I asked how he came to open his own gallery, and the description of the winding path his life took to arrive at this point is anything but boring. It’s not only interesting but inspirational too. Having finished studying Tourism Administration in Mexico City, he worked in one of the Polanco district’s most popular restaurant, Isadora, until he was 26.Then, remembering the lovely vacations his parents took here, at the Hotel Garza Blanca, where, from his cabin’s window, he would marvel at the abundant wildlife of the jungles around him. He was particularly over-awed by the iguanas, which seemed to him to have emerged straight out of a prehistoric past.

So he made his way back, worked with the owners of Le Bistro, for many years Vallarta’s top restaurant, renowned for its music—mostly avant-garde jazz; popular for its international gourmet cuisine and excellent service. From this delicious vantage point, Rodolfo learned the difference between the high and low seasons of Vallarta. He also began planning his own restaurant.

“I opened Adobe Café in November 1991, on the corner of Basilio Badillo and Constitucion streets; after two years, we moved Adobe Café a block closer to the ocean, now able to seat 45 diners at the same time. We were the first restaurant to be fully air-conditioned in Vallarta, apart from the restaurants in hotels.”

And, in his now obviously humble manner, he credits the people who worked at Adobe continuously for Adobe’s successful run for eleven years, to the point that he decided that the first cycle of his life had come to an end, clearing the way ahead to his decision to take on a new and different challenge.

“Joe and Claire had Joe’s Pizzeria on the opposite corner to Adobe, and we maintained a friendship throughout that time. Once, when I was having dinner with them, they mentioned they were going to expand their art gallery, Dante, and that they need a strong salesperson.” So Rodolfo asked them if they would consider him for that position, and they acceded. He had five very happy and successful seasons with them, before he decided to take the plunge and open his own gallery, which he did two years ago, at the same location as the final incarnation of Adobe. And since contemporary art is his favorite, he called this gallery “Contempo.”

Now in its second season, Rodolfo is having five expositions of his best-selling artists throughout the past year. He noted that what one sees when walking past his gallery -like paintings apparently floating in the air and sculptures growing out of the floor- all seamless and perfect is actually the result of arduous work, which he does for his artists out of his love and respect for them and their work.

Also for the monthly Southside Shuffle, when he welcomes visitors and potential buyers alike with wine and a tour.

I myself like his gallery a lot. He seems to display modern art that takes risks, as opposed to its non-threatening, tourist-pleasing opposite, which can be found permanently displayed in other, less adventurous galleries in town.

Click here to know more about Art Galleries in Puerto Vallarta.