Puerto Vallarta’s Magnificent Tile Park

How one artist’s vision brought a whole community together

Located in Old Town Puerto Vallarta’s Lazaro Cardenas Park is a delightfully playful and gorgeously designed mosaic art installation known as The Tile Park.

It’s the product of thousands of ideas, collaborations, hands, and hours, placing each tiny tile purposefully by hand. At the forefront of this community-funded mosaic park, is artistic director and creator Natasha (Nat) Moraga. With the support of hundreds of community volunteers, and backed by thousands of donations and sponsorships, the Tile Park is one of Natasha’s proudest (and largest) artistic achievements to date.

About The Tile Park

As with most big achievements, The Tile Park was a long time in the making, and if you know where to look around Puerto Vallarta, you can see some of its predecessors. In fact, the installation it most closely resembles is directly to the south of Lazaro Cardenas Park at Pino Suárez 321.

Aptly named “Primer Episodio” (Episode 1), because it was Nat’s first public mosaic project, and cleverly nicknamed “The Schoolhouse Wall,” because it is a wall on the outside of a schoolhouse, Primer Episodio was funded by the community just like the Tile Park later would be. On that wall, in between the colorful, childlike designs and sparkly patterns, are customized tiles bearing the names of those who donated in support of the project.

After The Schoolhouse Wall Nat would go on to other creations such as the first iteration of the giant “PUERTO VALLARTA” letters on the main road into and out of Vallarta, and the mural wall in the Marina, there was something about that first project, and the community “feel” it created, that she knew was the next step in her evolving career.

The Sacred Geometry Of The Park’s Design

Lazaro Cardenas Park, if viewed from above, is easily divided into 4 quadrants, with the gazebo at the center. The park’s design plays on this by assigning one element… earth, air, water, and fire… to each of the four quarters of the gazebo.

Expanding outward through the rest of the park, continuing with the underlying sacred geometry of the design, the northwest quadrant involves darker colors, while the southwest has similar designs, reimagined in light colors. The idea is to honor both, the light and the dark in life so that we can be reminded to observe and celebrate these ends of the spectrum in our own lives.

The northeast corner of the park also bears a “dark” design, and the southwest corner, the corner that many look at as the entrance to the park, was set to follow suit with a light design featuring an iguana (undoubtedly Puerto Vallarta’s unofficial mascot), and depictions of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the two celebs who put this place on the map decades ago.

Instead, in the spring of 2023, with approximately 2-3 months of work remaining, the plug was pulled on the Tile Park project. Whether it is ever completed remains to be seen. Over the course of the project, Natasha’s work became known worldwide, with offers pouring in to participate in various projects. Maybe the park’s sacred geometry had worked its magic on the one person who spent the most time there, and it was time for her to spread those artistic wings.

What Is “Sacred Geometry?”

Sacred geometry is the perfect symmetry that seems to magically occur in nature… which is by definition, wild and unpredictable. And if you look at that symmetry mathematically, what you find is that it does indeed repeat itself throughout the animal and plant kingdom, with marked accuracy.

Spirals are a prevalent form of sacred geometry, so you may already be familiar with the Fibonacci sequence, sometimes called the Golden Ratio. It appears in the perfectly mathematical, yet totally natural, occurrence of that beautiful arch of a nautilus shell, or the tightly wound tendrils of a fern shoot before it unfurls into full expression.

Recognize any of these designs in the park?

Sacred geometry is a “natural law” of sorts, one that unites all forms of life. Microbes, animals, plants, and humans all share this universal language. Even the design of cells, the movement of the planets, and the constellations in our skies are subject to the same natural law, this underlying purposeful blueprint, linking it all together, imparting a beautiful symmetry and connection.

Significant Pieces In The Tile Park

The Spiral Vortex

Spiral vortexes symbolize personal evolution, change, and inner wisdom, and invite us to look inward. Comprised of 11 white and 11 black circles, a total of 22, this vortex offers significance on a numerology level as well, 22 being a powerful “Master Number,” associated with balance and harmony, and being on-purpose in life in terms of bringing dreams into reality.

The magnetic spiral vortex is meant to draw us inward, toward honing our raw power into meaningful purpose. For a long time, you could see the spiral vortex from several blocks away, and it will be missed by those who loved it. Unfortunately the amazing black-and-white spiral vortex in the northwest corner of the park was lost to damage from Hurricane Lydia on October 10th 2023.

