Punta Islita’s Art is Symbiotic with Local Guanacaste Life.

In Punta Islita, a small community in Guanacaste, several local artists have banded together to share their experiences, tell stores, and create contemporary visual art for all to enjoy. Located in the Nandayure cantón (county), the artists are both locally and nationally recognized, and are currently part of the II Encuentro de Artistas (Second Meeting of the Artists), which began on June 16, and will end on June 20.

The group was formed through the efforts of the Hotel Punta Islita, under its responsible tourism program. Through combined efforts and collaboration, nearby communities have been welcomed into the artistic fold, and there are currently six groups of local artists that work through artistic exchange programs with visiting artists from different regions and countries. The local artists gain valuable instruction and are able to earn extra money, reaping the benefits of commercializing their art.

Under the name of Agua, tierra e identidad (Water, earth and identity), the II Encuentro de Artistas has brought together five outstanding creators of Central American visual art, each of whom is working in conjunction with the local artists. The invitees are Salvadorian Walterio Iraheta, Nicaraguan Alicia Zamora, and Costa Ricans Rafael Ottón Solí, Manuel Zumbado, and Rolando Garita. Once the artists have finished in their collaborations, their completed works of art will become a part of the permanent collection at the Islita Outdoor Museum of Contemporary Art.

Artist Salerio Iraheta says that he is impressed by the motivation and hard work of the Punta Islita artists. His personal project is like a large carpet, made from hundreds of plastic bottle tops, all the blue kind from local bottled water. Iraheta also stressed that the local artists’ help extended much further than merely the technical, but also into the creative realm.

“The piece is a metaphor about our water supply and the new landscape that the society of consumption is creating,” he said. “It’s important to me that, while they involve themselves in the artwork, that the participants also reflect on the relationship they have with the world around them.”

Costa Rican artist Rafael Ottón Solís is working with 13 members of the Islita community, and his work is called Nosotros, los hombres (We, the people). It is inspired by famous Costa Rican poet Jorge Debravo , and is an enormous round structure, about 5 meters in width, made of rocks collected from local rivers and beaches. It reaches 60 centimeters tall, and is sustained by its own weight.

In Punta Islita, art is an important part of life, often mixing into everyday events, or taking its inspiration from them. This week’s II Encuentro de Artistas is a prime example of this symbiosis, as communities work with renowned artists to create works of art that reflect their land, their location, and their lives. Head out this week, if possible, or reserve some time in your schedule to visit the completed works at the local Outdoor Musuem. Visitors that Travel to Costa Rica and stay at the Punta Islita Hotel, which is internationally recognized for its work in sustainable tourism, now have another reason to feel good about their decision to do so.

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Filed under: Travel on June 18th, 2008