In total, 1,200 drawings depicting volcanoes, hearts, rainbows, and messages of encouragement have been on display since last Tuesday at the Benahoarita Archaeological Museum in Los Llanos de Aridane. The exhibition, organized by the Carmen Santisteban Foundation with artist María Dolores Mulà leading the initiative, brings together art from Alicante and the Canary Islands, offering a vivid tribute to resilience after the 2021 eruption.
About a thousand drawings wrapped the museum walls in vibrant color, created after the September 2021 eruption and previously shown in Lonja de Alicante’s exhibition space in April. Here, they joined 24 works by Alicante artists whose sales funded reconstruction efforts on the island and supported educational needs for affected communities.
The Carmen Santisteban Foundation had previously sent aid and supplies for school children after the incident. The drawings offer a channel for expression as many residents witnessed lava destroying schools and homes.
Students aged 3 to 14 from various centers in La Palma—part of the Palm Valley Rural Schools Collective, including Todoque, Jedey, Arco Iris, Las Manchas, and El Puerto kindergartens and primary schools, along with IES José María Pérez Pulido—participated in studies at Vinalopo de Vinalopo. They later joined other schools in Baix and Elche, including IES Radio Exterior Alicante and the Mediterranean College of Alicante, plus two more in Granada (Hogar Madre Teresa School and Carmen Sallés School).
María Dolores Mulá explained that La Palma schoolchildren will also enjoy the exhibition, noting that it is moving to observe how young artists interpret dramatic moments through art and express their feelings through painting. The artist described the ongoing workshops as a way to capture the lava’s changing landscape after meeting the sea. In Alicante, debris filled the streets; here, reconstruction brings renewed energy. The exhibition curator emphasized that the show offers a unique perspective distinct from the peninsula’s offerings and may travel to Granada in the future.