
There are hundreds of wall sized open air painted murals all over Valparaiso.

Click to enlarge this photo to see how the artist recycled plastic soda bottles to create living window planters for her imaginary town and writes about the need to creatively recycle plastics .

The talent and creativity of these artists blows me away.

In this hostel, I zoomed in on the art around the doorway in the photos below, so you can see the detail.

What strikes me is how talented these artists are,

and how many of them will remain unrecognized.

It is often luck that makes one famous, and another unknown.

In a fairer world, all these artists would be recognized for the true talent they have.

Valparaiso is full of gifted artists, but it also has so many poor people, and the largest slums in Chile.

The unfair fact this illustrates is that talent and poverty often reside together.
Please note: I am traveling by sea now and have limited access to internet. I will check in when possible but please excuse my inability to be responsive online.
Cheers to you from the talented artists of Valparaiso~
All I can say is…wow! The last one is my favorite! Save the best for last 😛
I love it too <3
Me as well
I wish the artist was reading this!
<3
I’m glad they don’t treat them like graffiti because they are so beautiful. Hope your trip is going well, Cindy.
Leslie xoxo
I agree 100% !
🙂
These are all wonderful paintings: it takes a special talent to create such large-sized art.
You have to see it somehow, before you paint it, because it is so large. I have no idea how they translate this imagery into large scale works.
Wow that’s so amazing!!
Such juxtaposition, rich talent and poor finances. Thanks for sharing!
Beautifully expressed Denise <3
Thanks for taking me there! 🙂
Thank you more for traveling with me!
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Outstanding paintings that were done by unknown artists in Valparaiso, Peru, and emailed back by Cindy Knoke.
Thank you dear Patricia & all the best to you <3
Amazing talent! 😀
Makes me wonder how many talented people go unrecognized…..
So true. When you watch some of the contestants on the talent, dance, and music shows. Just the tip of the iceberg! I’ve always said there is sooo much amazing talent in this world.
It is so true. We need to be each others advocates when others fail to be. <3
Wonderful artists. I’d happily hang these paintings in my house.
I would too <3
Beautiful! I wish I could see it in real life but thousand thanks for this fantastic photos, dear Cindy 🙂
Thank you more for your kind appreciation!
<3
Incredible artwork!
And so many talented artists <3
I always think that these artists who paint on such a scale hold more talent than those who paint on canvas.. I could never begin to get the perspective right on such a huge scale..
Beautiful art,
Thank you for sharing <3
I agree with you, and I have no idea how they translate to such large scale. Amazing talent!
It is, and again thank you Cindy for sharing, Safe Travels.. <3
<3 <3
Wonderful artistic workmanship and use of items that people would just normally throw away. So nice to see these wonderful and talented artists creating things of such beauty.
Safe travels on your ship excursion. Will be anxiously awaiting your next post to see where you were traveling to next.
Hugs to you kind friend & thank you for traveling along with me. You make the experience better <3
You’re very welcome Cindy!
<3
Beautiful paintings ❤
Marvelous! What a delight it must be to see so much street art. Are there street vendors selling their art as well?
Yes, there are some, but not intrusive and certainly not the emphasis. The emphasis is on free art for everyone which is pretty wonderful <3
Wow! Reblogging to my readers at sister site Timeless Wisdoms
I thank you on behalf of these amazingly talented artists and send you cheers! <3
Cheers to you and they!
<3
Pingback: Valparaiso Open Air Art – Timeless Wisdoms
Beautiful artworks.
Very pleased you enjoyed them!
Eye opening and inspirational trip must say. The world is a big place
The world is big and beautiful and I am glad you are in it my friend.
I love you’re pictures! Great post!
Thank you. You are already an amazing blogger at age 10! Bravo to you. I look forward to watching your blog develop as you learn and grow <3
