Tag Archives: Don Rimx

El Punto apartments, Salem

Posted on by
Reply

The “El Punto” Neighborhood in Salem, Massachusetts now features over 75 large scale murals, by both world renowned and local artists, within a 3 block radius. It is all part of the Punto Open Air Museum, or Punto Urbana Art Project. This blog post focuses on the murals on the sides of a group lowrise (3 storey) apartment buildings in that neighbourhood. Some of these buildings are close together making it awkward to photograph the murals while still keeping in mind the residents’ privacy.

below: Avery happy woman in shades of purple, this is “Anacoana” by Ruben Ubiera, 2017

two buildings separated by a walkway, each has a mural on the side

below: “Communion with us” by GLeo – a young woman in white veil, dress and gloves.

a portrait, street art mural, of a young woman at communion, religious, she is wearing a wearing veil, dress, and gloves, and she is reading in a white book, could be bible, or prayer book.

group of 3 storey apartment buildings in el punto neighbourhood in Salem Massachusetts, home of Punto Open Air Museum, large murals on exterior walls

below: “Eternal Vibrations” by Trek6 (aka Oscar Montes). A hummingbird with long flowing colourful tail feathers, like ribbons blowing in the breeze as the bird flies.

vertical mural of hummingbird, many colours, with many long flowing tail feathers

below: One of the walkways between buildings.

below: Like the text says, “Here for the Imaginable” by Meg Zany, 2018

mural on the side of a three storey brick apartment building, in Salem Massachusetts, shaggy creature standing up, text that says here for the imaginable

below: The shape of leaves, white on reddish brown, in an untitled mural by Veronica Rivera.

below: Part of “Stranger Things” by Jeff Henriquez, 2017 – three men in three different colours, with a night time scene with car lights and roads, running through them. (full mural in the next photo)

the middle section of a three storey mural, three men's faces in profile, one on top of the other, red, blue, and grey, a night time road scene runs through them, by Jeff Henriquez

three storey mural, three men's faces in profile, one on top of the other, red, blue, and grey, a night time road scene runs through them, by Jeff Henriquez

walkway between two three storey brick buildings, residences, with large murals painted on three of the exterior walls

below: “Three Eyed Witch” by Edward Granger, 2018

el punto mural, abstract face, woman with three eyes, geometric shapes, Edward Granger

below: ” El Campesino” ( or The Farmer) by Ruben Ubiera, 2017

large mural on a wall of an apartment building among the windows, in gray shades, a portrait of an older man by Ruben Biera, called the Farmer

close up of part of a mural, fingers with smoking cigarette

below: Tucked back in a corner is an untitled mural by Aquarela Sabol

apartment building with wood balconies, a mural on pink background in the back

mural

below: Krave’s “El Mono Fresco”

street art mural in salem massachusetts painted by krave

below: High up on a wall, a flower adorned head and a profile portrait of a woman, “Kaupoku” by Hula

below: Up high, a man in a white hat. The mural, “Tirando Con Pique”, is painted on a wall beside a staircase. Don Rimx is the artist. 2017

part of a mural, man in profile, wearing a white hat

Photos taken August 2024

a walk around Holyoke

Posted on by
Reply

Over the past few days I have posted pictures of some of the murals in Holyoke Massachusetts. This post will be that last one for that city for now. I know that I didn’t see everything that Holyoke has to offer but I hope to be back soon!

below: “Yagrumo” by Vero Rivera. Rainforest plant with palmate leaves – In brown and white, together forming patterns and designs.

mural on an old brick building, by vero rivera, design using patterns of brown and white leaves
closer view of the brown and white palmate shaped leaves in the rivera mural in holyoke

below: Painted by David Zayas, high energy dancing, with music and movement. The rooster may not be dancing but it too moves with energy and vigor.

