Street Art in San Miguel: Magda Love, Artist for Joy

By Colleen Sorenson

Street Art has been very popular over the years throughout the world, bringing a special kind of joy to participating artists and project organizers.

The Muros en Blanco street art project in 2013 brought the permission for legal painting on the streets and was a very magical time. The most fun began in 2015 when the Graffitiworld guys were in charge of the project, inviting Mexican artists for their first festival along the entire street of Canción India in colonia Guadalupe and later, visiting artists from around the world. Many of these murals still remain in colonia Guadalupe, the parking lot on Recreo and the office buildings of Ecología. Twice a year for the next five years, my house was filled with artists, paints, ladders and piles of food. We made sure artists were taken care of, well fed, and happy.

Argentinian artist Magda Love was one of many artists who visited San Miguel to paint murals in colonia Guadalupe. Based in New York City and South Florida, she is recognized for painting the largest mural in NYC on the City-As-School High School building in the West Village, taking over two years to complete.

I first met Magda, Maria Magdalena Marcenaro in 2016 and have kept in touch with her since, one of my favorite artists over the years. Of her two murals in colonia Guadalupe, one remains, aging gracefully with bits of peeling paint and fading colors. The "life of a mural". She returned to San Miguel a year later to begin her second mural.

We reminisced about those days and talked about that special joy we felt when we all got together for a big painting. "I love Mexico and  San Miguel so much. Muros en Blanco was such a wonderful experience for us. All the meals together, the tacos, learning about different styles while observing others painting. We shared so many beautiful moments together, it was like a small band of friends. I stay in touch with a few of these artists until this day. I really miss being there! Time to paint in Mexico again!"

For me, joy was a house filled with artist's stories and comradery, while watching the transformation of their sketches into finished murals. Magda explains, "I have always felt my art had a vibrant, joyful tone. I like to approach my murals with simplicity and a playful attitude.

I wish to remind people to see goodness around them, to seek dialogue, to seek God around them. I like to add lots of details, so encompassing the world, we are in a journey of discovery, dialogue, communion. That is one of my favorite things of traveling and painting murals, the stories you hear on the road, sharing your stories, creating bonds of love and respect for others. Learning to listen, learning to adapt, learning to embrace different places and different people. I am always honored to paint and to be welcomed on people's homes, schools, etc. It is a beautiful feeling to be a creator. I believe beauty and art inspire goodness and love around us. I found so much joy to be part of creating with others and with the divine."

We talked about respect for street artists. "Thank you for standing for the artists, there's no murals without us and those who help produce them. Unfortunately, lots of people share your work and don't credit you. It would be useful and helpful if people would highlight the artists." And for those wanting artists to paint for free, she asks they understand that artists need money to support their careers and their families.

After 16 years painting murals internationally, with images combining South American folk art together with magical surrealism, her work is now transforming onto large, sometimes gigantic, tapestries playing with dimension and texture. Installation projects in NYC and Florida included hundreds of community participants of all ages who worked together stitching canvas, fabrics, beads. They shared their stories onto the tapestries and with each other. "We are all part of one family, the human family."

Remembering those special days brought back so many happy stories and while many things have changed since that time, the feelings of joy we each feel remain for those of us working together on community art projects. "I think making art is my mission and my way to show people the way that we are supposed to live, that we are here to create a better place."

@magdaloveart

www.magdaloveart.com