# street portrait drawing



## museme (Feb 9, 2011)

moving to mexico going to get an fm3 status. will there be any trouble working as a street artist doing portraits? Which places are conducive to an artistic life style? My boyfriend and I are also guitarists and I sing we do jazz standards mostly with a gypsy jazz flair. Are gringos able to play jobs? thanks


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

museme said:


> moving to mexico going to get an fm3 status. will there be any trouble working as a street artist doing portraits? Which places are conducive to an artistic life style? My boyfriend and I are also guitarists and I sing we do jazz standards mostly with a gypsy jazz flair. Are gringos able to play jobs? thanks


To get an FM-3, now called a "No inmigrante" visa, you will need to demonstrate that you have either regular income or a job. 

There are lots of street portrait artists here, so you will have competition. Remember that Mexico is poorer than the US, and, consequently, handouts to street artists are likely to be much less than in the US as well.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Yes, musicians can find jobs to play. The problem is that it is technically illegal to play for money unless you have a work permit on your visa. Many do it and hope never to get caught but it could get you deported. I know a lot of expat musicians here and they all play all the time and no one has gotten "busted" yet but it is a violation of your visa. The pay is really low for gigs here too compared to in the US.

I don't know much about street art but TundraGreen is right, you will have a lot of competition. Mexicans have a knack for visual art and a unique way of seeing things.


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## museme (Feb 9, 2011)

*thanks*



TundraGreen said:


> To get an FM-3, now called a "No inmigrante" visa, you will need to demonstrate that you have either regular income or a job.
> 
> There are lots of street portrait artists here, so you will have competition. Remember that Mexico is poorer than the US, and, consequently, handouts to street artists are likely to be much less than in the US as well.


how about San Miguel de Allende? We are set income wise but I like to keep working in art. A friend told me I cold sell art work in the Plaza in San Miguel.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

museme said:


> how about San Miguel de Allende? We are set income wise but I like to keep working in art. A friend told me I could sell art work in the Plaza in San Miguel.


Sure. People sell everything, including art, in the plazas of every city in Mexico, and every place tourists congregate: Teotihuacán, Chichen Itza, the beaches. You might need a permit to set up in some places. I don't know what is required, but it would be easy to talk to one of the numerous vendors to find out what they have to do. From a marketing standpoint, I suppose the place with the most people would be the best. And my guess is that that would be the Zocalo (central plaza) in Mexico City. There are lots of people selling art on the sidewalks there.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

In San Miguel you may have trouble since you are not Mexican. I know almost all the street art vendors here in Guanajuato and they are all Mexican and the government allows them their "puestos" on the street because it looks good for tourism. There are no non-Mexicans that are allowed to sell here. Since San Miguel is also very tourism oriented, you may not get permission, but I don't know that as a fact. You will have to check with the municipal government there to see their regulations. Again, there is the problem of working illegally. If you sell things you need to get an "independent" work permit on your visa or else go through the steps of setting up a local business to do it legitimately. Of course, folks do it illegally all the time and I don't know anyone who has gotten deported yet, but...

I know many foreign artists here and in SMA and they all sell through the galleries in SMA, not on the street. Some do very well.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Museme seems to be missing the point: It is illegal for foreigners to do such things without the express permission of Immigration (INM) on their visa. Working without such permission can result in deportation and the 'competition' might be upset enough to turn in someone who is obviously a foreigner.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

What RV and Circle said ---- in towns like San Miguel even Mexicans need special permits to sell on the street and you see almost none. As a non-Mexican you have about no chance to be legal and would last 5 minutes. Mexico is not like it was 20-30 years ago. Sell thru a consignment store/gallery or rent a stall in the Mercado de Artesanias ... along with permits and proper visa


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