They express their gratitude for Gutierre Aceves' 21 years of work at Casa ITESO Clavigero

Ximena Torres

The house that Gutierre Aceves Piña had prepared for 21 years to welcome others has now opened its doors to receive him. In a ceremony filled with joy and heartfelt gratitude, friends of the man who coordinated Casa ITESO Clavigero since 2004 recognized his career dedicated to the study, dissemination, and preservation of Guadalajara's cultural heritage.

That night, December 2nd, the courtyard of the university's cultural center was overflowing with family, colleagues, and students with whom Aceves Piña has been a partner throughout his 40 years as a researcher, curator, cultural manager, and professor. Now that he is retiring, he closes a chapter as a fundamental figure in the cultural life of ITESO and all of Guadalajara.

Before the event began, Gutierre stood at the head of a line of people eager to congratulate him and give him a hug. From a little further away, those who preferred to wait for a quieter moment to greet him took photos and videos, which they would surely use later to show off their friend on social media or to other colleagues who hadn't been able to join in the honors. Meanwhile, the honoree offered warm greetings, occasionally punctuated by a joke and a laugh. He was clearly in his element, fulfilling the task he had set for himself for over two decades: welcoming people to the space that represents "ITESO's window to the city."

"Today is a good moment to thank the institution and all the people I worked with who eventually became my friends [...] It's time to resume the journey with renewed energy to continue my addiction to the aesthetic experience and my passion for gastronomy," Gutierre said during the ceremony.

Aceves Piña is a man trained in Art History at the Universidad Iberoamericana (Ibero) in Mexico City and with extensive experience leading museums such as the Instituto Cultural Cabañas, where he served as director general from 1994 to 2002. He arrived at Casa ITESO Clavigero at the beginning of its existence as a university venue. Throughout his years of work there, he shaped the spirit of the place, beginning with the building's declaration as a National Artistic Monument by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) and the National Institute of Fine Arts in 2006, and culminating in its consolidation as a significant cultural space in Guadalajara, the epicenter of urban life.

“Many perceive it this way; the house is a neutral space where organizations of other types (different from ITESO) feel at ease and confident to hold their meetings here,” added the honoree.

Gutierre and the house grew up together

The ITESO Clavigero House and he were destined to meet. When he came to live in Guadalajara, his friend, the architect Ignacio Gómez Arriola, proposed that he make it his home, but that didn't happen until years later, when Alfonso Hernández Barba, then director of the ITESO Center for Cultural Promotion, invited him to coordinate the space.

The opportunity to occupy it daily, to read in its gardens and tell stories through its exhibitions, led Gutierre and the house to become one. Now they share the same soul, he says. And just as one cares for one's own home, he also cared for the work of Luis Barragán, built for Efraín González Luna in 1928. "The space has become a model of building management, maintaining it in use and in an excellent state of conservation," they acknowledged during the ceremony.

It took Gutierre Aceves a few years to realize that the project proposed for the house by the then-rector of ITESO, Héctor Acuña, SJ, was perfectly aligned with his life's work and personal interests. Later, the three fundamental themes of the exhibitions at the venue—regional heritage, the Jesuit legacy, and the life of the city of Guadalajara—allowed him to develop exhibitions such as Interior Castle: The Presence of Saint Teresa in a Dwelling by Luis Barragán (2015), Fragility and Beauty: A Dialogue with Licenciado Vidriera (2017), and The Play: Saint James and the Tastuanes (2018), to mention a few that left a lasting impression on him.

This reciprocal growth between the institution and its guardian was something celebrated by Alexander Zatyrka Pacheco, SJ, Rector of ITESO, in his message delivered during the recognition ceremony. “I also know that the institution has given you life and allowed you to experience and grow in your professional and personal endeavors. This is what ITESO seeks: for the university to strengthen, innovate, and develop with the talent of its staff, and for each member of the community to grow and feel fulfilled.”

Gutierre's friends also shared affectionate words about him, describing his many facets: artist, specialist, teacher, and researcher. In all these roles, Alfonso Alfaro, a researcher of the Jesuit legacy, and Juan Carlos Núñez, a journalist and secretary to the Rector of ITESO, agreed that he was generous.

Ángel Santos, a master potter, thanked the curator for his support of his fellow artisans in Tonalá. “Many of us artisans benefited from the promotional work, the outreach, and the exhibitions held here at Casa ITESO Clavigero. Those exhibitions later toured throughout Mexico,” he said. Santos then presented Gutierre with a burnished clay piece as a gift.

Like at home, Aceves Piña formed a family with the support and security staff of the house and the ITESO Cultural Promotion Center. He expressed his gratitude to them and reminded them that he will continue to collaborate as an advisor, while also undertaking other personal writing projects to further his dissemination of traditional knowledge, culture, and collective memory.

After the honors and applause ended, the ceremony continued with a toast, and a line of hugs formed once again in front of Gutierre. That night, at Casa ITESO Clavigero, he and his legacy were the protagonists, worthy of admiration.