mural by david zayas, woman dancing, rooster
rooster, in a mural, mostly its head

below: The Master of Masks, by David Zayas and Don Rimx. The mural portrays Don Raúl Ayala Carrasquillo, who was a master in the art of making vejigante masks – A vejigante is a folkloric character in Puerto Rican festival celebrations, especially during Carnival. He learned his craft from his father and he, in turn, passed the tradition on to his children.

large mural on the side of a midrise residential building in holyoke, of a man in a red baseball cap who is making a mask, by david zayas and don rimx, vacant land around the building, cars parked nearby
closer view of large mural on the side of a midrise residential building in holyoke, of a man in a red baseball cap who is making a mask, by david zayas and don rimx

below: “Child Flower” painted on the former Boys Club building on Race Street, by Gleo

yellow mural by gleo, a boy surround by big yellow flower

yellow mural by gleo, a boy surround by big yellow flower

below: Colonia – topless, draped with a Puerto Rican flag.

painting on a door at number 403, back of figure with word colonia written across the back, smiley face graffiti on the head,

below: Frankie Borrero’s creation, “Transición de las antepasadas” (Transition of the Ancestors)

mural with many people in it
closer view of frankie borrero mural with many people in it

below: Right – The mural says EL ARCOIRIS as a tribute to an after school program created by Nueva Esperanza more than 20 years ago. They use art and murals as part of their program to engage youth. This mural is a tribute to those pioneers and was painted by Golden 305 (aka Cristhian Saravia). Previously, I posted another of his murals in Holyoke

On the left is “Chromoji” by Bikismo (aka Ismo La Joya del Caribe, or the Chrome Master)

two murals, on left what looks like a shiny reflective face made of ice or metal, and in the right, text mural that says el arcoiris

below: An older El Arcoiris mural, faded blues with a rainbow connection between the two windows. Flowers and butterfles, and a guitar.

older faded el arcoiris mural with flowers, butterflies, rainbow and a Puerto Rican flag

below: A mural on the side of a bakery. Puerto Rica and the USA, Palm trees and sunflowers. Farmers harvesting food from the fields behind the city streets.

mural on the side of a bakery, with garden in front

below: There’s even a horse drawn carriage.

below: Nuestras Raices = Our Ancestors

part of a mural with a fountain and sunflowers

below: On the large wall of University Products, Yo Soy I am by TakeOne and GoFive

large mural of a boy in native american headdress with red and blue feathers, also the words, yo soy, spanish
An interesting description of this mural is on the Beyond Walls website: “Yo Soy! I am anything and everything. It is not enough to simply exist. Playing it small doesn’t serve the world, therefore it does not serve me. I embody the very essence in which life is created.
I am a powerful force.
I am light.
I am beauty, undefined.
I am capable.
I am resilient.
I am, You are, We are
ENOUGH!”

below: As mentioned in my previous post, Holyoke has the largest number of Puerto Ricans per capita outside of that country.

El Spirit Republic of Puerto Rico – Defending our roots and our communities.

below: mmm

below: Tim Purington was a City Councilor and public health advocate who died in 2019.

memorial_fingers_heart-2

below: Needle exchange programs were one of the public health initiatives that he advocated for.

below: “Iguana-boina ” by Rafique aka Rafael Enrique Vega. Here we see the union of the iguana, the symbol of the sun, and “boina”, a dark-colored snake that represents dark rain clouds. From these, life is formed. These elements are found in the Taino creation story where the cave of Iguanaboina was the primordial den from which the Sun emerges to illuminate the earth and to which it returns to hide as the moon emerges. The Taíno people were the predominant indigenous people of the Caribbean.

below: Alvin is missing the rest of his chipmunks.

  A few days ago I posted pictures of the father and baby moose that Bordalo 2 made on Clemente Street and yesterday I shared images of the mural ‘La cultura es poder’….   But there are many more Holyoke murals thanks to organizations such as Beyond Walls and Nueva Esperanza.   I think that I have barely scratched the surface.  
Photos taken July 2024