You can often find amazing flight deals and award availability to the island, too, making it the perfect place to cash in some hotel points, as there are many hotels with loyalty programs scattered throughout the island. There are four major theaters; you can attend ballets, plays, operas and concerts. Housed in a 1918 schoolhouse with Georgian-style architecture, this two-story museum is dedicated to championing Latin American and Caribbean artists. From the best time to, Read More Puerto Rico Vacation Planning & Travel GuideContinue, Share ThisLooking for a vacation destination with beautiful beaches, friendly locals, flavorful cuisine and a solid dose of culture and history? Street art from many of the worlds top artists color Santurces buildings. Puerto Rican women in Old San Juan/Viejo San Juan, historic colonial district in capital city San Juan, Puerto Rico, Greater Antilles, Caribbean. Calle CerraThis is where its at for art right now. (Which people were literally doingexactly like thatwhen we were walking past.) Five Small Museums around Puerto Rico Explore the treasures of this colonial-yet-cosmopolitan city. Traffic runs westbound from Calle de San Justo to the dead-end and eastbound from Calle de San Justo to Calle de la Tanca. Huge thanks to Georgie for showing me around! For starters, history buffs or anyone who loves a good castle can enjoy not one, but two giant stone fortresses perched overlooking the deep blue sea: the Castillo San Felipe del Morro (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Castillo de San Cristbal. This is one of the best spots in San Juan to observe graffiti of all shapes and sizes. While in Rio Piedra, try to make time to visit. Today, Galera Botello is one of the finest private collections on the island. Less than a mile east, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is housed in a beautiful neoclassical building filled with Caribbean art from the 14th through 19th centuries. In recent years, the street earned acclaim as one of North Americas hotbeds of street art which youll see coloring buildings and storefronts. San Juan's flourishing art scene showcases Puerto Rico's diverse cultural landscape Discover Puerto Rico, How San Juans art scene is reinvigorating the city. Top Art Galleries in Puerto Rico Experience the Island's creative side. August 2012. Not only is there a high concentration of street art here, but there are a ton of galleries. You might also like:Best time to visit San JuanA foodies guide to San JuanWhere to find the perfect cup of coffee in San Juan. Street Art / photo mural by artist AR.JEI.EM.SI on Ponce de Leon across from Ciudadela. It is painted on the wooden doors of an abandoned building. During my visit in San Juan I visited the mural district and the T-Mobile one. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit, Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter. Santurces street art can be found on Calle Cerra, a street that runs through the heart of the most popular murals. To me, though, the Santurce street art I encountered when I visited on a Wednesday night last January gives the place more of a Wynwood vibe. What began as a small, random community art movement has grown into an annual international festival. You should be. Highlights include pieces by such preeminent Puerto Rican artists as painter Myrna Bez. It references Taller Alacrn (Scorpion Studio), which was founded by Carmelo Sobrino and Antonio Martorell with the purpose of teaching graphic arts to young people. Street art in Puerto Rico has been gaining popularity, thanks to our neighbor Santurce, the capital of street art in San Juan. New restaurants, bars, and boutique shops opened; old ones were given new life. There is a really colorful lady by Sofia Maldonado, and a new mosaic by Cero, right near the Abey flag. Wesley Cullen, general manager at the Casa Bacardi distillery, El Cuadrado GrisThis house in Barrio Obrero, run by a couple, has become a destination they basically took their basement and converted it into a gallery. April 21, 2023. Santurce has some of best street art and graffiti artists in the world! The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Influenced by Picasso and Modigliani, the celebrated painter (191386) fought for the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War, fleeing to Puerto Rico when the nationalists triumphed in 1939. Caves, trails, graves, and petroglyphs tell the story of the islands cultural origins. SUPPORT A WOMAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (LIKE MINE!) Such is the case for baseball player Roberto Clemente, who was killed in a plane crash in 1972 while on a humanitarian mission to aid earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 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Founded in 1994 by influential curators Paco Gonzlez and Mildred Ascar, the gallery mounts impressive and exciting exhibitions of paintings, lithographs and photography by established and emerging artists from across Latin America. Similar to Wynwood in Miami or Georgetown in Penang, Santurces artists gave life to its run-down dilapidated buildings. Simply wandering through the streets of Old San Juan is a great activity for pretty much