Thanks so much, it means a lot! 🙂
It is just true. Talent needs love. Love to you from Peru. <3
I’m trying to get a sense of what the town is like as a whole with so much art. Is the art concentrated in specific areas of the town or throughout?
It is all over a very big city. The murals started in what is now called the Museo de Arte Abierto Cielo, many decades ago. Now it is concentrated in the Cerro Allegre and Cerro Concepcion regions, but really it is everywhere you go. It is truly amazing, and I have one more series to post.
I’ll look forward to it! I’m trying to envision the experience of being immersed in art.
Yea, like when you walk outside, it is everywhere, all this hope and brillance, and yet the city is heartbreakingly poor. But the artists triumph.
Fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing, Cindy.
Thank you more for appreciating!
Thanks for sharing these incredibly talented artists with us. They are amazing. 🙂
I am so glad you see them as I do <3
It is amazing how these artists can visualize such big scale work like that. Great works!
I saw one artist starting a work with a large swatch of color and I got a sense of how impossible it would be for me to even visualize how to complete this!
Yes, I feel like looking each jigsaw piece at macroscopic level and try to fit it in a gigantic picture. Impossible for me.
Exactly! You are a very amazing person <3
So wonderful!
Awww, thank you <3
Breath-taking art! Hopefully, your post helps give some recognition for these wonderful artists <3
That would make me very happy <3
Stunning works! Happy sailing, my friend! <3
Cheers flying back to you <3
Spectacular!
I hope the artists see your words Bette <3
Thank you for sharing this beautiful art…enjoy your travels, it looks like you’re having a wonderful adventure!
Thank you & cheers to you <3
Beautiful work, and photos of it. Thank you Cindy! One of my favourite street artists is Chilean/Canadian. She bases out of Toronto…. Shalak Attack.
I wrote you a longish reply and it vanished…..arrgh. Your artist grew up among the masters <3
excellent. enthralling, you have done wonders sharing them with us
Awwwww, hugs to you sweet friend <3
Vibrant and wonderfully artistic street art, Cindy. Good finds.
Thanks much Jane & cheers to you!
Amazing artwork!
So much talent <3
So much talent and inspirational art! Love them all – thank you so very much for posting them!
Thank you more for appreciating these incredible artists Leya <3
Who could resist?
<3 <3
The soul of a society is found in the creativity that is generated. We MUST support and encourage this remarkable spirit. For in so doing, we save ourselves.
Beautifully expressed and felt. Thank you Rebecca <3
Beautiful! Thanks, Cindy.
Neil Scheinin
Thank you for the kind appreciation Neil.
Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you.
Hugs to you kind friend <3
These to me are even more stunning than the first set – variety, color, technique. Any clue how long they work on them? One huge investment of time, or coming back and forth to add details and new elements? I see one white building outline that suggests multiple visits.
Good question! I’d be interested in the answer as well.
I have not idea how long it takes and limited access now to find out. But, I will get back to you when I find out. Cheers to you and Marion <3
The art is breathtaking, but your comments remind me of this saying: geography = destiny.
It certainly has a huge influence. Thank you Sheila.
how nice!
i’d like a house
painted like that 🙂
This is why we like each other <3
such interesting murals – love the creativity of these artists!
Their work represents hope in our world.
Simply beautiful!!! Fascinating! I’m jealous, but thank you for sharing with us!
Thank you so much more for traveling with me <3
I enjoy it very much! It takes me away from the dark world of my writing for a brief respite!
I am glad, art does have the ability to do that for us <3
So very beautiful!!! Love the second one especially.
Happy travels, Cindy. 🙂
Thank you and only the best to you Amy.
Another great post on the wall art in Valpraraiso, Cindy! There must be a high concentration of artists living in the colourful town.
Thank you Peter. I wonder how many uknown talented artists live in my town, and yours?
