Centro Cultural Xavier Villaurrutia

The Xavier Villaurrutia Cultural Center stands at one of the most vital locations for young people in Mexico City. The Insurgentes Glorieta has long been ground zero for teens and young people of every background, and from all over the Valley of Mexico. A cultural center here has its work cut out for it. A challenging public environment, the glorieta is both a front door to the Zona Rosa, a something of a belt buckle to the whole of Mexico City. It’s a fantastic place to visit.

The Center opened in 2006. It’s been one of the most outstanding meeting and educational points of contact ever since. The Center is pointedly multidisciplinary. Past workshops have focused on music, dance, theater, and visual arts with some book related events and craft production too. There’s an important book club and a movie screening club. And exhibition space covers students in the workshops, and invited artists from all over.

The center is named for one of Mexico City’s own.

• Xavier Villaurrutia y González (1903–1950) was born in Mexico City and established his fame early as a poet, playwright, translator, and literary critic. He attended the National Preparatory School) and later the Escuela de Jurisprudencia. By 1928, he was part of a literary group called los Contemporáneos, a year after founding the magazine Ulises with Salvador Novo. Villaurrutia’s works include his poetry and later much darker theatrical works. The Xavier Villaurrutia Award has been presented annually for literary works published in Mexico since 1955.

The Centro Cultural Xavier Villaurrutia is dedicated especially to serving the thousands of people crossing the glorieta every day. International guests should be reassured that exhibitions are free and open to the public. They’re also frequent and often thought provoking.

Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.