Artists Flock to Escazú for Annual Outdoor Expo

More than 500 painters, sculptors, photographers and urban and modern artists have toted canvases, frames and creative flair to the western San José suburb of Escazú for one of the largest art fairs in Central America.

Escazú’s fourth annual Outdoor Art Fair was set to open March 21 on the soccer field of San Rafael de Escazú, featuring hundreds of stalls with artists displaying and selling their work. The fair will run through this weekend, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, according to organizer Ulíses Castillo of Galería de Ulíses art gallery and frame shop, in the eastern suburb of San Pedro.

“In years past, we’ve had at least 40,000 visitors to the festival,” Castillo said. “We attract visitors from all over Central America.”

The colossal group is made up of independent artists organized by Castillo. He’s also the mastermind behind a similar annual art fair held in San Pedro’s RoosevaltPlaza, which hosted its 11th Outdoor Art Fair last November, featuring many of the same artists exhibiting in Escazú.

In addition to well-known names such as urban artist Felo García, modern artists Rodolfo Stanley, Olga Dorado and Jorge Tamayo, and sculptor Manuel Vargas, the Escazú festival will showcase the work of several young, emerging artists, which Castillo believes is important to his goal of maintaining an authentic and diverse art exhibition.

For more information about the Escazú or San Pedro art fairs, call Galería de Ulíses at 225-5660.