sustainability Article Creative Mural Landscapes, Building Communities and Resilience in Uruguayan Tourism Eva-María Martínez-Carazo 1, Virginia Santamarina-Campos 1,* and María de-Miguel-Molina 2 1 Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
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[email protected]; Tel.: +34-629729388 Abstract: The purpose of this research was to analyze open-air mural painting museums in Uruguay as a model of tourism resilience, sustainability, and social development, being one of the first Latin American examples to demonstrate the ability to adapt to change and overcome external shocks through the creation of creative community landscapes. To do so, documentary research, photographic documentation, and field research were carried out in order to explore the opportunities of mural tourism in small locations in Uruguay. In the nineties, a new type of artistic production was created in Uruguay, initially characterized by its decentralization. This was somewhat of a revolution in the muralist field as, until this time, Montevideo had been the center of cultural tradition, considered the intellectual focus of the country, and had concentrated the largest number of murals. For this reason, the birth of new muralist nuclei in small rural enclaves, which traditionally had not had much access to culture and no link to muralism, is remarkable. Secondly, this new movement sought to diversify economic activity given the consequences of the severe economic crises and environmental catastrophes that were and are still prevalent in these areas.