Sculptures on the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta – July/Aug 2008

During the chilly February weather in Seattle, Tony and I decided to head to warm southern climes to celebrate our 20th anniversary in one of our favorite places: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We strolled the two mile long Malecon (boardwalk) two or three times a day and at least once every evening. In the evenings we were joined by lots of the local Mexicans who have historically strolled in the evening to relax and see their friends. Tony and I love to watch the tourist nightspots come to life; the way the ocean view bars and restaurants fill up for happy hour and dinner with people who end up staying for the beautiful sunsets.

The Puerto Vallarta residents take great pride and care to protect and appreciate the many sculptures that line both sides of the Malecon. Most are bronzes made by well known Mexican Artists. The many styles of sculptures add a wonderfully artistic dimension to the ocean backdrop. One day we were lucky enough to hear a well-known sculptor, Mathiis Lidice, talk about his major piece, “The Millennium.” He told us, “The upward spiral describes man’s evolution through time.”

Once a week, one of the gallery owners gives a walking tour of the sculptures. Our tour guide, Gary Thompson from Galeria Pacifico, told us a little something about each artist as we walked along, giving us a better understanding and appreciation of the sculptures. One of our group’s tourists asked about liability issues. “There are none,” replied Thompson. “If people climb up on them and get injured, it’s their problem for doing so!” I LOVED THAT REMARK! In Mexico (unlike in the U.S.) you are responsible for your own safety. Unfortunately, most who do get injured are children whose parents put them on the sculptures to pose for photos. Then, they tell little Mary to climb higher. The second most injured group are the drunks that stagger out of the bars and have “I dare you contests,” often cracking  their heads on the cement in the process. Isn’t that called survival of the fittest? One of the sculptures we saw would never be allowed for public view in the U.S. It consists of two orbs made of pointy steel spears. The largest is about ten feet in diameter. Their title is “Sea Urchins.”

There are performance pieces as well, each with its container for tips, on the edge of the Malecon, while the sculptures themselves are down on the beach, below high tide. The artists stack large, beautifully rounded stones in many wonderful colors as high as seven feet. Walking back to the condo late one night when it was quieter, we heard a rumble coming from the beach, sounding like deep thunder. I realized that the noise was from the waves tumbling down those stacked stones and washing them back and forth across the beach. This is why the rocks are beautifully rounded. I think only a stone sculptor can fully appreciate standing there and enjoying that wonderful sound.

Other performance sculptors spend a lot of time making large and beautiful sand creations. Mermaids, iguanas, mythological creatures of all sorts lined the beach. Then wooden frames are built in a tiered wedding cake shape filled with tamped sand. The frames remained for several days as more and more wet sand is packed into them. Then the upper section of the frame is removed and the carving begins while the artists stand on the platform below. They work their way down until all the frames are removed.

As a final touch to these fanciful works of art, colored water is put into spray bottles and Voila! The iguana is brilliant green! Anyone wanting to profess their love, make a proposal or deliver a message of almost any kind can pay the artist to carve the message into the base of a sculpture, then stroll by later with the receiver to see the message. We watched as each artist carefully flattened the previous message out to make way for the new one. Walking the Malecon on a warm tropical evening is a highly recommended addition to your Puerto Vallarta vacation.