As we welcome the month of June, we take a moment to celebrate love in all its forms,  friendship, family, community, kindness, and the connections that bring us together. At MEL, community has always been at the heart of everything we do, and this month we are delighted to continue sharing meaningful programs, cultural activities, and special events designed for your enjoyment and connection.

At the same time, due to the recent rainy weather affecting our city, we encourage everyone to stay informed through official government announcements and to prioritize safety by remaining sheltered and dry whenever possible. We kindly ask for your understanding in advance if weather conditions require adjustments or changes to scheduled programs and events.

We invite you to stay connected through MEL’s official communication channels for the latest updates and announcements.

As always, thank you for another month of your love, commitment, generosity, and dedication to our wonderful community. MEL continues to thrive because of you.

We would also like to remind our community that this is the final month to renew your membership at the current rates before the upcoming membership fee adjustment takes effect.

You may conveniently renew your membership online through the MEL Shop or directly in person at MEL during regular library hours.

Your membership plays a vital role in helping us continue growing as a bilingual cultural and community center. With your support, we are able to work toward our expansion goals, strengthen our programs, improve our facilities, and provide even greater benefits and opportunities for our community.

Thank you for continuing to believe in and support the mission of MEL.

This Monday, June 1, MEL welcomes the third session of Raúl’s acclaimed series Modern Art and Political History in Mexico.Next and final session of this series:

June 8 – Transgressions on the Re-evolution
The series concludes with Rufino Tamayo, Luis Buñuel, and Vlady Kibalchich, examining the rupture with nationalist narratives and the emergence of more experimental and critical artistic perspectives. Cost $950 pesos.

This has been a remarkable series for anyone interested in Mexican art, history, politics, and cultural identity. We look forward to repeating it next fall. Please stay tuned!

Monica González brings Tai Chi back to MEL beginning this June. Join us every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 AM in MEL’s air-conditioned classroom for a welcoming and restorative practice focused on balance, movement, and wellbeing.

Spaces are limited, so we encourage participants to register in advance to secure their spot.

This June, we are excited to bring back one of MEL’s most anticipated annual events: Drag Bingo Night.

Join us on Saturday, June 20, for a special Pride Month edition of Bingo Night filled with fun, music, community, and celebration. This year’s event will feature a fabulous live performance by Venus Galaxy, who will keep the evening lively with iconic LGBTQ+ anthems and plenty of Pride spirit throughout the night.

Doors open at 6:45 PM, and the event will run until 9:00 PM. A cash bar will be available during the evening.

Admission is $200 pesos per person and includes one bingo booklet with five cards — one for each round. Additional booklets may be purchased for $150 pesos each. Winners receive 50% of the money collected for each round, while the remaining proceeds directly support the programs and activities of the Mérida English Library.

Guests are encouraged to wear their best Pride-inspired outfits and come ready for a colorful evening of bingo, laughter, music, and community celebration.

Bingo cards may be purchased online through the MEL Shop or at the door on the night of the event. Click here for more

This June, MEL is delighted to welcome back artist and poet Julie Marie Hoey for a new four-week Acrylic Painting Workshop beginning Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

Classes will take place weekly at 11:00 AM and will focus on foundational painting techniques including color theory, blending, perspective, lighting, tone, and composition before moving into the creation of a final painting project.

Julie Marie creates a warm and inspiring environment for artists of all experience levels, guiding students through both the technical and expressive sides of painting. Her work, deeply inspired by nature and spirituality, has been exhibited nationally and is held in collections around the world.

Students will need to bring their own materials and brushes, while practice canvas paper will be provided during exercises. A full supply list is available on the MEL website, and materials can be purchased locally at Arqline art supply stores in Mérida.

Space is limited. Participants may register online through the MEL Shop. You can also explore Julie Marie Hoey’s work online under The Spiral Studio on Facebook and Instagram

School Visits at MEL availability is already becoming limited.

Our educational visits offer students a unique opportunity to experience English in an interactive and welcoming cultural environment through guided activities, reading experiences, and community engagement inside the Mérida English Library.

Only a few dates remain available for June, so we encourage schools and educators to schedule their visit as soon as possible.

For more information and reservations, please contact us 

This June, we look forward to welcoming our youngest community members back to MEL Storytime.

Join us on June 13 for On the Moon and on June 27 for Our Tea Party, two mornings filled with imagination, creativity, and fun.

MEL Storytime is designed for children ages 3 to 10 and includes story reading, arts and crafts activities, and plenty of opportunities for creativity and enjoyment in a welcoming bilingual environment.

Storytime is free and open to the public, and families are warmly invited to attend.

Join Richie Poe every Friday at MEL for Pilates from 10:45 AM to 11:40 AM in MEL’s air-conditioned classroom.

These sessions are designed to support strength, flexibility, posture, and overall wellbeing in a welcoming and comfortable environment suitable for different experience levels.

We invite our community to come move, stretch, and recharge with us each week at MEL.

Conversaciones con Amigos, one of MEL’s most beloved community programs, continues every Monday during June from 7:00 to 9:00 PM on the library patio.

This language exchange program offers a friendly and welcoming space to practice English and Spanish, connect with new people, and build community in a safe and relaxed environment. Admission is free for MEL members and $20 pesos for non-members.

However, due to the current weather forecast, tonight’s session on Monday, June 1st, will unfortunately be canceled. While MEL fully intends to continue the program throughout the month, weather conditions may require additional changes depending on forecasts and safety recommendations. We kindly ask our community to stay informed through MEL’s official social media channels and announcements for the latest calendar updates.

We also strongly encourage everyone to follow official government weather advisories and take the necessary precautions during this rainy season.

Please note that Conversaciones con Amigos will take its traditional summer break during July and August, returning in September.

