Philippo 25 years ago in Yelapa, where he still maintains a studio, and he hasn't changed much in that time. Friendly, entertaining, shaggy but stylish, Philippo is a buoyant free spirit who has wandered the globe for decades creating art, friendships and fun in 11 countries and 25 U.S. states.

After living an idyllic artists' existence on his property in Yelapa for 17 years, on a piece of land he calls, "the un-real estate," (because the jungle setting is surreally beautiful, and because gringos cannot own the land there) in 1995 Philippo started spending more time in Vallarta. While creating and showing his work, he organized benefits to provide young Vallarta street artists, many of whom are homeless, with emergency medical services.

You can always tell when Philippo has been around; he leaves a trail of rubber bands in his wake; a few years back he added rubber band tricks to his shtick.

"Why rubber bands?" I asked.

He laughed and said, "Rubber was first used in Mexico, and its properties are amazing. When you take in slack and let it out, you direct an energy force, you stretch the energy."

This year he taught "rubber band etiquette" at the Rio Cuale's La Cuiza Spring Festival, and for next year's festival, he hopes to attempt a more energetic installation - using rubber bands to link the Hotel Rosita to the new Los Muertos Pier. Andale, Philippo!

Philippo has had 42 art shows in recent years, 24 of them one-man shows, and has painted 22 murals around the Bay of Banderas. In 2001 his painting, The Four Apparitions of Juan Diego, was installed in the sacristy at Puerto Vallarta's iconic Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.

"For me, my art is not about what I have done, it is about what can be done; it is about art as ammunition for the transformation of society; about using use art and music to keep us far from our graves for as long as possible, and to answer the haters with love."

For the coming high season, Philippo is collaborating with Judith Ewing Morlan and Mercedes Sanchez in an art series of fascinating scope, entitled "Painting Yourself in Vallarta," which will include self-portrait classes at La Cuiza, and showings of all the creations revolving around this theme.

"We want people to look at themselves and why they are here, and to create images of how they relate to, and how they can benefit, this city we love so well. Since we are all mirrors for one another, I hope this project will help us become the people we want to see."

Philippo Lo Grande's paintings and murals now grace locations worldwide, and there is a fantastic collection of photographs of his work on his website, LoGrandeArt.com, and his Flicker page, which you can access through his website.

His August 5th art show at Galleria Vallarta, "Until We Meet Again," will include new works, notably a series of street scenes depicting life on the streets of Colonia Emiliano Zapata, as well as collages and prints of some of his older works. The gallery is located at Guerrero 187, #110, 1/2 block south of the main plaza and Cathedral in downtown Puerto Vallarta.