Bringing Beauty and Building Community on Mexico’s Riviera Maya
Table of Contents
After a short hiatus, the Akumal Arts Festival returns, in an abbreviated format, for 2024 with a “painting party” organized to refresh the murals on the iconic Akumal bridge.
Founded in 2018 by Akumal resident and owner of Turtle Bay Bakery, Jennifer Smith, the Akumal Arts Festival brings together local and international artists every year to create murals, conduct workshops, and engage with the local community.
The festival’s mission positions art as a form of activism, often addressing important social, cultural, and ecological themes relevant to the local community and the broader Riviera Maya region.
The Impact of the Akumal Arts Festival
Since the festival’s inception in 2018, over 500 murals have been painted by an international crew of over 200 generous and talented artists. These vibrant murals have significantly enhanced the town’s aesthetic appeal for both residents and visitors. The artworks can be found adorning walls, buildings, and public spaces throughout Akumal.
The event also supports valuable community programs such as the Hekab Be Biblioteca. 100% of the funding for the library comes from donations. Receiving no government funding, the library and its programs are entirely supported by generous individuals, local businesses and the Akumal Arts Festival.
The Akumal Art & Water Community Park is the latest effort to improve the lives of the children and their families and is supported in part by the Akumal Arts Festival. Conceived by Board Members of the U.S. non-profit Hekab Be Biblioteca and the Akumal Arts Festival, the new park will provide a safe, fun environment for the children of Akumal pueblo.
Access to public beaches is challenging for the local Akumal families to attain. It’s a long, hot walk from the pueblo to the playa. This beautiful park, when completed, will be filled with fun water fountains, colorful murals, safe astroturf grass, gate/fencing, lighting, a stage, and benches.
Community Support and Collaboration Drive the Festival
The Akumal Arts Festival relies on donations, sponsorships, and volunteer support from local businesses, residents, and international sponsors. Local accommodations, restaurants, and other vendors often collaborate to provide logistical and material support for the visiting artists, creating a strong sense of community-driven backing for the event.
Since the inception of the festival in November 2018, Community Engagement, a non-profit organization based in Orange County, CA, has provided sponsorships for artists to participate in this street art celebration.
In 2021, Community Engagement awarded a grant to Catalyst Muse to produce a short documentary film about the Akumal Arts Festival, its participants, founders, and the community. Completed in 2023, Beyond the Bridge captures the beauty and spirit of the festival and the power of creative placemaking.
Adapting to Challenges
The festival has faced various challenges over the years. In 2020, the restrictions in play due to the COVID-19 shutdown caused the cancellation of the event. However, through the perseverance of the organizers, the flexibility of the artists, and the unwavering support of the Akumal community, the festival returned in 2021.
In 2022, festival organizers were challenged once again when CFE shut off power to Rancho San Martin. Jennifer Smith and her team were tasked with finding alternative housing for 80 artists when Tortuga Escondida was left without electricity due to the conflict with CFE.
Jennifer had built this fantastic jungle compound to house scientists and artists who come to Akumal for ecological studies and participate in the arts festival and was sent scrambling to find housing throughout the Akumal community.
Unfortunately, the festival lost momentum and due to a lack of time and resources, the 2023 Akumal Art Festival had to be canceled.
Enter Joe Schipani
This year, Akumal resident, artist and long-time festival supporter Joe Schipani is jumping on board to assist Jennifer by organizing an abbreviated festival “painting party” focused on refreshing the iconic Akumal bridge and its facade with new murals.
Joe first visited Playa del Carmen with a partner in 2016, immediately falling in love with the area. In January 2021, through mutual connections in the art world, they decided to visit Akumal, where they met Jennifer Smith and her team. After several return visits, they made the move to Akumal in May 2023.
Since 2015, Joe served as the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project (FPAP) in Flint Michigan, which hosted its first mural festival in 2018. Under his leadership, FPAP has installed nearly 400 murals throughout the city.
In 2021, Akumal resident, artist and art festival organizer Jake Gardiner (Klonism) traveled to Flint to participate in Joe’s festival. In January 2022, Joe organized a group of Flint artists to volunteer at the Akumal Arts Festival.
This year, with limited support and resources, Joe will organize a small troupe of local and international artists generously donating their time and talents to help keep the festival alive.
To raise money for paint, and supplies and to support the needs of the artists a small GoFund Me campaign has been launched.
The Future of the Akumal Arts Festival
For 2024, the artists will be painting new murals from November 10 through 16. There are about a dozen artists in residence: Aylo and Seca One from the United Kingdom, Charlotte Art, Zach Curtis and Jamie Zacarias from the United States, Alex Yarpa from Oaxaca and local artists Rory Eade Art, Lluvia, DakPak, Byeck, Senkoe and Dierk.
The goal for this year’s paint party on the bridge is twofold: to freshen up the bridge and restore its beauty, and to reignite excitement for the mural, making it easier to raise excitement and secure funding for a full festival in 2025.
Joe and Jennifer are committed to bringing the festival back to its full glory with a full complement of local and international artists breathing life into the Akumal community on both sides of the bridge. They are going to start grant writing, collecting donations and lining up volunteers after the holiday season.
How can people get involved with the festival this year?
Volunteers are always welcome. If you can’t volunteer with your time, The Akumal Art Festival has an account at the Comex in the Akumal Pueblo if you would like to donate directly for paint and supplies. You can also donate to Joe’s GoFundMe campaign or the Hekab Be Paypal account.
Why is the Akumal Arts Festival Important?
Over the years, the Akumal Arts Festival has brought significant cultural and economic benefits to the local community. In addition to beautifying public spaces with vibrant, meaningful murals, the festival creates an educational and cultural exchange between local residents and artists from around the world.
The event also promotes tourism and provides local businesses with increased foot traffic and revenue during the festival. Proceeds and donations from the festival often support local causes, including educational programs through the Hekab Be Biblioteca, environmental initiatives, and various community outreach projects.
The Akumal Arts Festival returns this year, albeit on a much smaller scale, marking a renewal of creativity, community, and connection on the Riviera Maya. Through the dedication of artists, organizers, and supporters, this year’s “painting party” breathes new life into Akumal’s iconic bridge, while building momentum toward a larger festival in 2025.
With fresh murals and shared hopes for the future, the Akumal Arts Festival returns and reaffirms its place as a vibrant cultural celebration, strengthening the ties that make Akumal a unique and welcoming community.
