“Santurce es Ley” Urban Murals
Arts Festival May 26-28, Calle Cerra and Calle Hoare, Santurce
If you drive anywhere in Puerto Rico you’re bound to see the incredible amount of outdoor art that abounds. Muralists are alive, kicking and painting just about anywhere there’s a well placed wall. About a decade or so ago most muralists were “kamikaze” and their work filled with social and political commentary appeared overnight. Now they’ve become recognized artists that are exhibited in museums and commissioned to do murals around the world. In Puerto Rico the event that can be called their “debut in society” is called “Santurce es Ley”. (Santurce is the Law or Santurce is in charge)
This event was begun in 2010 by Alexis Busquet who organized a few artists to paint a mural close to his art gallery in a relatively downtrodden area of Santurce. Since then almost every year (skipped for pandemia), thousands of people walk the streets between Calle Cerra and Calle Hoare in Miramar to admire colorful, powerful and thought provoking murals created by local, upcoming and international artists as well as enjoy free music and sample the food and ambiance of the many bars and restaurants that have recently made this constantly evolving neighborhood into a must stop for the creative scene in Puerto Rico.
New for the 2023 Edition
For the first time this year’s festival will feature multisensorial experiences. 12 of the more than 20 new murals will be dedicated to and represent the songs contained in Rafa Pabón’s album titled “Galería”, including the recently completed largest mural in Puerto Rico (12 stories!). Each of these murals will have a QR code that will let you listen to the album track while you admire the work of each artist.
The best way to enjoy Santurce es Ley is to walk around and discover the murals. Give yourself ample time to have a beer or two, listen to live music, and stop to take pictures at the many opportunities this artistic fest offers. This event starts around 11am and continues at night. It gives off a real positive vibe so you’ll probably find yourself talking to a whole host of different people and enjoying the creative environment. The restaurants and murals are open year round so if you missed the dates, you can still enjoy the experience.
