The Stamp Collection at the Costa Rican Post Office was Painted by Art Students.

Stamps, at their best, are beautiful, visual representations of landmarks, historical events, holidays, and various other facets of local culture. As they travel across state, nation, and continental borders, their small images bring with them messages of another place, a salutation from far away. With this in mind, a new art exhibition of Costa Rica’s stamps are an amalgamation of color, art, and culture that will be both a source of pride and of beauty.

To pay tribute to the country’s eclectic stamps, thirty students from the Escuela Casa del Artista (House of the Artist School), under the watchful eye of professor Ricardo Jiménez, created paintings of their favorite scenes from Costa Rica’s historical, political, and cultural landscape. The exhibit is on display at the edificio central de Correos de Costa Rica, the large, green Post Office building in downtown San José.

According to Jiménez, the art exposition is the product of research an investigation by his students, each of which is studying at an advanced level. He says, “they reproduced paintings of some of the most significant stamps in the history of our country.” The majority of the exposition’s paintings are oil, though there are also some acrylic representations.

Costa Rica has a rich history, and an even richer biodiversity. Historical events, combined with representations of diverse natural wonders, are two of the country’s most popular image topics for national postage. Says José Edwin Araya, director of the Casa del Artista, “The stamp has converted into a small work of art that utilizes painting, drawing, photography and other techniques to reproduce the most diverse themes.”

Artist Evelyn Garrido’s painting depicts the first postal stamp that was released in Costa Rica, showing the coat of arms, costing just one medio real. Luzmilda Delgado, another featured artist, painted a swallow that is crossing the ocean, capturing the image of a corresponding stamp, issued as part of the Parques Nacionales (National Parks) series. Ana Elene Monge, also an artist featured in the current exhibition, painted a stamp to commemorate the Costa Rican National Anthem’s Centennial celebration.

Truly, one look at the exhibition’s colorful and diverse artwork, and you will get an inside look into Costa Rica’s past and present. Wildlife scenes from the quiet, isolated, and magical Isla del Coco, underwater worlds full of color and life, and cultural scenes mix with political statements, old currency, and fond memories of Costa Rican Olympic participation. The diversity and meaning of these paintings are clear, and together, they form a strong image of Costa Rican ways and life.

Head downtown to the Central Post Office, and drink in the beautiful exhibition. At the very least, you’ll learn a few new facts, or simply enjoy a visual trip through Costa Rican on a postage stamp. The exhibition is open until the end of July.

Photo courtesy of La Nacion.

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Filed under: Travel on July 1st, 2008