Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – Puerto Vallarta has recently acquired a new urban monument in the form of a bronze sculpture titled “Salud”. The sculpture, which features a happy donkey sitting on a specially designed chair drinking a margarita, was donated by the artist Jim Demetro and will be installed along the Malecon on Olas Altas beach.
According to María Elena Curiel Preciado, the councilor and president of the building commission for Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, the sculpture measures 1.70 meters in width and 1.80 meters in height. Demetro, who has lived in Mexico for a long time, wanted to preserve his Mexican roots with this work of art.
The sculpture is not only a humorous addition to the Malecon, but also pays homage to the history of donkeys in Puerto Vallarta. Donkeys were used in the past to load sacks of salt to the Cuale mines and later transported gravel, cement, and bricks to build the town. They even became an attraction for visitors.
This is not the first time Demetro has donated his work to Puerto Vallarta. He has already donated three other sculptures including “Los Bailarines del Xiutla” located on the Malecón II de la Marina, “Lavanderas del Cuale” located next to the pedestrian bridge at the mouth of the river, and “¡Ándale, Bernardo!” which also features a donkey, in the Lázaro Cárdenas square.
The sculpture “Salud” is valued at 1.5 million pesos and its installation has been deemed viable by Civil Protection and Public Works. It will be flush with the floor and will not require a base or plate. The work is interactive, with a second chair placed in front of the donkey for visitors to sit and raise their glass in a toast with the donkey for what is sure to become another iconic selfie place in Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta has grown from a small fishing village to a multicultural community attracting visitors from around the world. This latest addition to the Malecon is a testament to the town’s development and growth as an international tourist destination.
