Public Art in Puerto Vallarta

Parque Lazaro Cardenas has been declared an historical site due to its truly incredible mosaic artwork, the result of community contributions of time and material, and the amazing leadership of artist Natasha Moraga of Mosayko Vallarta. This historical designation is important because it creates protection from developers tearing down the Parque Lazaro Cardenas to build condos. In this wonderful ocean-side park in Puerto Vallarta you will find benches, pillars, planters, every possible blank canvas covered with tiles in amazing designs, making the park a relatively new landmark for tourists.

Murals are everywhere in Puerto Vallarta. Depicting gardens, animals, humans of all ages and celebrity, moments in history, religion, gentrification, inequality, migration, holidays; the streets come to life with bright colors, reaching unimaginable heights, details and intricacies. There are many artists contributing to this beautification, among them Freddy Vejar Garcia, Misael Ivan Lopez and Adrian Takano Rojas. Some of these muralists will be paid by the municipality or individual businesses, but often this work is done out of the pleasure an artist has in seeing his or her work displayed in public. For those who aren’t able to own a piece of art such as this, admirers can feel ownership by the fact they are welcome to view it every day, around a corner, outside a window, on the street where they live.

The latest installment took drivers by surprise. You can’t see this piece unless you’re cruising down the highway and come to the tunnel that takes you off the Libramiento into the Emiliano Zapata colonia. Lucía Prudencio Núñez, who currently lives and paints in Veracruz, took on the risky task of painting the interior of túnel chico (small tunnel) in Puerto Vallarta, as part of a project sponsored by the Municipal Government of Puerto Vallarta, specifically the Vallartense Institute of Culture (IVC).

These installations are not done overnight. For the flora in the tunnel, Lucía Prudencio Núñez took twelve days, with some interruption in traffic but relatively no complaints. Her mural is an excellent example of what you can find displayed on outdoor walls in Puerto Vallarta. While driving through the tunnel, these indigenous plants are chased by each other and give way to a complete picture, one that hides itself within the confines of the tunnel walls. It reflects the idea of venturing into the jungle to see what grows there, plants that you won’t find in a flower pot in someone’s window in town.

Que es cómo es!

Thanks to our guest blogger Adam Garcia for this article!  (opionons expressed are his own)