As opposed to the concentric circles of the Spiral vortex, the lines of the Tile Park’s Torus vortex are completely different and thus carry a totally different energy.

The southwest corner of the park (the “light” side) is where you’ll find this beauty, with lines that loop back onto themselves over and over, creating a colorful, geometric design that has a quality of continually refreshing itself.

That’s why the Torus vortex symbolizes cleansing, beginning anew, healing, regeneration, rejuvenation, and brightness… which is neat because it looks like a flower, which happens to do all those things too. Another nod to that universal blueprint of sacred geometry.

Where the Spiral invites introspection and perhaps even a dark turn into profound personal exploration, the Torus wants you to let the light in. After the hard work is done, it’s time for play, growth, and a bounce in your step. The Torus vortex embodies brightness, and all that is sweet and easy in life.

The Flower of Life

One of the most well-known and recognizable geometric Sacred Geometry symbols, the Tile Park’s Flower of Life is located in the northeast corner. Composed of 19 overlapping circles that intersect with each other to form flowers, this sacred geometry design is created in steps, with each segment honoring a particular sacred knowledge. This beautiful piece was created together with guest artist and friend Laurel True, Founding Director at The Global Mosaic Project.

The Electric OMs

This one is so good, it’s tattooed right on Natasha’s arm. Or is the tattoo so good that it became a design in the Tile Park? Sometimes it’s hard to know what is “inspired” and what is “inspiration.”

Regardless of which it is, the Electric Om(s) are near and dear to our hearts. They’re the pulse of the park.

What Is “Om”?

In many Eastern philosophies, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, “om” is regarded as the sound of all things; the vibration from which literally everything originates. Om is the hum of the earth, the bedrock itself. It is the sound of ants marching, and bees making honey. Om is in the ocean waves and the screech of a hawk. It’s in every sound we make, and indeed, just like the earth itself, our bodies emit an “om” sound even when we aren’t making any noise at all.

Om is that low-level thrumming that underpins everything happening in this world, from the beat of your own heart to the roar of a jet engine.

Because om is the sound of all things. It is the true vibration and it never stops.

Om, Light and Dark

The Tile Park has two om pieces, a light and a dark one, and these oms have a certain electric quality to them, that illustrates vibration and bounce.

They were among the first pieces to go up because om is the original vibration… and energy builds from what came before it. So the roots of the park, these first few pieces, are what lit the spark and inspired what came after.

The Hummingbirds

Continuing the light/dark theme, the west end of the Tile Park has two hummingbird pieces in it.

Speedy and graceful, hummingbirds are a well-known symbol of courage, determination, flexibility, and adaptability.

Native American folklore attributes similar meanings to the hummingbird. Joy, speed, and endurance are the qualities their symbolism plays on the most. They also believe that the spirits of loved ones who have passed on are carried by hummingbirds. We’ve got a lot of hummingbirds here in Vallarta, and we have had to say farewell to a lot of friends too.

The park’s hummingbirds are a sweet reminder for us – that light and dark making an appearance once again – that only this one precious moment is really ours for the taking.

The Fingers

At the west end of the park near the hummingbirds, bookending the seating area of the theatre, are light and dark versions of what is affectionately known as “The Fingers”. Imagine a gargantuan Muppet-esque creature beneath the stairs, holding the whole thing up from underneath, Atlas-like, with only its fingers and nails visible, each more oddly sized and colored than the one next to it. Some fingers have special adornments like a small vortex, and 3 circles grouped together: a widely recognized symbol of peace. The light side has a UFO because it seemed like the right place to put a UFO.

People Powered (About the Volunteers)

The Tile Park story begins at many different points, one of which is certainly the Schoolhouse Wall. But a certain column in the amphitheater is also a starting point, and so is one specific planter at the other end of the park. The Tile Park story physically began in 2017, and it also began every day of every season after that. One of the benches in the gazebo is the start, back in 2017, and so is the Flower of Life, from 2023.

This story has so many starting points because it’s about the volunteers and the donors who helped bring the Tile Park to life. Everyone came from a different place, personally, geographically, and skills-wise, and they all found a home here.

The number of people who touched this project is well into the hundreds, so it’s impossible to name everyone here, but here are a few of the many VIPs who made a real impact on the Tile Park.

