by Michelle Winchell, Executive Director, Downtown Ventures

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica as a delegate with The Biennial of the Americas, a Colorado nonprofit that creates connections, builds community and inspires change across the Americas. The 2024 Americas Summit was organized in collaboration with the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT). In late April we traveled to San José, which served as the base of exploration for connection with Costa Rican elected officials and business leaders and immersion in the culture of the Central American region.

The third day of the trip opened with a panel of mayors from Colorado and Costa Rica reflecting on the future of cities. They shared insights on how to embrace growth while nurturing the things that make our communities unique: identity grounded in local history, a sense of belonging for all, and viewing nature as part of our critical infrastructure.

The rest of the day was spent exploring creative spaces in San José where innovative artists and curators emphasized the significance of activating urban spaces and fostering communities centered around art and ideas. TEOR/éTica is a non-profit started by Costa Rican artist, curator and researcher Virginia Pérez-Ratton (1950-2010) that has played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s artistic landscape. Pérez-Ratton founded the organization to address a need for critical dialogue and research on regional contemporary art practice. Today, TEOR/ éTica is a regional hub with an ambitious editorial program, artist scholarships, and residencies. Cero Uno is an independent art space on the second floor of a commercial building. The collaborative model has a design workspace, tattoo studio, artist residency studio, and gallery space. Abra Espacio is a nonprofit art gallery space in a once-iconic building from the 1970s in the heart of San José. Its goal is to cultivate a community or collaborators united by a shared vision of empowering local artists as agents for change.

I had the privilege of moderating a panel discussion at Abra Espacio with artists and arts administrators from Colorado and Costa Rica. We discussed the importance of using art to activate urban spaces and the resources necessary to cultivate the creative sector. A common theme emerged of finding power in collaboration when resources are limited; panelists all had stories of being innovative and working with other creatives to leverage collective impact.

Special thanks to Bee Vradenburg Foundation and David Lord for their support.