New Exhibition ‘Que Gusto Verde’ Opens at Cozumel’s Museum of the Island

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — A new painting exhibition examining nature, wildlife and the environmental meaning of the color green has opened at the Museum of the Island in Cozumel.

“Qué Gusto Verde” features works by Joaquín Rodríguez Utrera and Peter Sharp, two artists with different backgrounds who share an interest in the natural world and humanity’s relationship with it.

The exhibition opened at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 24, during a ceremony organized by the Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel. It is now open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The FPMC has not announced a closing date. The exhibition will remain on display beginning July 24 until further notice, and admission to the temporary exhibition is free.

Juanita Alonso Marrufo, general director of the FPMC, led the opening ceremony and presented recognitions to both artists. She said exhibitions of this kind expand the museum’s cultural programming while giving residents and visitors greater access to visual art.

Museum director Isela Carrillo Cupul introduced the artists and discussed their connections to Cozumel’s artistic community.

Rodríguez Utrera, originally from Veracruz, has exhibited at the Museum of the Island on previous occasions. He has also received recognition through the museum’s “Maravillas de la Naturaleza,” or “Wonders of Nature,” painting competition.

Sharp was born in San Antonio, Texas, and has lived in Cozumel for approximately five years. His career includes work in several visual-art disciplines, as well as writing and art instruction for children and adults. His paintings frequently address nature and the human condition.

The artists said green was selected as the exhibition’s central theme because vegetation is fundamental to life and an important indicator of planetary health. The works look beyond greenery itself to the animals, habitats and other forms of life found among and behind the leaves.

Alejandro Queb Franco, an FPMC council member, and museum specialist Satoko Kitamura also participated in the inaugural tour.

The Museum of the Island has occupied an important place in Cozumel’s cultural life since opening as a museum in 1987. Its waterfront building dates to the late 1930s and originally housed one of the island’s earliest tourist hotels.

Following a major renovation, the museum reopened in February 2020 with 11 permanent galleries, three temporary exhibition spaces and an updated auditorium. Its permanent displays cover Cozumel’s geology, marine and terrestrial environments, Maya history and development as a modern tourism destination.

“Qué Gusto Verde” can be visited at the Museum of the Island on Avenida Rafael E. Melgar in downtown Cozumel. The temporary exhibition is free and open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Official exhibition information is available through the Quintana Roo government.