Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Improvements to the green areas at the northbound entrance to the city, where the large colorful letters that spell out "Puerto Vallarta" used to stand, are underway - and local artists Natasha Moraga and Carla Peña Chavarria have been commissioned to recreate the sign that welcomes everyone to our city.

The founder of Mozayko Vallarta, Natasha Moraga is the creator of the mosaic murals on public walls in the Zona Romantic and Marina Vallarta, as well as the colorful tile-decorated benches at the beach entrance on Calle Panama in Colonia 5 de Diciembre, and now she is looking forward to creating what will be her most important public art piece to date.

In just three years, the artist has made a name for herself, and the name "Natasha Moraga" is now one of the most recognized in the city's art community. For this project, she will integrate images by renowned artist Manuel Lepe, whose Vallarta-themed paintings put his native city on the global art map, using pieces of stone, glass, mirror, ceramic and creativity to recreate the sign in her signature mosaic style.

Thanks to its aesthetic value and versatility, mosaics have been used for centuries as an incorporated tool in architecture, as well as for decoration and art. Their purpose is to tell a story, to create magical spaces, and to bring that magic to light in a universal language - art.

According to Municipal Tourism Director, Oscar Pérez Flores, the project calls for a complete overhaul of the green area at the Las Juntas intersection. Plans include an adjoining park that will have walking areas in the shape of a seahorse, as well as plenty of parking spaces so visitors can pull over and take souvenir pictures in front of the new "Puerto Vallarta" sign.

Once completed, the project is expected to become another internationally recognized icon of Puerto Vallarta, and a stunning new addition to the destination's growing portfolio of cultural attractions.