Here’s Qulture!

Qulture, a New Artist Co-Op and Jazz Bistro, Opens in Puerto Vallarta

By Paco Ojeda

Puerto Vallarta features an excellent choice of art galleries, restaurants, bars and live entertainment venues that appeal to both visitors and locals. Entrepreneurs that have attempted to combine all of the above into a single destination have come and gone with varying levels of success. That said, Qulture, a brand new artist co-op and jazz bistro in Puerto Vallarta’s gayborhood, is poised to raise the bar above the rest.

Located on Venustiano Carranza St. in the city’s cosmopolitan Emiliano Zapata district, the two-story building was originally designed to work as a basic hotel, with small rooms located around a rectangular courtyard. As lodging options in the city have evolved, the building’s purpose began shifting as well, becoming a courtyard restaurant and cooking school, but there was the matter of all the unused rooms. Little by little, local artists and artisans began renting the spaces and using them as working studios, mini-art galleries, or both. As such, the venue was known as the Three Hens and a Rooster market, opening its doors to visitors only on Saturdays.

A few months back, the project failed to gather enough momentum to remain self-sustaining. One of its artists brought the project to the attention of Jim Lee, a Puerto Vallarta-based event creator. Together with his husband, Sean Carey, they infused the project with new energy, an expanded vision and fresh ideas.

“I see myself as someone that creates events, and this building is really an event in itself to me,” explains Jim. He had been considering opening another gay club in town. As a former chef, however, he was drawn to the project because of its organic nature and the way it melds art, music, food and community.

In order to prepare the venue for its new iteration, extensive renovations took place during the summer months, particularly in the courtyard, where a cozy circular bar was built under a tiled roof. “I’ve always enjoyed circular bars,” he muses. “Not only are they so inviting to people, they are encouraged to interact with one another.”

While renovations took place, existing artists were invited to remain in the project and whatever studios remained available were quickly leased by new ones. Also, brand new food and beverage menus were developed, including a delectable choice of tapas, available at the bar. A very successful soft opening took place in late September, followed by a grand opening in early November.

By the time you read this, Qulture will have been in operation for a month or-so. The venue features close to 20 artist studios, a restaurant/bar, and space for workshops. Artists are encouraged to have their studios open during regular Qulture hours, allowing visitors to explore their art and craft on a personal basis. The artists’ works are also on display in a staffed co-op gallery on the main level. The person in charge of the gallery has access to all the artist spaces, should an artist be absent and a visitor be interested in exploring their work further. An artist’s space of note is Revival Wood, where a local craftsman repurposes enormous wood slabs into one-of-a-kind tabletops and centerpieces.

Qulture’s restaurant is open for tapas service at the bar from 1 pm on, with dinner service 6-11 pm. Jazz brunches featuring several rotating bands take place Saturdays and Sundays 11-4. In addition, there is live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings, along with a cabaret act on Thursdays. To keep things interesting, special events will also be scheduled in the coming months.

An interesting aspect of Qulture is its location. Puerto Vallarta’s gayborhood is located within an area known to tourists by monikers such as “Old Town” or “South Side,” and to locals by its original name: Emiliano Zapata. The district is divided in half by Insurgentes St., that runs parallel to the city’s iconic Los Muertos Beach and most of the activities that might be of interesting to most English-speaking visitors have been located on the western (ocean) side of Insurgentes. Qulture is located on the western, or more traditional side of Emiliano Zapata, and it joins an increasing number of businesses that have themselves broadened the neighborhood’s appeal.

This, in turn, makes Qulture a great place for visitors to get a more authentic flavor of the local community, gay or straight, international or Mexican national. “Thanks to an aggressive social media campaign, we are attracting an eclectic combination of clients that are immediately taken by the friendliness of our courtyard bar,” adds Jim. “And since we intend to be a year-around business, we will be air-conditioning our dining room in anticipation to next summer, to make it more attractive to our guests.”

For first time visitors, Jim recommends stopping by Qulture around 7 pm, during happy hour.

Qulture

Venustiano Carranza 466, Emiliano Zapata

For hours and entertainment schedule visit qulturepv.com