Flotsam, Jetsam Theme of Montezuma Art Festival

Rob Bartlett January 18, 2008

The eighth annual Chunches de Mar Art Camp Festival is under way near the beach community of Montezuma, on the southern tip of northwestern Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula.

Chunches de mar, literally “stuff from the sea,” is a quintessentially Tico way of referring to the flotsam and jetsam that washes up onto the beach. According to event director Nefertiti Ingalls, the driftwood, rubbish and other items serve to provide a theme for the festival, as artists at the event are encouraged to make use of them in their works.

Many Costa Rican and international artists are in attendance, camping in the nearby Romelia Wildlife Refuge throughout the event. Organizers say they want to “provide the artists with the opportunity to share ideas in an environment that is peaceful and amazingly beautiful.”

The primary aim of the festival is to unite people through art; to this end, participating artists are running workshops to help visitors understand the creative process.

The event will culminate in a party at Montezuma’s Hotel Luz de Mono Jan. 26, when pieces produced during the course of the festival will go on display and be available for purchase.

For more information about the festival, visit www.chunchesdemar.com.