Artistic activities for your Curaçao trip

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Latest update: 17 February 2023

Curaçao not only has cheerfully colored Caribbean houses, but it has much more color! Colorful street art, colorful art collections, and colorful paintings. Are you an admirer, or would you like to try it yourself? You can do it both in Curaçao.

Art Alley (the Windstraat in Punda)

Art Alley is a small creative area in Punda, Willemstad. You will find art shops, usually run by the artists themselves. They are accessible shops, and art certainly does not have to be expensive. For example, Serena’s Art Factory is in Punda, where you can buy a Chichi figurine or have a look at Enjoy by Carolina. The street is definitely worth a visit because every nook and cranny has been given a lick of paint, a statue, or other creative expressions.

On Thursday evening, there is Punda Vibes in Willemstad. You can enjoy live music, traditional dance, and workshops in and around Art Alley. Like painting your own Chichi figurine. The evening ends with fireworks.

Art Alley on Google Maps

Serena’s Chichis

If you are in Curaçao, you are guaranteed to come across Chichi. Chichi means big sister in Papiamentu. Chichi is a cheerfully painted figurine of a woman, sensual and well-formed, according to the makers. Yes, plural. Because although Serena Janet Israel invented the Chichi, there are now quite a few Chichi painters in Curaçao. If you buy a Chichi statue, you can look up the number of the figure on the site to see who painted your Chichi.

There is a Chichi Shop in Punda where you can buy the figurines (in the Art Alley), and on the east of the island, you will find Serena’s Art Factory. A nice spot to stroll through the garden and get to know Chichi via information boards. Of course, there is also a shop. Workshops are organized at both locations. You get to paint your own Chichi. Check your options. You do not have to make a reservation, but you can here. That way you are sure of a spot!

Chichi Shop on Google Maps
Serena’s Art Factory on Google Maps

Streetart in Willemstad

In Willemstad, you have the Art Alley, but much more street art can be found. Go to the Nieuwestraat in Pietermaai, the Bitterstraat, or Parke Leyba, for example. Or follow the road behind Fort Amsterdam. There really is so much beauty to see. Otrobanda also has plenty of street art to admire, although you have to know where to go. I join a tour led by artist Avantia Damberg and highly recommend it.

Avantia takes me on a tour through Otrobanda and seems to know everyone in the area. During the tour, she will, of course, also show her art, and we even meet a few artists creating new work. Because Avantia is an artist herself (and Curacao is quite small), she knows many of the artists and the stories behind the street art. Do you also want to tag along? Check Facebook for the available walking tours.

Kaya Kaya street party

Kaya Kaya means street street. It is a busy neighborhood party aiming to provide a few streets with a new paint job and unite the neighborhood. Kaya Kaya’s initiators didn’t like that the Seri’ Otrobanda district continued to fall into disrepair. Vacant buildings, poorly maintained houses: things had to be done differently.

Kaya Kaya is now organized every year on a handful of streets. Expect bands, DJs, artists, and paint. In the days before the party, houses are repainted, and artists create beautiful murals to upgrade the streets. Every year, different streets get a lick of fresh paint. The closing is the street party that attracts a few thousand visitors. Check on Facebook when the next edition is.

The Curaçao Museum

In Het Curaçaosch Museum, you will find several fully furnished period rooms full of furniture and art from the 19th century. In addition, modern works are exhibited by Curaçao artists and artists who have worked in Curaçao. In the museum garden, for example, you will find statues and sculptures by Yubi Kirindongo, who also has his own museum at home. The permanent collection is supplemented with temporary collections.

Het Curaçaosch Museum on Google Maps

Museum, gallery, and sculpture garden Yubi Kirindongo

Yubi Kirindongo is a visual artist. If you have been in Curaçao for a while, you have probably already seen some of his work. He made the Tula monument: the large white statue of a fist holding a broken chain. Of these, there are no less than seven on the island. There are also works by him in the Curaçaosch Museum.

But, for those who want more Yubi, you can also go to his house. There he founded his own museum full of special creations. Officially open every day from 10 am to 12 noon and from 2 pm to 5 pm, but don’t take that too strict. 😉

Yubi Kirindongo museum on Google Maps

Landhuis Bloemhof

Landhuis Bloemhof is in a strange spot along the main road. Read: I miss the turn and arrive at the parking space only after a few tries. Behind that desolate parking space appears to be a whole world hidden. A beautiful country house, a huge garden, and amicable employees. The country house used to be on a water plantation, explains the reception employee. Rainwater was collected here and sold for use on the land, cleaning, and simply drinking. This way of producing water became superfluous at a certain point, and lahara was then cultivated here. That is a fruit used for Blue Curaçao, among other things. By the way, did you know you can do a cocktail workshop with the famous Curaçao drinks?

Now the country house is a place where you can admire art but also dive back in time. The workspace of artist May Henriquez is still in its original state. Several buildings on the site are from even earlier times. There is a small exhibition space where they host regular events. The huge garden is lovely to walk through. The paths are dense, and you will find works of art here and there. For example, there is the Cathedral of Thorns; the name says it all: it is a cathedral made of thorns. Subsequently, smaller works of art were incorporated into the cathedral.

Landhuis Bloemhof on Google Maps

Nena Sanchez Gallery

The Nena Sanchez Gallery is in the Landhuis Jan Kock. Nena Sanches is a popular Curaçao artist who was once Miss Curaçao. She makes simple, colorful paintings of fish, houses, and people that instantly cheer you up. The location in the Landhuis Jan Kock is a shop and museum in one. You will also find a shop in Willemstad.

Landhuis Jan Kock on Google Maps

Paint driftwood

The Tugboat Bar is directly on Tugboat Beach, a fantastic snorkeling spot. There is an alternative, relaxed atmosphere. All around the bar, you will find works of art made from all kinds of materials, from diving masks to beer bottles. The employees of the Tugboat Bar are pretty creative and make things like Christmas ornaments and signs from driftwood. You can too. Under the guidance of a local artist, you can make your own driftwood souvenir. If you want this, please contact them in advance via the site.

Tugboat Bar on Google Maps

And then there is also the Alma Blou Gallery, the oldest art gallery in Curaçao. Unfortunately closed during my visit to this lovely island, but maybe you will have better luck!

First published: June 2021. The article has been updated since.