Monte Azul Center for the Arts

Nonprofit October 5, 2026

Monte Azul Center for the Arts is a hybrid organization based in the rainforest of Costa Rica. Its nonprofit side offers artist residencies at a retreat in the forest; its for-profit side sells art and other work on behalf of the artisans — artists, writers, and musicians — who take part. Participants are asked to interpret or incorporate the many layers, or “stories,” of the rainforest in their work.

I recently joined Monte Azul as Chief Compliance Officer and Executive Advisor. Below are two testimonials I wrote about the Center: one after my own visits to Costa Rica, and a second for a traveling exhibition called UnderStory — a term used to describe the underpinnings of a forest floor, and one that resonates well beyond botany for the artists and writers involved. UnderStory will be in the Bay Area the week of October 19.

Personal testimonial, after visits

Nestled in the clouds of a premontane rainforest, Monte Azul is a haven for artists, writers, and observers of nature. In the latter capacity I made my first sojourn, discovering the complexities of the rainforest, from the multi-layered tree canopy to the understory of the forest floor. I witnessed the interdependence of nature’s elements as well as the collaboration of local community to restore and preserve. I left eager to share the innovativeness of Monte Azul’s founders with a world failing to conserve.

Years later, I returned seeking shelter under its protective canopy to refresh, reflect and embrace my own understory. Like a treefall’s transformational impact on the forest floor, Monte Azul’s creative intentions regenerated a path forward with twisted timelines of discovery, growth and productivity. Pockets of isolation meshed with curious catalysts; periods of observation intertwined with thunderous collaboration. Reflecting its multi-storied setting, Monte Azul’s origin story was enveloped by both majestic canopy and compelling understory. May the world embrace the artisans of this astonishing ecosystem.

Testimonial for the exhibition, “UnderStory”

Monte Azul Center for the Arts serves a myriad of disciplines yet invites all to discover the complexities of the rainforest, from the multi-layered tree canopy to the understory of the forest floor. Participants witness the interdependence of nature’s elements as well as the collaboration of local community to restore and preserve. Like a treefall’s impact on the forest floor, Monte Azul’s creative processes generate a path forward with hidden timelines of discovery, growth and productivity. Pockets of isolation mesh with curious catalysts; periods of observation intertwine with thunderous collaboration. Transformed, one’s origin story quietly becomes enveloped by Monte Azul’s canopy of artisans, compelling all to share a unique “understory.”

— Tanya McVeigh (2026)