Cozumel Street Art – Seawalls 2

One thing that really brightens up the streets of Mexico is the abundance of colourful murals painted throughout the cities. Especially on the Riviera Maya, there are some really incredible murals that can be found everywhere. Isla Cozumel is the largest of the Mexican Caribbean islands and a major tourist destination for divers and visiting cruise ship passengers. The Seawalls project – Artists for Oceans – came to Cozumel in 2015 and again in 2019. The stated goal is to bring awareness to the importance of protecting the oceans by bringing “the oceans into the streets around the world”.

Seawalls has visited many cities around the world, and as we mentioned, twice it has visited Cozumel. The idea behind this project is to bring awareness to the many issues that face the worlds oceans, like overfishing, pollution and conservation. By bringing attention to the problems that the oceans are facing, they hope to inspire people to take better care of the world around them. In 2019, 16 artists from around the world came together to paint the walls of Cozumel with different forms of murals and street art.

We’ve snapped a few pictures of some of our favourite murals, and are excited to share them with everyone today (and spread the message of protecting our oceans!).

Seawalls; Artists for Oceans is a non-profit organization that was founded in Hawaii by the PangeaSeed Foundation with the stated purpose to bring the message of ocean conservation into the minds of people around the world.

With the help of over 300 international artists, this non-profit has to paint over 350 ocean themed murals in 15 countries around the world. Since it was founded in 2014, it has had at least one event hosted in Mexico every year, creating over 100 new murals throughout the country. Cozumel is lucky to have had it twice!Some of the most recent projects have taken place in Wailuku, Hawaii (2019), Gisborne, New Zealand (2018), Nusa Penida, Indonesia (2018), Cairns, Australia (2018) and Querétaro, Mexico (2018).

“Our mission is to empower individuals and communities to create meaningful environmental change for oceans through science, education and art.”

“Through the Sea Walls program, we aim to generate awareness for pressing marine environmental issues and catalyze positive change within the communities we work in by fostering a sense of pride and ownership for the murals and their natural resources.”

The power and relevance of public art are undeniable with its ability to revitalize and beautify once-decaying neighborhoods and districts. By harnessing this incredible medium, we are (re)connecting and educating communities, both coastal and landlocked, with the planet’s most important ecosystem: our ocean.

– Seawalls: Artists for Oceans. PangeaSeed Foundation’s public art program that brings the oceans into streets around the world.

We hope some of these murals from Cozumel will help you to take notice of the effects that we have on the world’s oceans, and maybe inspire you to make a change. We hope that this project is a success, as it will help more people have an appreciation of the impact we have on the world. At the very least, the streets of the world will be a little bit brighter.

If you’re visiting Cozumel, have a look around for some of these incredible murals (we’ve included two maps below to help you find them). We hope you enjoy.

• 

• 

Seawalls – Cozumel Street Art:

* Follow us on Pinterest (@travelaroundthegalaxy) and share this pin with your followers!