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4:00 - 6:00 PM
Let’s come together at the time of the new moon and align with the energies of cleansing, clarity, recalibration, and renewal. We will begin with some guided movements to stretch and settle into our bodies so that we may rest comfortably during the sound bath. We will set up a circle and connect with our intentions for what we’d like to invite in before we lie back, relax, and experience the power of sound and vibration. Jose will orchestrate the sound bath with ancestral instruments including Tibetan singing bowls, Native American flutes, didgeridoo, shakers, shamanic drums, tubular bars, and more. As the sound waves wash over us and move through us, we may look inside, release and clear old energies, and recenter ourselves in this safe and restorative environment. Please wear comfortable clothes, bring a mat or thin mattress to feel comfortable lying on the floor, something to cover your eyes, and a blanket if you wish. Enjoy this unique experience of ancestral medicine in modern times.
SPACE IS LIMITED
+506 8673 1765
$25 IN ADVANCE
$35 AT THE DOOR
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The Guardabarranco or Motmot birds are a beautiful sight around Playas del Coco. They are known also as the "clock bird" for their unusual tail composed of two long, bare feathers, each ending in a turquoise tuft. With the unique form of their tail, combined with the bright colors of their plumage, Guardabarranco birds draw attention, a favorite among bird-watchers. This work of spray paint on canvas measures 195 x 130 cm.
Contact Kendall to view works or commission something new. +506 8497 9285
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6:00 - 8:00 PM
Experience the magic of Ecstatic Dance, facilitated by Jose Lopez. Ecstatic Dance means creating a safe container for free-form dance where everyone may express themselves freely through movement. It’s a moving meditation allowing us to process what we hold in our bodies, to root into ourselves, and to connect with the music and with others. Creating a free and safe container for Ecstatic Dance means no choreography, no photography, no talking, no shoes, no substances, and no judgments. We focus on our body, our spirit, the energy of the group, and the rhythm of the music. This is an inclusive space open to all people and all ages, no experience necessary. We aim to build community around conscious dance and to come together every month around the time of the full moon to harness the active, celebratory energy.
We will open the space with a welcoming cacao circle co-facilitated by Diego Mejias and Jose Lopez, to set our intentions and establish a sense of trust in the group. Then after a brief movement warm-up we will immerse ourselves in Ecstatic Dance to a live DJ set by Chakaruna Project. To integrate our experience we will end our evening with a sound healing and closing circle, co-facilitated by Diego Mejias.
+ 506 86731765
$25 IN ADVANCE
$35 AT THE DOOR
- Published on
Saturday August 9
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Experience the magic of Ecstatic Dance, facilitated by Jose Lopez. Ecstatic Dance means creating a safe container for free-form dance where everyone may express themselves freely through movement. It’s a moving meditation allowing us to process what we hold in our bodies, to root into ourselves, and to connect with the music and with others. Creating a free and safe container for Ecstatic Dance means no choreography, no photography, no talking, no shoes, no substances, and no judgments. We focus on our body, our spirit, the energy of the group, and the rhythm of the music. This is an inclusive space open to all people and all ages, no experience necessary. We aim to build community around conscious dance and to come together every month around the time of the full moon to harness the active, celebratory energy.
We will open the space with a Ceremonial Cacao Sharing Circle, co-facilitated by Raquel Solis and Jose Lopez, to set our intentions and establish a sense of trust in the group. Then after a brief movement warm-up we will immerse ourselves in Ecstatic Dance to a live DJ set by Chakaruna Project. To integrate our experience we will end our evening with a sound healing and closing circle, co-facilitated by Jose Rodriguez.
+ 506 8673 1765
$25 IN ADVANCE
$35 AT THE DOOR
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A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our art exhibition, and for those who are working on bringing art offerings into the space; we appreciate all of you. We are closing our doors for the time being but hope to open again in August. See you in a few months.
