Who We are
Arte sobre Ruedas is a mobile creative laboratory that travels through the communities of the Monteverde canton, bringing accessible cultural spaces to the public through the visual arts.
Guided by the motto "Democratizing access to art," we develop workshops, murals, and artistic experiences designed for everyone—regardless of age, economic status, educational background, or place of residence.
Our work seeks to strengthen local cultural identity, stimulate creativity at every stage of life, and foster community resilience by using art as a bridge for connection and transformation.
Our Mission
Art on Wheels is dedicated to growing people’s capacity to manage their own artistic and cultural wealth as a vehicle for developing community cultural resilience.
Our History
Arte sobre Ruedas (Art on Wheels) was launched in March 2022 as a community initiative led by Pamela Villalobos Vilanova—an educator and artist—with the aim of bringing art to every corner of Monteverde. Using a vintage vehicle adapted into a mobile workshop, the project delivered over 65 workshops in 2023, reaching more than 1,200 people, including children, youth, older adults, and families.
In 2024, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the first phase of the "Vida y Comunidad" (Life and Community) program was carried out. This phase involved eight sessions where children interviewed older adults to gather information about their lifestyles, customs, traditions, and other topics. These interactions culminated in the creation of eight community murals—painted collaboratively by older adults and children in various communities.
That year also saw the consolidation of a partnership with cultural manager Guillermo Vargas, who added a new dimension to the project's focus on community cultural resilience. In total, the initiative reached over 700 people in 2024, including workshop participants, volunteers, and visitors.
By 2025, Art Bus on Wheels was established, a bus adapted as a permanent art center that will offer free workshops to the community, as well as the free use of our tools, with the goal of giving a second life to waste materials. This space will also function as a storage area and as a space to offer private workshops to student groups in order to generate income that will allow us to acquire materials for community workshops. It is our space for collective expression and social transformation.
Our Vision
To be a creative space that inspires, connects, and transforms rural communities through art, fostering a vibrant, participatory, and accessible culture for everyone—regardless of age, social background, or place of origin.
We dream of a region where art is on wheels, reaches every corner, and flourishes in every collective act.
Who We Impact
We work with early childhood (ages 0–6), school-age children (ages 7–12), adolescents (ages 13–17), female artisans of all ages, and older adults who are bearers of knowledge and cultural heritage (age 65+), creating safe and creative spaces for each group.
Why do we do it?
Because art should not be a privilege. In rural areas like Monteverde, many people lack access to arts education due to its absence in public schools, financial constraints preventing private lessons, a lack of public transportation, a scarcity of cultural infrastructure, and a widespread perception that art is “not a priority.” Yet, we know that art transforms: it strengthens identity, stimulates critical thinking, and creates safe spaces for connection and expression. We are committed to opening up opportunities where creativity is a right and a genuine tool for social transformation.
Our Values
Creative Accessibility
We believe art is a right and should be accessible to everyone, especially in rural or marginalized communities.
Mobility and Territory
We move with and for the community. The territory is our canvas, and every stop is an opportunity to sow art and gather stories.
Community Resilience
We foster processes that strengthen identity, a sense of belonging, and the collective capacity to respond to challenges through cultural expression
Collaboration and Co-creation
We promote collaborative, horizontal, and heartfelt work across generations, forms of knowledge, and cultures.
Diversity and Free Expression
We celebrate all ways of being, feeling, and creating. We value art as a safe space for individual and collective expression.
Transformative Education
We view art as a pedagogical tool that sparks critical thinking, empathy, and social imagination.