Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – In numerous cities around the world, art is an attraction that draws many tourists every year. So, in 2012, the founder of Mozayko Vallarta, Natasha Moraga, began recreating the casual magic of Puerto Vallarta by creating the colorful mosaics that now grace the walls, stairs, sidewalks and benches in public spaces throughout the municipality.
In just three years, the artist made a name for herself and, in 2015, Natasha was commissioned to recreate one of the city’s most recognized icons: the large, colorful, “Puerto Vallarta” sign that welcomes visitors who enter our beautiful city on the highway from the north.
Sadly, a couple of weeks ago, the sign was vandalized to the point of all-out destruction. It appears that someone took a hammer to the sheet rock-type material that the letters were made of, and that Nat had painstakingly tiled with pieces of stone, glass, mirror and ceramic to recreate the sign in her signature mosaic style.
When the vandalism was discovered, Nat was understandably devastated, since recreating the sign took 10+ months of real blood, sweat and tears kind of work, and was also one of her first commissioned pieces. But the sadness didn’t linger as she quickly realized that this project, in which she had integrated Vallarta-themed images inspired by renowned artist Manuel Lepe, had never really reflected her own true soul as an artist.
That realization was soon followed by a call from a municipal official who, acknowledging Natasha’s contributions to the city’s growing portfolio of cultural attractions, asked if she would do the honors of recreating the sign once again.
In May of 2018, in celebration of Puerto Vallarta’s 100th anniversary, Natasha and her brother Daniel began transforming Lazaro Cardenas Park into another internationally recognized icon – El Parque de los Azulejos – a huge undertaking that keeps her busy.
But, realizing that she’s now ready to make the Puerto Vallarta letters truly special through her own creative expressions, she accepted the commission and will soon begin working in earnest to re-create one of the most iconic public art installations in Mexico.
For news and updates on the recreation of the “Puerto Vallarta” sign, and Natasha Moraga’s other public art installations, visit TileParkPV.com.