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NOVEMBER 20, 27
DECEMBER 4, 11, 18
4:00 - 5:30 PM
AT THE BEACH
NEAR CAFE DE PLAYA
This free-form session on the sand is appropriate for all ages and genders; no prior experience needed; no shirt, no shoes, no problem. Come out to dance and play; it's aerobic in a light-hearted way. Try something new; get into the groove; get back to your youth inside the hoop. We'll have plenty of hoops in all sizes to experiment. Learn the basics, how to keep the hoop looping, try out some tricks, maybe master a move to impress the kids. SalveMonos Annual Drumming Circle is coming up soon; the perfect event to show off your new moves! Want to join in the fun but too timid to try? Then come and bring a drum, don't just stand by!
ANNUAL DRUMMING CIRCLE
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22, 2025
A FUNDRAISING EVENT
TO PRESERVE THE HOWLER POPULATION
ADULTS $4 OR c2,000
KIDS $2 OR c1,000
BRING A FRIEND 2x1
ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE MONKEYS
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED,
JUST BE AT THE BEACH!
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Kendall 'Kech' Valverde
Costa Rican artist Kendall “Kech” Valverde began experimenting with aerosol painting technique at the age of twelve–his first works on the walls in his mother's house, the walls of the school he attended, and throughout San Jose’s city neighborhoods where he grew up. Kech remembers being drawn to the bubble letters his mother used on his school notebooks to label each subject, and he would sneak spray paint from his father’s workshop to practice this ‘bombing’ style on the walls. Since these early explorations of ‘tagging’ and ‘bombing’ Kech has been compelled to continually try new techniques and investigate different styles, and although he has not pursued any formal art training, his work has naturally evolved from tags and graffiti lettering into images and expressive murals. While Kech specializes in large-scale works, as he has expanded into painting on canvases and creating custom hats, he’s developed techniques with airbrush, acrylic, and pen to achieve the smallest of details.
Culture and community play an important role in Graffiti Art, and Kech has enjoyed traveling, meeting up with this community, and receiving recognition internationally for his work participating in several graffitti festivals throughout Central America. He’s been an invited artist at the Area 503 Festival in El Salvador in 2012 & 2015; the Hip Hop Revolution Festival in Guatemala in 2012; the Arte de Las Calles Festival in Honduras in 2014; and the Panama Hip Hop Festival in 2024, among others. Outside of the Hip Hop community, Kech has been invited to share his art as live performance at several music festivals including Envision, Bamboo Base, and Nahual in Costa Rica, and Magma Fest in Nicaragua. Beyond the creative container in these festival spaces, Kech's passion for the graffiti art style has been further fueled in connecting with other graffiti artists, both those visiting Costa Rica, as well as those he's met in travels to the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, and Kech aspires to explore more of the world, learning about new places through this common lens and witnessing the positive impact of graffiti culture.
Pursuing this path in Graffiti Art has opened many doors for Kech and given him invaluable experiences, and he has always felt compelled to share this within his community. He has coordinated Hip Hop Festivals and activities for underserved youth in both his hometown neighborhood in San Jose and where he currently resides in Playas del Coco, and he has played a main role sharing this art in both installments of Coco's 'Encuentro Cultural' aimed at uplifting local youth. Kech has been contracted to paint murals at some of Coco's favorite spots like Tandoor Indian Restaurant, Coconutz Brewhouse, Blue Dream Divers, and Summer-Salt Dive Center, and he played an important role in the Colors Across Costa Rica fundraising project for pandemic relief volunteering to paint eight of the sponsored electricity posts, bringing pops of colorful Costa Rican wildlife to Coco's downtown. While Kech is excited for his first exhibition where he will show more than twenty new large-scale works on canvas, and he's looking forward the new possibilities that come with a dedicated art space, painting for himself and for the community in the public space continues to drive his passion.
