SANTURCE ES LEY STREET ART

The island of Puerto Rico is known for many beautiful things, from beaches and people, to the tropical rainforest and more recently, its street art. Within the capital city of San Juan, one district has embraced the art of graffiti, once considered to be polluting its then barren walls, and has developed into a center of color and creativity. Since 2010, a summer art festival called Santurce es Ley (Santurce is law) has been held, where local and international artists showcase their wonderful works of art as murals throughout the neighborhood.

As the urban areas in San Juan began to develop in the 80s and 90s, it left Santurce behind as people preferred modernity versus the smaller and low key shops and restaurants it was known for. Hence, the once thriving hub began to stagnate. The Union of Independent Art in Puerto Rico desires to revive the neighborhood with individual artists coming together and presenting their talent and craft, while seeing building walls as canvases. Artists from Puerto Rico and around the world are repeatedly invited to express themselves, in turn further developing the once gritty area. Many murals are painted on abandoned or rundown buildings, some surround empty lots. The rustic style of the neighborhood adds an old school element while protruding modernity of art and color breaks through. This is all part of the reason as to why Santurce es Ley came about, there was the desire to bring back purpose to the abandoned areas of Puerto Rico and use the developing urban art scene to do so.