El Museo del Barrio facts for kids
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| Established | 1969 |
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| Location | 1230 Fifth Avenue, Upper Manhattan, New York, NY |
| Type | Art, Cultural |
| Public transit access | Subway:  at 103rd Street  at 110th StreetBus: M3, M4, M102, M116 |
El Museo del Barrio, often called El Museo, is an exciting museum in New York City. You can find it at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan. It's part of the famous Museum Mile.
El Museo started in 1969. It focuses on amazing art from Latin America and the Caribbean. A big part of its collection comes from Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community in New York. It's the oldest museum in the country dedicated to Latino art.
Contents
Discover the Art Collection
The museum has a huge collection of over 6,500 artworks. These pieces cover more than 800 years of Puerto Rican, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino art.
What You'll See
You can explore ancient pre-Columbian artifacts made by the Taíno people. There are also traditional arts like Puerto Rican Santos de palo (carved saints) and colorful Vejigante masks.
The collection also includes drawings, paintings, and sculptures from the 1900s. You'll find prints, photos, and even documentary films. The museum often has special exhibits showing modern art from Puerto Rico and other Latino artists.
Fun Events and Programs
El Museo hosts many festivals and educational programs all year. One popular event is the annual Three Kings Day parade. This parade celebrates a special holiday with music and floats.
The museum has also put some of its collection online. This helps more people see the art, even if they can't visit in person.
Working with Other Museums
El Museo often works with other museums for joint exhibits. For example, they partnered with the New York Historical Society for an exhibit called Nueva York. They also worked with the Queens Museum of Art and the Studio Museum in Harlem for Caribbean Crossroads.
The museum is always adding to its collection. They are looking for more Modernist and Contemporary pieces. They also want to strengthen their collections of graphic art and Taíno artifacts.
Museum History
El Museo started in a very interesting way. It was once a fire station during the Nuyorican Movement and Civil Rights Movement.
Why the Museum Started
In the 1960s, parents and teachers in Harlem felt that city schools didn't teach enough about different cultures. They wanted their kids to learn about their African-American and Puerto Rican heritage.
So, a school superintendent asked artist Rafael Montañez Ortíz to create materials for schools. These materials would focus on Puerto Rican art and culture. But Ortíz had a bigger idea! He decided to create a community museum instead. He named it El Museo del Barrio.
Ortíz's Vision
Ortíz wanted the museum to be a place where people could connect with their own culture. He said that traditional museums didn't always meet this need. He led the museum from 1969 to 1971.
The museum's first home was actually a public school classroom. It was always meant to be a place for learning. Today, Puerto Ricans are still a large part of New York City's Latino population.
Growth and Challenges
In 1977, El Museo joined the Cultural Institutions Group. This helped the museum get more funding. There were some tough times in the 1980s, but the museum bounced back.
A Frida Kahlo art show in 2002 brought many more visitors than usual. This helped change how people saw the museum. It also led to the museum's first director who was not Puerto Rican.
In 2009, El Museo celebrated its 40th birthday. They also finished a big renovation. This included new spaces for art, a cafe, and a redesigned courtyard.
El Museo has grown from a small community space to a well-known museum. It now shows art from all over Latin America and the Caribbean, not just Puerto Rico.
Where the Museum Has Been
El Museo has moved a few times since it started in a classroom. From 1969 to 1976, it was in different storefronts in East Harlem.
In 1977, it moved to its current home, the Heckscher Building. This beautiful building is on Fifth Avenue. The museum became a founding member of Museum Mile in 1978. Being on Museum Mile helped the museum grow and attract more visitors.
Museum Expansion
In the early 2000s, more and more people visited El Museo. But the museum only had one floor in its building.
Plans for More Space
There was a plan for the Museum of the City of New York to move to a new location. El Museo would then move into that museum's old building. This would give El Museo much more space. However, the plan didn't happen.
New Renovations
After that, El Museo decided to improve its own building. They spent $35 million to transform their outdoor courtyard. It became a bright glass lobby, a cafe, and a performance area. This gave the museum a new, welcoming look. It reopened in October 2009.
From 2018 to 2019, the museum's theater, called the Teatro, was also restored. Its beautiful paintings were refreshed, seats were replaced, and the stage was updated. Two old chandeliers were hung again. The reopening was celebrated with a concert by the famous musician Eddie Palmieri in 2021.
Museum Leadership
The museum has had several directors over the years. Margarita Aguilar left her role as director in 2013. Jorge Daniel Veneciano followed her, stepping down in 2016.
In 2017, Patrick Charpenel became the museum's executive director. He has a lot of experience working with art in Mexico and around the world.
See also
In Spanish: El Museo del Barrio para niños
- List of museums and cultural institutions in New York City
- Education in New York City