- Heliconia Rosada 3D, Aerosol on Canvas, 220 x 176
- Cangrejo Colorado, Aerosol on Canvas, 288 x 173
- Pez Angel Adulto con Juvenil, Airbrush on Canvas, 60 x 60
- Loros Enamorados, Aerosol on Canvas, 160 x 90
- Guardabarranco, Aerosol on Canvas, 130 x 195
- Malinche, Aerosol on Canvas, 120 x 95
- Libélula Colorada, Aerosol on Canvas, 200 x 160
- A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle, collaboration with Teagan Patell, Aerosol on Canvas, 130 x 130
- Libélula Alambre, Aerosol on Canvas, 124 x 85
- Pink Ginger Blossom, Aerosol and Acrylic on Canvas, 90 x 120
- Sirena con Conchas, collaboration with Teagan Patell, Aerosol and Acrylic on Canvas, 115 x 85
- Rana con Ojos Rojos, Aerosol on Canvas, 136 x 184
- Libélula 3D, Aerosol on Canvas, 116 x 85
- Graffitti, Aerosol on Canvas, 30 x 90
- Tucan con Frutas, Aerosol on Canvas, 70 x 95
- Pez Gallo, Aerosol on Canvas, 144 x 110
- Soft Inside, collaboration with Teagan Patell, Aerosol on Canvas, 250 x 140
- Colibri Sobre Ave Paraiso, Aerosol on Canvas, 70 x 140
- Birds of Paradise, Aerosol and Spray Brush on Canvas, 70 x 140
- Flor Alpina Purpurata, Aerosol and Acrylic on Canvas, 67 x 82
- Morpho, Aerosol and Ink on Canvas, 115 x 85
- Bouquet Natural, Aerosol on Canvas, 146 x 110
- Etlingera Elatior, Aerosol on Canvas, 150 x 91
- Pareja Flamingos, Aerosol on Fabric, 200 x 140
- Sri Yantra, collaboration with Teagan Patell, Aerosol and Pen on Canvas, 100 x 100
- Durga Yantra, collaboration with Teagan Patell, Aerosol and Pen on Canvas, 100 x 100
- Orilla del Mar Grande, Aerosol on Canvas, 200 x 100
- Orilla del Mar Mediano, Aerosol on Canvas, 100 x 147
Colleen Ehle Patell
Mixed-media figurative artist Colleen Ehle Patell graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Art and Design. She works with fabric, glass, ceramics, paint, wool, metal, wood, and unconventional materials to create figurative sculptures, wearable art, assemblages, and quilted wall hangings, implementing bright colors, layered textures, and whimsical themes. As a multifaceted fiber artist, Colleen has won multiple awards for her work. Her passion for color and light continues to inspire her to explore different techniques, and her love for functional art keeps her always looking for new ways to apply and enjoy artistic expression.
- Crazy Topsy Turvy, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Cotton Fabric and Beads, SOLD
- Bright Expressions Sirena, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Flat Paper Doll, $30
- Blue Green Expressions Sirena, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Flat Paper Doll, $30
- Fragile Heart (with Feathers), Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Cotton with Handmade Embroidery Heart and Feathers, Hand-painted Needle-sculpted Face, on a Steel Base. $200.
- Fragile Heart (with Dreadlocks), Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Cotton with Handmade Embroidery Heart, Hand-painted Needle-sculpted Face, on a Steel Base, SOLD
- Silk Sea Dreams, Hand-painted Silk Needle-sculpted with Tibetan mohair, $140
- Fisher King, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Cotton with Fimo, $88
- Zoot Tootie Fruity, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Cotton fabric, SOLD
- Beach Babe, Original Design by Jane Coughlan, Cotton and Needle-sculpted, $200
- Ehle Wife, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, 100%. Cotton and Needle-sculpted, $135
- Batik Dancer, 100% Batik Fabric with wire armature, Needle-Sculpted, SOLD
- Breast Cancer Survivor Doll, (Qty. 5) Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Jointed, Posable Flat Paper Doll, $45 each
- Spanish Dancer with Red Boots, Stacked Cone Doll with Mohair, Fimo, Cloth over Paper Clay, $90
- Does This Dress Make Me Look Fat?, Stacked Cone Doll with Fimo, Cloth Over Paper Clay, $90
- Butterfly Dancer, Original Design by Colleen Ehle Patell, Stiffened Fabric over Wire Armature, $25
- Wonky Ornaments, (10 qty); Original design by Colleen Ehle Patell; Cotton and Glass Beads and Wire, $14 each (1. Pink Purple, 2. Pink Orange, 3. Blue Purple, 4. Blue, 5 Orange, 6 Yellow, 7 Black and White, 8 Black, 9 Black, 10 Green)
