Restaurant turns art gallery

This past Friday marked the final transformation from grocery store to gallery. The El Norteño Mexican restaurant converted its specialty store into an area reserved for Latin American art. 

Omar Balacios, a manager at El Norteño, said the purpose of the gallery is to showcase the “paint and talent of the culture.”

The gallery is a celebration of Latin American art, and Ana Maria Whetstine’s “Stories from Buenos Aires” exhibit is an expression of Latin American life.

Whetstine recently moved from Argentina to Indiana. She said the majority of her work is inspired by travel.

“We’re from Mexico City, the owner is from Monterrey and most of our staff is foreign,” Manager Laura Serrano-Silva said.

“Everyone likes burritos, tacos, but this exhibit is not about the food, it’s about the culture.”

Serrano said gallery space is meant for local artists’ use to celebrate Latin America’s rich heritage.

“Every region has its own flavor and artistic techniques,” Serrano said. “It’s a chance to really, really give people time to understand Latin American culture and artists.”

When Whetstine was 17 years old, she traveled to Spain and Morocco, and at age 21, she studied in Chile. Colorful scenes from both these trips fill the El Norteño gallery walls and honor Latin American lifestyle and culture.

Balacios’ favorite work features two dramatic penguins and is oil painted on canvas. The animals are painted on top of a Spanish newspaper article, and the contrast between the two mediums adds depth to the work.

“I like the penguins,” Balacios said. “I like their black color and I like the animal.”

Serrano said the gallery has much to teach about Latin America, and El Norteño now has a space to use for educating people about the culture.

“We have amazing walls, lots of space now, amazing art to fill it,” he said.

The El Norteño gallery has already attracted community attention. The gallery opened last Friday for the Downtown Bloomington Gallery Walk, and Balacios said people have since been calling in advance to reserve space in the decorated room, the restaurant’s event area, which can seat and serve 75 people.

“It’s a special event room,” Serrano said. “It’s about the food, it’s about the restaurant, but more than that, it’s all about the art and Latin American culture.”