anyone. Puerto Rico Art. With over 4000 pieces, the collection has received global recognition, especially for its holdings of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. All rights reserved. Graffiti mural on Calle Cerra near Fernandez Juncos Ave. Sculpture in front of Museum of Contemporary Art. In this massive work in the Santurce neighborhood, artists from the collective El Basta help make the collateral damage of Columbuss achievements more visible. Were a free-spirited travel couple whose appetite for adventure and far away places fuels our wanderlusting souls. For the best seats, try to grab a table outside on the wooden deck. One of the most notable installations is the "Aguacates" at La Placita de Santurce. Looking for a night out in Santurce? She was really knowledgeable and super friendly. NOTE: THIS SITE CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS THROUGH WHICH I EARN COMMISSION AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. Check here before booking an award fare. San Juan blends elements of the Old Worldwith all the amenities of modern urban life. Homey and welcoming, but seemingly miles off the beaten path for typical tourists. This piece, a large-scale work in an alley in Rio Piedras, is accompanied by the question: Why allow them to dilute our identity? The collective participates in numerous public works projects. A true champion of the city's arts community, Vega offers curated art experiences like the private tour in the slideshow below. In recent years, the street earned acclaim as one of North America's hotbeds of street art which you'll see coloring buildings and storefronts. If youre looking for a bar to belly-up to, we highly suggest Watusi. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. While its hard to let you know exactly where you'll find it - since great works may be 'here today and gone tomorrow', the largest concentration is on Fernandez Juncos Avenue from parada 22 near Pavia Hospital to the Tren Urbano. Crab Sculpture at Ponce de Leon and Ave De Diego - missing legs for several years now. Join Lin-Manuel as he shows you that Puerto Rico itself is a huge museum, indoors and outdoors, and the arts take center stage as the islands biggest export. Santurce is where many artists claim that the street art movement started developing in Puerto Rico, and a tour around its streets can show you why. She has lived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City, Mexico. Enjoy the vibrancy and snap a pic while youre at it if youre about that Instagram life. One of the first restaurants to open on the Loiza strip, this artsy caf takes care of both your hunger and retail needs. For a real treat, stop by the Bacard Distillery and end your historic rum . The famed salsa composer and singers songs are known far and wide, from New Yorks Spanish Harlem to, of course, his hometown. Expect to see paintings by local artist Jos Lerma, known for his portraits of historic Puerto Rican figures; the rich canvases of Brooklyn artist Katherine Bernhardt; and the pop artinspired sculptures of Chicago-based Chris Bradley. Rightly or wrongly, officials widely view tourism as the most promising industry to help the island recover from its economic woes. Because of the festivals' rules, which states that artists can only paint during the official events (generally held in December), you may encounter unfinished pieces in a few spots. The street art is constantly changing but here is a sample of what we've found at each parada: 6/29/13 Dallas Morning News:Vibrant murals line the streets of San Juan-features murals at Parada 22. To check out all the great street art in Santurce, head to La Placita de Santurce, a clutch of bars and restaurants offering some of the best local nightlife in the city. The Santurce area might be the heart of street art in Puerto Rico, but the pulse of the movement can be felt throughout the island, and especially in Ponce, known as la Perla del Sur. Created by the Annex Burgos (who was also responsible for the avocados sculpture), you can walk around demi-gods known as "Las Musas" in front of the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferr. Courtesy of Jen Ruiz. Here's a list of must-do activities according to a local to help map out your . (Of particular importance to my Old San Juan B&B, too!). New works between Ciudadela and the new parking garage at Pavia Hospital at Calle Asia y Calle Sanchez (one block from Fernandez Juncos). The most popular is the Big Tree Trail hike to La Mina Falls, which is a moderate-level 30-minute hike along a paved trail. Our friend Fintan Magee is currently in the Caribbean where he was invited by the good lads from Santurce Es Ley to create a new piece. In the early 2000s, artists fleeing escalating rents in Old San Juan converged on the area, with tech businesses, gourmet restaurants and contemporary-art museums quickly following suit. Reclining Woman by Fernando Botero is a masterpiece right across from the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. New work across from Tia Maria Liquor Store on Ave. De Diego. And boy, do those walls ever speak. (We even ran into some of the artiststhat she knewwhile we were on the tour!)
street art in san juan puerto rico