At a Glance: Cabaret Vallarta Portraits from the Other Side of Paradise
| What | Cabaret Vallarta: Portraits from the Other Side of Paradise — 23 original portraits by Danyol León |
| Where | Coco Cabaret Lounge, Fco. I. Madero 289, Zona Romántica, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal. |
| Soft Opening | October 29, 6:30 PM |
| Available | Original paintings and limited edition fine art giclée prints, hand-signed and numbered |
| Gives Back | 20% of sales benefits the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center’s mental health counseling program |
Forget the palm trees. Forget the sunsets. Forget the version of Puerto Vallarta that gets printed on postcards.
Artist Danyol León is no stranger to a room full of art with his name on it. He’s hosted more than 40 solo exhibitions at venues including SF AIDS Foundation’s Strut, The W Hotel San Francisco, Counterpulse, and Nickelodeon Studios, alongside extensive group shows. His work has appeared in a major tequila brand’s Essential Artist Series, and he was named a featured artist by Red Bull. He’s also a musician with the band Muñecas, and performs around the world as his drag persona, Tamale Ringwald.
A punk, queer eye on Puerto Vallarta
That perspective comes naturally to an artist whose creative life has been shaped by punk, queer culture, music, nightlife, performance, and DIY communities. Danyol’s visual language combines portraiture, Mexican iconography, bold geometric forms, pattern, pop imagery, and a graphic sensibility shaped by his longstanding connection to music and alternative culture.
In Puerto Vallarta, his footprint is huge — literally. Tamale and his partner Sugarbaker own and operate Tamale’s Tours a succussful gay boat cruise celebrating its 7th season in 2026. They also are co owners of Tunnel Bar PV at #447 Basilio Badillo in the zona romantica. Artistically Tamale is behind the transformation of the Amapas stairs into one of the neighborhood’s most photographed pieces of public art. GAYPV readers may also recognize his name from Bear Week, where he curated a multi-day art program featuring local and international artists.
His new exhibition, Cabaret Vallarta: Portraits from the Other Side of Paradise, brings 23 original portraits to date of people from Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ community into the new lounge at Coco Cabaret — putting painting, nightlife, performance, and queer community in the same room. Coco Cabaret will be restarting its 3rd season soon and check the schedule here.
The exhibition features performers, artists, outsiders, and creative misfits from the world surrounding Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ cabaret scene. Some are highly visible. Others are known primarily within the community. Together, they form a portrait of a city that looks very different from the polished tourist fantasy.
“I’ve lived here long enough to know that paradise is a lot more interesting when you look at the people instead of the palm trees,” says Danyol. “These are the people I know, the people I love, the people who make me laugh, the people who piss me off, the people who perform, the people who create, and the people who make this community what it is.”
Putting the portraits back where they belong
Coco Cabaret’s new lounge provides a natural setting for the exhibition — a place where people can have a cocktail, meet friends, look at art, and gather before a performance. By placing the portraits there, Danyol is putting the subjects of the work back into the environment that helped inspire it.
The result is part portrait exhibition, part community snapshot, and part celebration of the wonderfully messy collection of characters that makes Puerto Vallarta’s queer scene what it is.
Art with a cause
The originals and limited edition fine art giclée prints will be available for purchase, each hand-signed and numbered by Danyol León, with an edition of only 20 prints per artwork. Twenty percent of sales — from both original artwork and prints — will be donated to the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center’s mental health counseling program.
That connection runs deeper than a one-time gesture. Danyol’s own company, Tamale’s Tours, already sponsors the Community Center’s mental health services — so this exhibition isn’t the start of his support for the program, it’s an extension of it.
“I’ve always been more interested in the people and performers on the other side of the postcard,” Danyol says. “The weirdos. The misfits and outsiders. The artists.”
If you go
Cabaret Vallarta: Portraits from the Other Side of Paradise
Coco Cabaret Lounge — C. Fco. I. Madero 289, Zona Romántica, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal.
Soft Opening: October 29, 6:30 PM
Original paintings and limited edition fine art giclée prints available for purchase on site.
❓ FAQ
Who is Danyol León?
A Puerto Vallarta–based multidisciplinary artist also known by his drag persona, Tamale Ringwald. Tamale and his partner own and operate Tamale’s Tours and co owners of Tunnel Bar PV. Artistically, his work spans painting, murals, and performance, and he’s known locally for the Amapas stairs mural and for curating art during Bear Week.
Where and when is the exhibition?
Coco Cabaret’s new lounge, C. Fco. I. Madero 289, Zona Romántica. The soft opening is October 29 at 6:30 PM.
Can I buy the artwork?
Yes — original paintings and limited-edition fine art giclée prints will be available, each hand-signed and numbered, with editions limited to 20 prints per piece.
Where does the money go?
Twenty percent of sales from both originals and prints benefits the Vallarta Gay+ Community Center’s mental health counseling program — a program Danyol’s own company, Tamale’s Tours, already sponsors.
Author: Tim Wilson
Wilson is the founder of GAYPV.com and www.gaybartour.com and has been the leading LGBTQ+ travel and lifestyle authority in Puerto Vallarta since 2005. With over two decades of local expertise, Wilson specializes in being a community advocate and leader for Puerto Vallarta , and local cultural insights that only a long-term resident can provide. He has dedicated 20+ years to advocating for safe, inclusive travel in Banderas Bay, establishing GAYPV as the region's most trusted resident insider.. His work has been cited by major travel publications, and he is widely recognized as a trusted insider voice on Puerto Vallarta’s vibrant LGBTQ+ scene.