I love that beautiful street art!! It’s amazing and impressive. I do agree that they are not getting their due on this. I saw on the news there was a pig and a two year old who were smearing paint on canvas and it was being sold for thousands of dollars. Insane! But of course you can’t buy the street art. I would if I could. I hope you are having a great trip. Hugs.
I love pigs. Smart critters. But I love them for what they are, and they are not great painting pigs. So we pay pigs tons of money to “paint” and we ignore people who can actually paint.
Seems accurate.
Yup. Strange world we live in. ;(
<3
I love the art work! 💕
I <3 you for loving it!
Wow.
The top picture reminds me of the character in Farscape…Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan.
Amazing street art !
Dear Cindy, what a great post! Thank you for these wonderful pictures.
I find it very hard to pick a favourite, what a superb array of artistic work, Cindy! Love the mood and the colours.
These are amazing
erhole dich, genieße es, sammle die nötige Kraft für die nächsten Tage
What a wonderful trip you are having! Beautiful photos too. So fun to travel with you.
alles wird gut
What a beautiful sample of street art. I too especially like the last one. Thanks for caring Cindy. Yes, the world is very unfair and unbalanced, seemingly by design from those with power and money.
There are so often bad people dominating.
When I was really very little, I was transfixed by the story, “The Emperor Has No Clothes.”
I think what I liked particularly, was that there was a king who relied on lying people to tell him who, and how, he was. He relied on it so much, they convinced him to walk down the street naked, clothed in their nonexistant garb, until a child yelled, “Look, the emperor has no clothes!”
I think as a world we need to be focusing on that child, not the emperors.
I cannot tell you how many times I have had cause to reference that story lately!
<3 <3
Agreed Cindy. Some of the children are really stepping up like Greta in Europe sparking large climate change protests. May the children lead…
Wow! I would have been proud to have painted any of those, Cindy. Looks like you’re having a great trip . Enjoy it to the max! Happy St Pat’s Day 🍀💚🍀
Be well my dear friend, and almost cousin <3
gorgeous ! thankyou for sharing <3
Thank you more for appreciating <3
“Talent and poverty often reside together.” Yes, Cindy, that’s often true, whether the talent is athletic prowess, musical ability, writing ability, or whatever. Perhaps it’s God’s way of “rewarding” those who have few material gifts.
I hope they know how much they are loved <3
cool!!!
Gracias.
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
So nice.
Regards from Cork Celtic
Love back to you from Peru <3
Wow! You captured all the stunning beauty, Cindy.
It takes beauty, like yours, to see it. Thank you.
Aww… ❤️ You are welcome, Cindy.
<3
Absolutely beautiful work.
I love street art and this has got to be the best I’ve ever seen.
Wow.
And this is just a tiny sample. The whole city is dominated by the incredible beauty good human beings create.
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here are more photographs by Cindy Knoke of beautiful open air art in Valparaiso!
Gratitude to you Charles from the Peru <3
Beautiful murals. Wow!
Love to you Suzanne <3
Unrecognized talent is one of the greatest shames in our world. Part of the reason I’m trying to make myself into an actual writer, and not just an amateur blogger, is so I can locate people whose talents and contributions go unrecognized and give them a platform.
That’s a very worthwhile goal, and I’m sure it will be much appreciated!
Thank you! A worthwhile goal indeed, but one that will take a lot of work to get off the ground.
Best to you Josh, from the islands off Peru <3
Thanks CIndy!
“Unrecognized talent is one of the greatest shames in our world.”
It is. It is also lied about constantly. I think the idea that truly creative talent lies within so many of us, is threatening to those who have much less talent, yet are more successful.
Oh yes, absolutely. I imagine it’d be quite threatening to realize that there are many people out there with as much talent as oneself, and that the main reason you’ve succeeded while they haven’t comes down to class and connections. But with new technologies (the internet) and the increasing ease of travel, perhaps it’ll become easier for talented and under-appreciated artists to get discovered? I hope so.