Mr. Bill

Mr. Bill volunteered at the park from 2017 on. He was there for nearly the entire life of the Tile Park project and was affectionately named the park’s Curator of Meaning. Bill knows it all from top to bottom… not just the ins and outs of the tiling process… he knows all the stories too, the “why” behind it all. He knows the memory honored on this bench and the magic of the quote on that tile. He’s been there the whole time; the only person who knows it better is the artist herself.

Dave

When Dave started volunteering at the Tile Park, he arrived with a heavy heart. Mourning the recent loss of his dog, he was determined to keep busy, and each day at the Tile Park he strengthened bonds with new friends, like Jimi, another beloved volunteer.

Jimi

In his first year volunteering at the Tile Park, Jimi’s travels took him to the butterfly forest in Michoacan, where he was inspired by the beauty of the monarch butterflies and their epic annual migration. That’s why there are little lifelike monarch butterfly tiles in various random places throughout the park. That’s Jimi’s touch.

Cheri

When it comes to keeping it all in focus, no one’s better than Cheri. She’s the one who will remind you there are butterflies everywhere and you’d better keep your eyes peeled.

“Don’t just look at the bench, look under it. The story isn’t just what you’re seeing up top. Take a step back and see what’s going on underneath.”

This is Cheri’s advice on how to properly view a bench in the park, but really it’s just good advice: Step back, and take the whole thing in. There’s a story here. Check it out, and become a part of it.

Maggie

Becoming a part of it begins with simply showing up, being present, ready to give and receive. And when you do, as is the case with Maggie, you’re never forgotten because you become an intrinsic part of the story. Maggie spent much of her last couple of years here on Earth in the Tile Park. Many of our volunteers could tell you all about her… so could many people. She made her mark everywhere she went, and all our hearts bear that connection.

Parque Sutra

Speaking of connection, all the sponsored tiles throughout the park are connected by white dots and dashes of tile. This is to serve as a reminder of our human connection, no matter who or where we are. These white connectors are a thread that runs through the entire space, a “sutra” linking seemingly disparate parts together, telling a story of inspiration, love, community, and support. It’s the Tile Park’s own brand of sacred geometry, another way to celebrate that you are everything, and everything is you.

How The Project Came Together

Workshops

The majority of the hands-on work was thanks to workshop participants who spent three days tiling a column, bench, or planter in the park. The cost of the 3-day workshops provided resources for this publicly-funded project to run on, and allowed work to progress at a swift pace too.

Bench Sponsorships

Another way to support the project was through sponsorship of one of the 70+ benches located throughout the park. Sponsorship meant that up to 3 people could create their design and then participate in a private 3-day tiling workshop with Natasha. Most benches have custom tiles that honor people, pets, special dates, and memories from Puerto Vallarta and beyond. Some benches are true memorials to loved ones, with a bit of their ashes mixed right into the grout.

Custom Tiles

Hundreds of people chose to participate in the Tile Park project through sponsorship of a custom-designed tile. Just like the custom tiles on the benches, people, pets, special dates, and other commemorations are what you’ll find on the custom-designed tiles plastered high and low throughout the park.

Meet The Artist: Natasha Moraga

Born to a large Mexican-American family, Nat spent her early years in California before relocating to Puerto Vallarta in her 20s.

Though her artistic talent was apparent from a young age, it took a while for Nat to find the right creative medium. When she discovered mosaic art, everything shifted. What was once a bit of a mishmash of creation and ideas, became laser-focused on design, placement, and production. She had finally found the passion needed to match her creativity.

Her best friend Eric noticed her penchant for tiling immediately, and being from Philidelphia, he happened to have connections to mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. Isaiah is a locally famous Philadelphia artist who at the time was offering workshops to budding mosaic artists. Eric got Nat signed up for a week of face time with Isaiah, and the rest is history.

She would go on to create Episodio Uno (the Schoolhouse Wall), and several more important artistic contributions to the Vallarta scene throughout the coming years. Though the Tile Park project ended in 2023, it freed Natasha up for the numerous opportunities she had waiting for her, including public speaking opportunities, international workshops, private installations, public works projects, and more. What does the future hold for Natasha Moraga? Time will tell, but we do know three things: it will sparkle, shine, and align.