- Sets of 4 Ceramic Coasters, (Qt. 5 sets), 4 x 4" Tile with Acrylic Pour and Resin Finish, $30 set
- Set of 4 Glass Fused Coasters, $30 set
- "Coral" Bowls, (Qt. 5), Fused Glass, $60 each (1. Red, 2. Maroon, 3. Orange, 4. Blue, 5. Blue)
- Garden Fish, (Qt. 2), Fused Glass, $55 each (1. Blue, 2. Yellow)
Teagan Patell
Born and raised in Stanford, California, Teagan moved to Costa Rica in 2010, where she has enjoyed the peaceful lifestyle that complements her integrative practices in Yoga, Feng Shui, Reiki Energy Healing, Therapeutic Bodywork, and Peak States Trauma Therapy. Each has been a unique blessing in Teagan’s life, and she is compelled to share the joy of these gifts that encourage self-empowered healing for the individual and for the community. With this focus, her vision to create a community health and healing space took root in Playas del Coco, and she is so excited about how it has taken shape, and all that we will share in the coming years.
It has been an amazing experience to implement Feng Shui philosophy in designing and building from start to finish, from the first foundations of choosing the place and connecting with the land, all the way through the small final details of optimally orienting the electric outlet plates. Some of the Feng Shui principles applied in this project include:
- choosing auspicious home orientation and supportive paint colors;
- directing chi flows (placement of doors, stairs, windows, walkways, lines);
- natural and uplifting proportions (house levels, drawers, cabinets);
- balancing elements (statues, color-choice);
- optimizing health (floor-plan layout, bed placement, window allocation, plumbing and electrical decisions);
- enhancing abundance (door placement, applying mirrors, room mapping, auspicious numbers);
- minimizing clutter (maximizing closed storage space, creating clear site lines); and
- ritual (land clearing, groundbreaking ceremony, creating crystal grids).
Teagan completed Feng Shui Master Training with Amanda Collins in Gorey, Ireland in July, 2016. She has loved bringing Feng Shui into the home design process and is looking forward to supporting others with their design and build experience. Teagan is now offering Feng Shui consulting for new builds as well as established homes and commercial spaces, and she plans to begin leading workshops around specific facets of the philosophy.
- Published on
Saturday July 27, 2024
2:00 - 8:00 PM
At CoCo Yoga & WEllness
We'd like to invite our family, friends, and extended circle to join us in celebrating our new space with an evening of art. Kech has been working over the past several months to create more than twenty new large-scale works in spray paint on canvas, and he's excited to show his paintings in exhibition for the first time. While most of his pieces depict Costa Rica's beautiful wildlife in vibrant color, we'll include a few of our collaborations with more whimsical compositions and meditative yantras. Alongside the paintings we will show more than thirty works in glass and mixed-media figurative art by my mother Colleen Patell, and given the passion for art in our family, our daughter Aline will choose a few of her favorite paintings to display as well.
We invite you to come by to enjoy the art, to help us celebrate the start of an exciting new chapter, and to take a tour of the new space. We are so proud of how this space is coming together, and we're grateful to our architect and construction contractor Lucas Riviera for his incredible work, expertise, and attitude throughout the design and construction process. It has been an wonderful experience to create at this magnitude and to put into practice Feng Shui philosophy in a build from the ground up. We have been so fortunate to work with Lucas and his team who have welcomed and appreciated the Feng Shui principles and practices, and have elevated our ideas and vision to build something much greater than we could have imagined.