This July, MEL proudly welcomes back one of our favorite educational programs — MEL Summer Camp 2026.

Now in its fourth edition, the MEL Summer Camp offers children a fun, dynamic, and immersive English-learning experience designed especially for beginner and elementary-level students between the ages of 6 and 12.

Through stories, games, crafts, movement, music, conversation, and themed activities, participants will strengthen vocabulary, pronunciation, listening comprehension, and speaking confidence in a supportive bilingual environment guided by English educators and international volunteers.

The program will run for three weeks beginning July 13, Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM at the Mérida English Library.

Each week explores exciting themes that help children communicate naturally in English while learning about themselves and the world around them. Topics include family, animals, food, hobbies, emotions, daily routines, weather, creativity, and more.

The camp includes differentiated activities for both beginner learners and children with elementary English levels, allowing every participant to feel comfortable and engaged.

All materials are included, and each child will create a personal portfolio documenting their work and progress throughout the program.

Registration options are available for one, two, or all three weeks:

• 1 week — $800 MXN
• 2 weeks — $1500 MXN
• 3 weeks — $2000 MXN

Spaces are limited, and advance registration is strongly recommended through the MEL Shop.

We look forward to another unforgettable summer of learning, creativity, friendship, and fun at MEL.

MEL Book Club invites readers to join us this month for a discussion of Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina García.

We look forward to gathering on Thursday, June 25 at 10:00 AM for another engaging morning of literature, conversation, and community at MEL.

Last Month of Spanish Classes at MEL! 

Our Spanish classes continue throughout June as we approach the end of the academic year. Join us as we keep learning and practicing Spanish while preparing for our Closing Ceremony on Friday, June 26.

You can register for a single class or for the entire month at the level of your choice. Visit our website to explore the available levels and course content:

🌞 A Special Summer Program Is Coming!

Stay tuned for more details about our upcoming summer experience—a unique cultural and language journey through the beautiful city of Mérida.

If you are out of town, try online private sessions! Keep learning Spanish from home! 

For more information, please contact Alfonso López, Spanish Instructor at asesoriasdeidiomasmerida@gmail.com or + 52 999 968 6984

MEL is proud to offer meaningful opportunities to become involved in some of our most recognized cultural and community programs, including the MEL House & Garden Tour, the Artists’ Studio Tour, and MEL Talks.

These programs are made possible thanks to the dedication, creativity, and generosity of volunteers who help welcome guests, support events, coordinate logistics, and strengthen MEL’s role as a bilingual cultural center in Mérida.

Whether you are interested in the arts, community engagement, cultural events, or simply giving back, we invite you to become part of our volunteer community.

If you would like to learn more about current volunteer opportunities, please contact us.

MEL’s Writers Group returns this June with meetings scheduled for June 3 and June 17 at 11:00 AM.

Whether you are an experienced writer, a casual journaler, or simply someone interested in storytelling and creative expression, the Writers Group offers a welcoming space to share ideas, develop your work, and connect with fellow writers in the community.

We look forward to seeing you at MEL for another month of creativity and conversation.

This June, our friends from Democrats Abroad return to MEL to offer Voter Assistance services for U.S. citizens living abroad.

We encourage community members interested in voter registration assistance, election information, and upcoming activities to follow Democrats Abroad through their official social media channels and stay informed about their calendar of events and community programs.

Alcoholics Anonymous continues to meet at MEL every Thursday at 7:00 PM.

The group offers a safe, respectful, and confidential space for anyone seeking support, community, and understanding. All are welcome, and privacy remains a fundamental part of the program’s commitment to participants.

With much gratitude and appreciation, we would like to recognize the wonderful team of volunteers who dedicate their time, care, and love for books to helping maintain and grow MEL’s collection every day. Thank you to Andrea Slusser, Marianne Kehoe, Christine Angeles, Demi Akil, and Janelle Masden for your incredible commitment and work for our community.

We would also like to thank all of you who generously donate the books, puzzles, games, and materials that make our collection possible and allow so many members and visitors to enjoy MEL each year.

At the same time, we kindly ask our community to please contact us before bringing donations to the library. Due to space limitations, we are unfortunately unable to accept all materials, and we want to ensure we act responsibly with the types of donations we can properly use, process, and store. We sincerely hope this will not be misunderstood, but rather seen as part of our commitment to maintaining an organized, useful, and sustainable collection for everyone.

For this reason, we would like to share our official donation policy, which is also available on our website:

We accept books in English, jigsaw puzzles, and board games in good condition. Our goal is to acquire and maintain our library collection to ensure diverse materials for the community we serve.

Material we do not accept:

Textbooks (except Spanish and English language learning materials)
Workbooks & other curricular materials
Encyclopedias & dictionaries
Music
VHS and cassette tapes
CDs, DVDs & audiobooks
Magazines
Pamphlets & printed newsletters
User manuals, catalogs & instructional materials
Oversized or coffee table books not pertaining to Latin American subjects
Materials in poor condition, with missing or torn pages and/or cover, odor, mold, or mildew

Any donation of 50 items or more must be approved by the library before delivery. MEL does not pick up items. Once materials are donated to MEL, they become the property of the library and may be used according to its needs. MEL also accepts donations of money to purchase items.With that said, we would also like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who generously donated materials to MEL this past month: 

David Phillips - John Davies - Ace Devlin - Cynthia Allison - Margot Dione - Elizabeth Ward - Thomas Larkin - Liz Gassimi - Zoe Franco - Martha Hagargoff - Lina Sampere - José Arroyo Ruiz - William Gilbert - Annette Hodkson - Jennifer Lee - Belle - Ai Shepperd - Miguel Medina.

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