Street art-lovers visiting the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico will be in for a treat, as muralists from all around the world are creating works that will enhance the local art scene of the island.
In 2019, Discover Puerto Rico put out a call inviting muralists worldwide to come and contribute to the island's vibrant street art scene. International artists Maya Hayuk and the 1UP Collective answered that call, and are currently working on murals on the island as part of the “Blank Canvas Initiative.”
Hayuk, a contemporary Ukrainian-American artist, is best known for her large-scale mural paintings, and her work includes The Bowery Wall in New York and the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art in Brussels. Berlin-based 1UP is an anonymous collective of men and women from cities all over Europe. Renowned for their worldwide graffiti activity, they have been called upon by music festivals and global fashion brands.
They, and Hayuk, are joining Puerto Rican artists, Alexis Bousquet, Celso González, Vero Rivera and Bob Snow, who identified walls throughout the island to serve as larger-than-life blank canvases. The murals were completed during the island's Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián festival, which is an emblematic annual event featuring parades of costumed figures, music, dancing and food, as well as authentic crafts made by local artisans.
“The response we received from this initiative was standout," says Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. "We welcome Maya Hayuk and the 1UP Collective with open arms to complete these works, especially now, as tourism is vital to the economic development of Puerto Rico and fuels local communities.”
Visitors are encouraged to come and enjoy the murals and the vibrant art scene that Puerto Rico offers, as well as its blend of Spanish, Taino Indian and African heritages.
For more information, head on over to visit Discover Puerto Rico here for further information.
Source: Lonely Planet, Discover Puerto Rico