Puerto Rican Art and Crafts, San Juan
Art is everywhere in San Juan and art and crafts shops can be found throughout the narrow, winding cobblestone streets of the old city. Many of the artists have been schooled at one of the local art institutes while some are simply self-taught.
Ceramics are one specialty that you will see in many different shops and galleries but at Puerto Rico Art & Crafts artisans have a unique opportunity to show off their creations. The store allows artists to have their own shelf or wall to display their work. Located in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rican Arts and Crafts will surprise you with its outstanding collection of oil and acrylic paintings, great watercolors, beautiful sculptures, fine ceramics, traditional hand-carved figures, handmade jewelry and other excellent items.
The ceramics really stand out here with larger items like colorful plates and bowls to smaller objects such as cups and vases. The shop is located in a restored Spanish colonial building in the heart of Old San Juan and artists from around the island are featured here at different times during the year. Price: $6-$900.
The Butterfly People Gallery located on the premises is dedicated to magnificent butterfly artwork and a wonderful place to shop. Visitors can admire the art collection and buy exotic butterflies encased in acrylic, which is an excellent and inventive gift for any occasion.
When you first walk into The Butterfly People shop in San Juan鈥檚 old city, you feel as if you just walked into an exotic butterfly garden. You are surrounded by Lucite encasements of butterflies of a variety of different species and in every color you can imagine. The shop has a beautiful garden in the back and the light makes everything in the store sparkle. The butterflies glow and shine through their plexiglass boxes which are small enough to fit in your bag or large enough to cover a wall. The butterflies look as though they might fly right out at you.
Of course, they won鈥檛, they鈥檙e not alive, but they are preserved carefully in artful settings by Resat Revan and his wife Cirene, who buy butterflies from native sellers in tropical locations around the world. On top of their shop is their studio where Resat designs and produces these beautiful and vivid displays. A piece of butterfly art features anywhere from two to one hundred butterflies. Price: $30-$3,000.
What to buy here: Puerto Rican Ceramics, Butterfly Art.
Ceramics are one specialty that you will see in many different shops and galleries but at Puerto Rico Art & Crafts artisans have a unique opportunity to show off their creations. The store allows artists to have their own shelf or wall to display their work. Located in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rican Arts and Crafts will surprise you with its outstanding collection of oil and acrylic paintings, great watercolors, beautiful sculptures, fine ceramics, traditional hand-carved figures, handmade jewelry and other excellent items.
The ceramics really stand out here with larger items like colorful plates and bowls to smaller objects such as cups and vases. The shop is located in a restored Spanish colonial building in the heart of Old San Juan and artists from around the island are featured here at different times during the year. Price: $6-$900.
The Butterfly People Gallery located on the premises is dedicated to magnificent butterfly artwork and a wonderful place to shop. Visitors can admire the art collection and buy exotic butterflies encased in acrylic, which is an excellent and inventive gift for any occasion.
When you first walk into The Butterfly People shop in San Juan鈥檚 old city, you feel as if you just walked into an exotic butterfly garden. You are surrounded by Lucite encasements of butterflies of a variety of different species and in every color you can imagine. The shop has a beautiful garden in the back and the light makes everything in the store sparkle. The butterflies glow and shine through their plexiglass boxes which are small enough to fit in your bag or large enough to cover a wall. The butterflies look as though they might fly right out at you.
Of course, they won鈥檛, they鈥檙e not alive, but they are preserved carefully in artful settings by Resat Revan and his wife Cirene, who buy butterflies from native sellers in tropical locations around the world. On top of their shop is their studio where Resat designs and produces these beautiful and vivid displays. A piece of butterfly art features anywhere from two to one hundred butterflies. Price: $30-$3,000.
What to buy here: Puerto Rican Ceramics, Butterfly Art.
Image Courtesy of Stacey Hocheiser.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in San Juan. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Puerto Rican Art and Crafts on Map
Sight Name: Puerto Rican Art and Crafts
Sight Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico (See walking tours in San Juan)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico (See walking tours in San Juan)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Create Your Own Walk in San Juan
Creating your own self-guided walk in San Juan is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Souvenir Shopping
The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493 and the ensuing Spanish colonization brought into Puerto Rico a number of new crafts. Over the next few centuries, having mixed up with local traditions, they have flourished on the new turf, producing an array of colorful products that today are sought after by tourists visiting the island. While in San Juan, it would be a pity to leave town without... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Old San Juan Squares
A distinctive feature of Old San Juan is the multitude of quaint picturesque squares, many of them adorned with beautiful fountains and spectacular monuments. Each square has a unique character and historical significance, making them integral to the city's identity.
Plaza Colon, also known as Columbus Square, pays homage to Christopher Columbus and his exploration of the New World. It... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Plaza Colon, also known as Columbus Square, pays homage to Christopher Columbus and his exploration of the New World. It... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
San Juan Historical Buildings
One of the oldest capital cities on the American continent, San Juan, Puerto Rico, boasts an old town that is filled to the brim with heritage colonial architecture.
Chief among its historical buildings, La Fortaleza, or The Fortress, is the official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico and the longest-standing executive mansion in continuous use in America. At the same time, the Cathedral... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Chief among its historical buildings, La Fortaleza, or The Fortress, is the official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico and the longest-standing executive mansion in continuous use in America. At the same time, the Cathedral... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Old San Juan Walking Tour
Founded by Spanish colonists in 1509, at a site then known as "Puerto Rico" (which means Rich Port in Spanish), San Juan is the third oldest capital in the Americas established by Europeans. In 1521, the words "San Juan" were added to its official name, thus making it "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico". This was in keeping with the custom of christening the town with... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
13 Distinctively Puerto Rican Goods to Bring Home from San Juan
The uniqueness of Puerto Rico is partially associated with its political status - part of the United States yet with a Latin twist. Other than their widely-acknowledged musical talents, e.g. Carlos Santana and Ricky Martin, Puerto Rico is just as rich in many other good things. When you're in...