Enamora Mérida began as an idea by Montserrat Pastrana to cheer up the city and offer up a little hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though the project would evolve over time and bring in dozens of volunteer artists, Montserrat’s original plan was to simply paint inspiring words on walls and facades, always with permission of course.
“At first my husband and I started offering to paint motivational phrases around town. It turned out that people loved the idea and we just kept going from there,” recalls Montserrat.
Once the pair had painted a few city walls, people really started to take notice and volunteer their own time and talents to the cause. “Before we knew it graffiti artists, illustrators, and even muralists were asking to work with us, we were thrilled of course,” says Montseratt.
Enamora Mérida’s work tends to concentrate on themes of togetherness, family as well as environmental issues and always strives for positivity.
“I have been doing graffiti for over a decade now. This is such a fun project, It’s really cool to get my work seen by so many people,” said Manuel Ceballos, a volunteer with Enamora Mérida who is also a professional boxer who goes by the moniker El Venado.
Montserrat admits that when the project was first starting up in January 2021 she was a little worried that government authorities would object, but as it turned out, both city and state authorities were thrilled to get in on the action and even invited them to work their magic at a few city parks.
The collective’s phrases and murals can now be found all over town, but they are always looking for their next canvas, though their waitlist is now a few weeks long.
Enamora Mérida can be contacted through various social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, where they have gathered thousands of followers and admirers.
