Natasha Moraga facts for kids

Natasha Moraga is an amazing artist from Mexico. She was born in the United States. She is famous for her special way of making art using broken tiles. This technique is called trencadis. Natasha has created many beautiful murals in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

She is currently working on a big project called Parque de los Azulejos. This project aims to cover all of Lázaro Cárdenas Park with colorful tiles. Natasha's art projects often involve the community. She started a group called Mosayko Vallarta to help organize volunteers for her art.

About Natasha Moraga

Natasha Moraga was born in La Mirada, California, in the United States. Her mother was from Mexico, and her father was from Chile. Natasha has citizenship in both America and Mexico. She got her Mexican citizenship through her mother.

When Natasha was eight years old, her family moved to Mexico. They wanted their children to learn more about Latin American culture. They first lived on a ranch near Guadalajara. Later, they moved to Puerto Vallarta. Natasha said she didn't like Mexico at first. But she is glad her parents made the move.

Discovering Tile Art

At age 15, Natasha decided to live on her own. She traveled and stayed with different friends. While living with a friend in Germany, she visited Barcelona, Spain. This was in 2005.

In Barcelona, Natasha discovered the amazing tile art of Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí used the trencadís technique, which means breaking tiles and putting them back together. Natasha wanted to be an artist. She loved how tactile and hands-on tile work was.

She returned to Puerto Vallarta. In 2009, she got a scholarship to learn from a famous mosaic artist. His name was Isaiah Zagar. She trained with him for a week in Philadelphia. Even after this training, she didn't start her art career right away. Her father, who was a businessman, convinced her to open a restaurant. She ran the restaurant for two years. But in 2010, she realized it wasn't what she wanted to do. So, she closed it to focus on art.

Natasha's Art Projects

Natasha Moraga is the main artist behind many public artworks in Puerto Vallarta. You can find her mosaics on benches, stairs, and other public places. This type of mosaic art was new to Puerto Vallarta. It is also not very common in Mexico. Natasha calls her work "community-based" and "street art". This means it involves local people and is displayed in public spaces.

First Tile Murals

Natasha created her first tile mural on a wall in the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood. This wall was around a public kindergarten. It used to be covered in graffiti. Natasha got permission to put a tile mural there. She worked on it from October 2011 to February 2012. She named this finished mural Episodio 1.

During this project, a woman offered Natasha $100 to put her name on a tile. This gave Natasha an idea. Sponsorship became the main way to pay for her projects. After finishing Episodio 1, Natasha made a list of ten more places where she wanted to add mosaic art.

Her second big project was in the Marina Vallarta neighborhood. This mural is called Episodio 2. It was created from 2013 to 2015. It covers over 500 square meters (about 5,380 square feet). It is the second-largest mosaic mural in Mexico!

Natasha also worked on the giant letters that spell "Puerto Vallarta." These letters face the highway as people drive into the city. She faced some challenges with different government groups. But with help from local businesses, she completed the project.

She has also made smaller mosaics for hotels, restaurants, and homes. Some of her other public projects include the beautiful benches on Francisco Rodriguez Street. These benches are near the Los Muertos pier.

Parque de los Azulejos: The Tile Park

Natasha's earlier projects were done mostly by herself or with family and friends. But her next project, Parque de Azulejos, needed more organization. It also needed a lot of fundraising.

The Parque de Azulejos (which means "Tile Park") project started in 2017. This was the same year Puerto Vallarta celebrated its 100th birthday. The park is located at Lázaro Cárdenas Park. Natasha said, "I always passed by here and saw it dark, falling down and needing color." She presented her idea for the park three times to the local neighborhood group before it was approved. At first, there was no money for the project. So, Natasha started with leftover materials from her past works.

This is her biggest project yet! She plans to cover everything in Lázaro Cárdenas Park with tile mosaics. This includes the 66 benches around the gazebo, the parking areas, walls, and flowerpots. The first part of the project focused on the amphitheater columns. When finished, the park will have tiles and mirror pieces that would stretch over 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) if laid out in a line.

Natasha says that "all the colors and figures have meaning." They are not just placed randomly. Most of the designs show things special to Puerto Vallarta. But some are more personal, like designs based on Natasha's own tattoos.

This entire project is paid for by private donations. To get money, Natasha sells special "patronage tiles." People can buy a tile and have their name or a message on it. Money is also raised through the project's website and other donations.

Most of the work is done by volunteers. Natasha teaches them in three-day workshops. These workshops are open to anyone who wants to help. Children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens have all been involved. As of 2019, the Parque de Azulejos was 70% finished. The completion date has not been announced yet.

This park project has caught the eye of both locals and tourists. It has changed the look of the neighborhood around it. It has also led to better public services in the area.

Mozayko Vallarta: Community Art

The Parque de Azulejos project changed how Natasha does her art. It became more focused on the community. This new way of working is based on Mozayko Vallarta. The name "Mozayko" is a fun way to say "mosaico," which is the Spanish word for tile.

Through Mozayko Vallarta, Natasha organizes three-day workshops. As of January 2019, over 300 people had been trained. Money for projects is raised through donations on a Facebook page. They also sell t-shirts and other items.

Natasha has been asked to speak about Mozayko Vallarta. She talks about its positive effects on the community. She has given talks in both Mexico and the United States. In 2019, a group called the Asociación Mexicana de Mujeres Empresarias honored her. They recognized her for her great contributions to the community.

See also

In Spanish: Natasha Moraga para niños