Looking for a novel way to spend a day and learn more about the island you’re visiting? Take a self-guided walking tour of Philipsburg and see how many colorful murals you can spot. ColorMeSXM, a mural project by St. Maarten’s BeTheChange Foundation, brings together artists and the naked fronts and sides of buildings.
On these blank canvases, artists selected for the first phase of the project bring their visions to life. The murals tell stories of the past, manifest fanciful imaginings, and pay homage to natu Looking for a novel way to spend a day and learn more about the island you’re visiting? Take a self-guided walking tour of Philipsburg and see how many colorful murals you can spot. ColorMeSXM, a project by St. Maarten’s BeTheChange Foundation, brings together artists and the naked fronts and sides of buildings. On these blank canvases, artists selected for the first phase of the project bring their visions to life. The murals tell stories of the past, manifest fanciful imaginings, and pay homage to nature and art itself.
The project was conceived to encourage residents and visitors to explore Philipsburg in a different way. Project directors scouted prime locations for murals. Some are in plain sight and others are hidden and must be discovered. The fun and challenge are not only in seeing the murals but finding them. Zillah Duzon-Hazel’s “Caribbean Through MyEyes” and Annemiek van Kerkhof-Posthuma’s “Freedom Run” are two of the murals gracing the town. “Caribbean Through My Eyes” is on Front Street across from Oranje School. The mural took the artist and fashion designer four weeks of working mostly nights with the help of volunteers. The concept and inspiration behind the piece come from the artist’s life. “I create these bold colorful prints for my brand Jolie Duzon,” she says. “I am inspired by nature: the beautiful colors and lifestyle of the Caribbean. The prints on the mural are three out of over 100 prints that I have created for clothing designs and hand-painted clutches.”
“Freedom Run” by Van Kerkhof-Posthuma is on St. Jansteeg, the first alley on your left, past the Methodist Church on Front Street. The piece took 13 days to complete and incorporates a piece of historic rock wall.Van Kerkhof-Posthuma’s mural is inspired by history. “Twice, I have been a participant in there-enactment of the Freedom Run from Diamond Estate to Bellevue, which made a great impression on me,” she says . Download BeTheChange’s <Mural Art Walk map> and explore for yourself!
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