This exhibition and open house is one evening only. We will have refreshments to share, but feel welcome to bring your own as well and to stay and visit a while. Although this is a private event at our new family residence and we will not be marketing broadly to the public, we aim to build like-minded community in this space, so please feel free to extend the invitation to your friends and other art enthusiasts. The artworks will be available for purchase, so plan to come early if you're in the market for something new. Mostly we are looking forward to bringing together our community again and for all the potential to create together in this new space, so please drop in when you can and be a part of this opening evening. ~ Teagan
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January 25 - 27
It's been inspiring to see that the Playas del Coco "Cultural Encounter" has focused on racism, discrimination, and rights, in offering several workshops and presentations to educate around these themes, identify how they affect our daily lives, and inspire action for change. Thursday and Friday's events have included a puppet presentation for kids: 'Amo Mi Melanina' (I Love My Melanin), youth workshops on racism, oppression, and discrimination, and a workshop for community leaders to evaluate how we experience racism in the community.
Kech and I are honored to be invited back to participate in Saturday's event 'Ensenamos a los Ninos a Sonar' (Let's Teach the Children to Dream), which will take place in Coco's beachfront park Amor de Temporada 9 - 3pm. This is a free event with tons of activities designed for children 3 - 10 years old. Kech will be bringing out a giant canvas and beautiful palette of spray paint to showcase large-scale street art technique, inspiring kids to pursue their artistic talents and value how public art can uplift community.
I will provide the hoard of hula hoops to offer an opportunity for free play and exploration, creative movement, innovative game-making, and joyful challenges to learn and master new skills and build self-confidence. Hula Hooping is fun way to build strength, develop body-awareness and body-control, and promote mobility in a safe and gentle aerobic activity for all ages.
We loved being a part of this event in December 2019, and we're so happy to see the event grow this year; we hope it will continue to be a Coco tradition. Many thanks to Ophir Cultura for organizing this event, to the University of Costa Rica's Social Action projects, and support from ADICOCO, Cine Hermosa, and many other local organizations and businesses that make this event a success. See you in the park. ~ Teagan
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Salve monos
Playa HErmosa, GTE
Invites you to Attend their
10th ANnual
Drumming Circle
This Wednesday
January 24, 2024
3:00 - 6:00 PM
Playa Hermosa,
First Beach Entrance
NEAR HOTEL BOSQUE DE MAR
Salve Monos Playas Hermosa aims to protect the local Howler Monkey population and conserve its habitat. Salve Monos has dedicated enormous efforts to identify monkey corridors and restore deforested areas to maintain and expand the monkeys' routs with the trees that provide the leaves, fruits, nuts, and flowers that comprise Howlers' diet. Where roads, power cables, and developments have severed the natural corridors, SalveMonos builds crossover bridges to help the monkeys to traverse their territory safely. The numbers of monkey electrocutions and deaths indicate that there is still much work to be done, and Salve Monos hopes to get the whole community involved to protect these beautiful creatures.
Salve Monos strives to educate residents and developers, and with this annual drumming circle event, to animate community involvement, uplifting energies, and inspiring participation, activism, and financial backing in support of this noble cause. Salve Monos Hermosa is a non-profit organization, and Karol Allard has been it's beating heart infusing this project with vital energy for more than a decade. Once more, she is calling on the community to reverberate this heartbeat, so please grab a drum, come have some fun, and be a part of the change.
This drumming circle holds a special place in my heart. I remember when I first heard about the 2013 event and Karol's message to raise the community vibration resonated. I was big into hula hooping and flow arts, and sharing them with the community to encourage a "healthy pulse." At the time I had a collection of 30+ hula hoops, and I offered to bring them to the event to accompany the drumming and to help get people moving and shaking in new ways. It was a blast, and I've been blessed to be involved with the event in subsequent years, bringing out the hoops and fire dancing on the bill in '14, '15, '19, and '20. Although until about a month ago, I hadn't once returned to my fire tools since dancing at the 2020 drumming circle, when Karol invited me back this year I knew this was a nudge in a good direction. I've never felt so underprepared for a performance, but I don't think that feeling ready or at my best is of much importance. If we wait until we're ready we'll never accomplish much; so let's celebrate where we are, let a little momentum move us, and look forward to what tides may change from these little healthy impulses. See you there. ~ Teagan
