It has been popular with American and Canadian students and artists since it opened in 1950, and the town now has a large expatriate community from the United States and Canada.

[2] San Miguel has cobblestone streets and old stone buildings, and has been designated a national historical monument.

[3] The Galería Pérgola, opened in 1951 as an exhibition space for the Institute, has a large collection of works by Mexican artists in different styles and media.

[5] The Feria de Lana y Latón, a large crafts fair with vendors from across the country, is held every few months in the central plaza of the Institute.

[3] In 1927 the Peruvian diplomat and artist Felipe Cossío del Pomar visited the town and was enchanted by the quality of light.

[2] Cossío del Pomar returned to Peru when the Peruvian government granted amnesty to exiles.

[2] Cossio and Fernández bought the ruined 18th century Renaissance palace that the Count of Canal had built during the silver boom, with its large grounds.

[9] The Instituto Allende was able to grant a Master of Arts degree from its beginning by arrangement with the Universidad de Guanajuato.

North Americans who had studied in the Institute often returned to live in San Miguel, making the town increasingly prosperous.

[11] Beat Generation writers including Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady spent time in the town.

[12] The New York Herald Tribune published an article that praised the institute, the low cost of living and the diversity of the students, making a point of saying "there is nothing Bohemian about the Instituto's group.

Practical courses are given in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, weaving, jewelry, photography, batik, lithography, paper making, etching, monotype printing, and silkscreen.