For James’ birthday in March, we went to Acapulco and stayed at a hotel that was once Gloria Gaynor’s art deco home, high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was not season in March, so we were the only guests, but that allowed us to get to know the two gay owners. To celebrate that night, they arranged a private exhibition of a cliff diver who dove from the rocks behind the pool into the deep pool that was filled with balloons.
![Image: Acapulco Birthday, original artwork by Daniel Samakow](https://www.danielsamakowart.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Acapulco-Birthday.jpg)
Acapulco Birthday, 2004, Painted on-site with gouache on paper.