Manuel Lepe Macedo (April 17, 1936 in

Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican resort city near the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of the Mexico, Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara ...

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

– September 9, 1984 in

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

, Jalisco) was a Mexican artist who painted in a

Naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

style. He painted mostly themes based on the landscape and townscape of his native Puerto Vallarta. Lepe was never formally trained as an artist, and attended only four years of primary school. His paintings came to symbolize the town during the years that it was becoming popular as a resort. Lepe became internationally known, with exhibitions of his work in several US museums and galleries. He died in 1984 in

from a cerebral

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...

. His workshop in Puerto Vallarta was preserved as a gallery and museum (now closed). Some of his works were on display at the Peter Gray Museum of Art (now closed) on the Coastal Campus of the

University of Guadalajara The University of Guadalajara () is a public university, public research university located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was originally established in 1586 and officially founded on 12 February 1791 as the Royal and Pontifical University of Gu ...

, north of Puerto Vallarta. ARTe Vallarta Museo, Colonial El Remance, Puerto Vallarta, near the Romantic Zone, exnibits the largest known collection of original Manuel Lepe paintings in the world. The artwords are primarily from the collection of Frank and Gail Rudin. April 17 is celebrated in Puerto Vallarta as Manuel Lepe day.

References

1984 deaths 1936 births 20th-century Mexican artists 20th-century Mexican male artists 20th-century Mexican painters Artists from Jalisco Mexican male painters People from Puerto Vallarta {{Mexico-artist-stub