Oh, I like the monkey!
Yep. So do I! Cheers to you from Peru <3
What stunning art, Cindy! Wow…thanks for sharing!
Thank you more for appreciating them Lorrie <3
Pingback: Valparaiso Open Air Art~ — – EverydayVibes
Hi. Many thanks for the opportunity of viewing these spectacular images. Hope you don’t mind will share your post. Have a wonderful day. Happy Travels. Happy Blogging. Goff.
So kind of you and so appreciated too! Lovely to meet you & cheers from Peru.
My pleasure. Many thanks. Lovely to meet you too. Have a wonderful day. Goff
<3
Pingback: Share Box – Valparaiso Open Air Art — by Cindy Knoke | Art, Photography and Poetry
Muchas gracia!
Amazing artwork, thanks for sharing.
Thank you more for appreciating!
The creativity of these nameless artists is amazing.
Agreed!
Gracias!
I have no words!! It’s so beautiful!!
Thank you. I love it too!
Oh, I love this, Cindy! 🙂
So very happy you do & cheers to you Ally!
Cindy, what a treat. I could imagine myself getting lost among the work. How utterly delicious. Thank you for sharing it and I’ve sent this link to several friends who are not bloggers but artists. Two of them happen to live in Sacramento and one in London. I know they will enjoy it as well. <3
♥♥♥ lovely
Muchos gracias!
Wow! The art is amazing. 🙂
Happy you think so! There is more to come when I get stable wifi.
That’s great. 🙂
<3
So cool!!
Glad you enjoyed!
These are amazing, Cindy. Such a shame those artists rarely get the recognition they deserve. I love the last one.
Thank you Jean and I agree with you on all points!
Wonderful!
They are remarkable artists.
They are! So lively, really motivating!!
<3 <3
😍🐱🐈
Beautiful!
There is such talent and positivity in people in this world. I wonder why such talented artists are overlooked. Our values are wrong.
Fabulous photos.👏👏💖
I’m in love with the 9th picture of the girl smiling and holding her hair up. Could I post it on my blog to accompany a haiku, crediting you and linking to this post? I’m doing a poem a day during April, and I get lots of inspiration from photography.
You can post it with my blessings and thank you for your kindness in asking. I so wish we could credit the artist <3 <3
You’re right, these are striking images, visionary. At least today with the internet more can be shared of the work of talented people.
But it still bothers me if they don’t get the credit they deserve. And I have more of their art to post. They are so very talented.
Wow🥀
My reaction too! <3
This is why we should treasure creative arts, even the poorest neighbourhoods don’t give up on beauty, yet we wealthy Westerners often now don’t value these talents and think STEM is the only way forward, there is room for all.
So perfectly stated. Where would all the stemer’s be without art and music? There is a western gearhead bias. But us artsy folks won’t let it deter us. Well said Charlotte <3
Just lovely. I’d would like to live in a city like that. How inspiring and uplifting!
Beautiful. Absolutely the coolest street art I’ve ever seen.
Thank you. And I so agree with you.
Reblogged this on ckbooksblog and commented:
I’d love to live in a town with so much beautiful art on display. Lovely! And great photos, Cindy – as usual!
Wow, these are gorgeous, Cindy! Thanks for sharing them. 😀
Thank you for appreciating these talented artists!
You’re welcome! They are amazing.
<3
😀❤
Pingback: Vorlagen für Muttertag | Christliche Perlen
Vielen dank mein lieber Freund <3
Pingback: Valparaiso Open Air Art~ | Download the complete Windows From Heaven Color E- BOOK (85 Original dated and color pics)-less than $5.00! Visit the Matthew Seufer AMAZON AUTHOR Page Below
Thank you & cheers to you!
Ingeniously artistic.
These are fantastic, Cindy. Thank you for giving me a peek into the street art here.
You are most welcome Jane. It leaves a double impression, first the talent of the artists, and second their generosity in gifting these works of art for all of us to enjoy. They transformed a city.
I miss street art and I’m upset about the building torn down in Queens and Pearl Paints closing.
I would be upset too. These are afterall, works of art.
Pingback: Street Art Walk Katoomba – jml297
Thank you and cheers to those of us who treasure our artists! <3