Art of the Story, an intriguing new three-day festival, opens October 29 in San Miguel de Allende at the La Casona Convention Center. Promising “transformative experiences,” the upcoming festival features an international lineup of presenters in a variety of artistic disciplines, including writing, painting, acting and dance. The 27 conference sessions will offer instruction in a wide array of mediums, all inspired by an enticing common theme: that of a personal journey narrated through art. All sessions are meant to be accessible to both beginners and veterans.
Conference headliners include such diverse talents as Edoardo Ballerini, the actor, writer, and celebrated narrator of audiobooks who was called “the Voice of God” in a New York Times profile, and Ivy Pochoda, a former professional athlete and award-winning author who will discuss the role sports have played in her creative life — and how a collaboration with Kobe Bryant helped her understand the symbiotic link between her two passions. There will also be an appearance by Harrison Ball, a former NYC Ballet principal dancer, who will discuss the psychology and history of ballet and its relevance to culture today.
Special events with limited audience participation include the world premiere of a Live Audio Drama, Invasion Earthship, with Nathan Feuerberg and the Deadly Dinn Party: Writing a Murder Mystery, with Andrew Buckley. Each day of the festival will close out at Smokey Joe’s Café, a pop-up bar with live entertainment.
Festival director Tina Bueche shared the inspiration behind Art of the Story. “We invented this festival because we identified something that wasn’t happening here in this amazingly artistic town. It was not that there was anything wrong with what was happening, but we found a gap, a void,” she explained. “We’re filling that void by offering new perspectives, new conversations, and celebrating the beautiful fact that San Miguel is incredibly rich in artistic talent. We are giving artists of all kinds — writers, painters, actors, photographers, podcasters, and much more — a way to experiment, blur some edges, and try new things outside their comfort zones. Pushing those limits can be transformative.”
Diego Guerrero, another festival organizer, agreed. “We’re proud of San Miguel’s wealth of local talent, by which I mean both Mexicans and foreigners who have been living here for some time and have truly integrated into the community. At our festival,” he continued, “participants will use many different artforms to tell their stories—and we know everyone has something to say. It is important to us to welcome new voices and build community among artists of all kinds.”
Nathan Feuerberg, another member of the festival’s leadership team, explained that proceeds from Art of the Story underwrite Spark: Imagine Your Story, a free three-day event in Spanish for children and teens filled with interactive experiences and activities designed to stimulate creativity and self-expression. Developed in conjunction with beloved local nonprofit Vivos y Muertos, the first annual edition of Spark was held in August 2024 at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes’ Centro Cultural El Nigromante in San Miguel de Allende. More than 200 children attended.
Festival tickets are still available. Visit https://artofthestorysanmiguel.org/ to learn more and purchase your tickets. Individual sessions cost USD$20-40 and a complete Festival Pass is available for US $350. Art of the Story is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Based in San Miguel de Allende, Ann Marie Jackson is a writer and NGO leader who previously worked for the U.S. Department of State. Her award-winning novel “The Broken Hummingbird,” which is set in San Miguel de Allende, came out in October 2023. Ann Marie can be reached through her website, annmariejacksonauthor.com.
