ArteViva is a music and arts festival, as well as a free permanent educational program in arts for the people of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica.

ArteViva 2010 is finally happening! EDACS, the Association that traditionally promotes the festival, has set up an alliance with the Asociación Desarrollo Integral de Puerto Viejo (Puerto Viejo Development Association) in order to organize the Carnaval ArteViva 2010, from the 20th to the 31st of August.

The festival will feature live music with well known national bands, theatre, folkloric dance, art exhibitions, culinary events, sport tournaments, circus, alternative medicine workshops and much more. More importantly we shall involve every educational center in the South Caribbean with workshops and students exhibitions.

Stay tuned for more festival information or go to their website to pledge support. If you have ideas on ways to contribute to the event or would like to sign on as a sponsoring business, you can contact Claudio Ambroso at 8842 1741 from 1 a 6 pm or Stash Golan at 8385 6887 o by email to artenelcaribe@yahoo.com

From July 5 to July 18, Cahuita will present a festival named after renowned Calypso artist Walter Ferguson.

The “Festival de la Cultura y el Ambiente Walter Ferguson” will take place from July 5-18 at various locations around Cahuita and will honor one of Cahuita’s favorite sons with music, theater, dance and poetry. Ferguson sometimes called the King of Calypso is known for songs such as Cabin in the Wata and Callaloo.  The festival is expected to become an annual event.

The highlight of the festival is expected to be a Calypso concert at Cahuita’s Central Park on Saturday July 10 starting at 4pm. As well as local Cahuita performers, the concert will feature musicians from Limon and Puerto Viejo.

Download complete festival program. Download festival poster.

Learn to play djembe and dunduns African drums at the workshop by M’Bembe Percusion y Danza.

The workshop will be held at the Centro Cultural Ecológico Gaia in Playa Chiquita from March 24 to 26.

Cost is 25,000 colones.

Reserve your space by contacting 2750 0385 or ololiuki.cr@gmail.com

The first boat crossed the finish line last night in Limon. The boat Crêpes Whaou! crossed the finish line at 22:31, taking the multihull prize and the boat Safran crossed the finish line at 02:52 to take the monohull prize.

In Puerto Viejo, visitors were excited to see 12 large 3 m x 1.5 m (9.8 ft x 4.9 ft) format artworks with a nautical theme displayed at KOKi Beach Restaurant by renowned Costa Rican artists Mario Maffioli and Fabio Herrera.

Puerto Viejo, by Fabio Herrera, is one of the 12 artworks being displayed in the show. Photo courtesy La Nación.

Sources: La Nación: Arte recibe a visitantes de la regata Transat,
SailWorld.com: Safran first IMOCA Open 60 home in Transat Jacques Vabre, Yachte: First multihull home in Transat Jacques Vabre

World renowned Costa Rican artists Fabio Herrera & Mario Maffioli will present their exhibit “Nautica” at KOKi Beach Restaurant from Nov 21 to Nov 29.

Both painters are well known in Costa Rica and abroad for their abstract painting. Fabio Herrera has been called the “the most important abstract painter in Costa Rica”.

The exhibit opens at 6pm on Nov 21.