Commissioned by an actual lamplighter.
Jennifer Smith is a lamplighter. And I’m not only speaking in the metaphorical sense; she actually illuminates streets. After moving to Akumal, Mexico in 2003 and purchasing a restaurant, Jenn found out that her workers often traversed a dark overpass on their way home from work at night. The light bulbs had burned out and the city had never replaced them with new ones, rendering her workers’ commute unnecessarily perilous. In steps Jenn with new light bulbs in hand and the connections necessary to get them installed. Jenn literally lit lamps, bringing light and safety to this vibrant seaside community on the Yucatán peninsula.
Fast forward 17 years and Jenn gets a message from an artist and his family looking to travel to Mexico to paint a mural. The subject? A lamplighter. And that, my friends, is how our new Lamplighter mural came to be this past February in beautiful Akumal, Mexico.
After getting involved with the city to replace the light bulbs, Jenn continued to find ways to beautify and enhance Akumal, culminating in the creation of the Akumal Arts Festival in 2018. This festival brings together artists from all over the world with local artists and residents to paint murals around the town. There are now over 300(!) murals in Akumal and it is a sight to behold. Every nook and cranny and courtyard has an original mural adorning it and the process of discovering these hidden art gems as you stroll through the streets is just plain wondrous.
Colorful murals in Akumal
Amazing!
The Akumal Arts Festival is the whole reason that we reached out to Jenn in hopes of painting a Lamplighter mural. We had no idea that the woman on the other end of the WhatsApp messages was a literal lighter of streetlamps. All we knew was that she was excited about the idea and had a wall in mind for us to paint. Flights booked!
Ashley, the boys and I arrived in Cancún this past February to paint a wall in Akumal in lieu of their typical festivities (canceled due to global paintbrush shortage, just kidding it was COVID). Our time there was nothing short of magical, as we explored the jungle, swam in crystal clear sinkholes, and rode bikes amongst Mayan ruins. Of course, we also ate hundreds of tacos all while improving our lackluster Spanish skills.
Brave Ivan
I thought this bird was going to peck out my eyeball.
How do we do this?
The best fresh OJ.
Athletic Ivan trying to get a coconut.
Orin’s more of a music man.
The most beautiful and refreshing swimming hole known as a cenote.
Just biking through the jungle to Mayan pyramids.
The largest pyramid at the Coba ruins.
The wall chosen for our mural is near the top of the hill on the main street. It is a second story wall that is situated above a lavandería (laundromat) and a fruit market. The fruit seller kept me supplied with delicious pears and ice water while the lady who runs the lavanderîa smartly moved her drying laundry away from the wall before the paint started flying. She also congratulated me on the finished mural with an ice cold 16 oz can of Tecate Light. My kind of lady.
The wall.
The roof is accessed via a rickety ladder and is criss-crossed with makeshift clotheslines that harness the power of the sun to do their work. Upon arriving, we quickly learned the power of the sun in Mexico vs. Michigan and you could have asked our blistering skin for proof.
Working on The Lamplighter mural was quite an experience. Ashley and I worked together closely on the design, drawing from traditional Mexican art and color schemes. And as the actual painting was underway, there were more than couple of snags that we had to innovate our way through. The “brush-tied-to-a-pole” proved to be my most valuable tool. The use of twine and a discarded broom handle to make the circles in the background came in a close second. Pizza-box roller trays won honorable mention. Yes, we found our way through a variety of challenges.
It actually began with a Sharpie tied to a stick, but that didn’t last long.
A white layer to make sure those colors shine bright.
The whole family got in
on the painting action.
Progress.
Adding a cross hatch texture.
After finishing the mural, we met up with Jenn at her Turtle Bay Cafe & Bakery for a celebratory lunch of tacos and margaritas. THIS was the moment that she told us how she started getting involved in Akumal by becoming a literal lamplighter. THIS was the moment we realized why she was so excited to have us there to paint a Lamplighter mural and why she gave us such a prominent wall. THIS was the moment that I got teary-eyed as Jenn shared her connection with The Lamplighter. THIS was the moment that I realized the real reason that God brought us to Akumal. After paying our bill and giving long farewell hugs, we just stood back in awe of it all and marveled at the power of art.
Taking in the completed Lamplighter of Akumal. (Check out that shirt!)
Presenting The Lamplighter of Akumal!
The Lamplighter of Akumal honors the true lamplighters among us; those who illuminate our world with their inextinguishable light. It was our pleasure to travel to Akumal and share our light with Jenn and the other fine folks who call that wonderland home. May you find light and love in your days and the means to illuminate some lamps in your corner of the world.
Check out this video of the whole experience!