Mural festivals are a powerful force in today’s artistic era. They can be divisive or unifying, because street art is a facet of placemaking, a sort of ‘face’ each community presents to its residents and visitors. As such, concrete mission statements from festivals must guide this force, and those missions determine a community’s tone. Akumal Arts Festival, hosted in the traditionally sleepy, coastal community of Akumal, Mexico, is a joint effort by transplants and native residents to recapture the pueblo’s soul, forging a revived coalition as the town continues to develop.
This year’s event will take place November 8-10th, marking the festival’s second edition. This upcoming iteration of the festival will further the organizations mission to “bring a fiesta of art to Akumal Pueblo through an international consortium of artists making art, engaging community, enhancing and beautifying the town for locals and our many visitors.”
In a press release, the festival’s staff explains that Akumal, whose name means “Home of the Turtle,” is located “on the Southeastern shoreline of Mexico which is the Caribbean Sea.” Approximately an hour South of the country’s famous resort destinations, like Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, Akumal has historically enjoyed relative obscurity, allowing it to flourish as a natural haven of tranquility.
That has changed in recent years, with the growth of its tourism industry. The statement notes that this development has increased exponentially. “Recently, we have become famous for a group of immature sea turtles taking up residency in Akumal Bay due to their favorite food, seagrass, becoming abundant because of increased nutrients that tourism development often creates.”
Every change introduces a measure of friction. Residents of the town have experienced conflict as a result of this growth: certain people are profiting off of it, while others aren’t. With the proliferation of tourist activities, access to the beach has been limited for the first time. Residents worry for the future of their veritable Eden. To make matters worse, a highway was erected between the town itself and the beach, a tangible manifestation of the divisions.
As a result, the statement explains, “What was once, in the not too distant past, a very sleepy, quiet seaside village has become a place rife with division, on both sides of the bridge. As one Akumal resident said ‘The turtles have brought us everything,’ meaning the development of tourism and its consequences. The dark side of exploitation has started taking a hold.” The festival aims to harness “the power of art to help shift perspective, re-channel focus, and transform community.”
Even its origins are collaborative in nature, as the event “was conceived with the elected official ‘mayor-like’ person, Iran Beltran and Turtle Bay Cafe and Bakery owner Jennifer Smith. The conversation began because we wanted artists-in-residence to paint the highway overpass bridge from the beach side to the pueblo. By the end of the meeting we had a festival!”
To this end, the staff explain that they have already “achieved a great deal of solidarity and support from our community with everyone relieved and excited for such a fun, unifying event.”
Last year’s debut event saw the creation of 100 murals, painted by 100 artists. Townsfolk donated 45 properties to house the participants. As a result, another press release notes, “Akumal Pueblo businesses have reported increased business from visitors touring the art.” Furthermore, “During the Fall of 2018, 60 workshops, classes and lecture demonstrations were offered over several weeks including the full program of activities at the Akumal Community Center during the festival weekend.”
This year, “Over 150 established street artists, muralists, musicians, and performing artists originating from around the globe, the Americas, Europe, Asia, will collaborate with local artists, students, and civic groups to develop a series of creative projects that celebrate the rich culture, vibrant community, and natural beauty of Akumal. Artists will arrive as early as November 5 to begin working on a mural that will stretch across the Akumal bridge. New artistic works will also be added to public and private buildings. Each school classroom will contribute an installation created from recycled and repurposed materials.” This year’s featured artists include Dan Q (Mexico), Frase SF (Mexico), Tito Ferrara (Brazil), Taty Gòmez (Colombia), Danielle Mastrion (US), Kiptoe (US), Damien Mitchell (US/Australia), and Nomad Clan (UK).
It will be exciting to see what magic the festival’s second edition will bring about. I will be attending the event, covering it for Street Art United States. Mural festivals are a magical thing, for all their power and beauty. A mural festival with such a profoundly positive mission will surely prove a powerful force to be reckoned with.
