Museo de Arte de Ponce
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| Museo de Arte de Ponce | |
|---|---|
 Exterior view of the museum |
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| Established | 1959 |
| Location | Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Type | Art museum |
| Director | Agustín Arteaga |
| Curator | Cheryl Hartup |
| Website | Official site |
Museo de Arte de Ponce or MAP (Spanish for Ponce Museum of Art) is a world-class[1][2][3][4] art museum located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is considered to be the finest art museum in Puerto Rico[5]. It houses the finest collection of European art in the Caribbean[2], as well as work by Puerto Rican artists. The largest art museum in the Caribbean[6][7] and widely regarded as one of the best in the Americas[8], it contains one of the most important pre-Raphaelite collections in the Western Hemisphere.[9] The museum holds an impressive collection of almost 4,000 pieces[10] distributed among fourteen galleries[11]. It is the only museum in Puerto Rico accredited by the American Association of Museums[10]. It was founded by politician and philanthropist Luis A. Ferré, and its current building was officially inaugurated on December 28, 1965.
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[edit] Museum History
The project of the museum officially began in 1956 when Luis A. Ferré traveled to Europe. There he bought originals of some of European art masterpieces, which encouraged him to start a project for a museum in the city of Ponce, his birthplace. With the advice of two experts - Julius S. Held, specialist on Rubens and professor of Art History at Barnard College and Columbia University, and René Taylor, art and architecture enthusiast and professor at the University of Granada, Yale, and Columbia - Ferré compiled a collection of works of art based on their value instead of their popularity.[12] He acquired some of these works of art at an auction in New York[citation needed].
In January 3, 1959, Ferré opened the museum in a small house at 70 Cristina Street in Ponce, at what is today the Museum of Puerto Rican Music. Some of these original paintings are still on display in the current museum. As time passed and the museum gained popularity, the space fell short. Ferré then acquired a tract of land on Las Americas Avenue in Ponce to build the museum, and recruited architect Edward Durell Stone for its design. On April 23, 1964 the first stone was placed and the construction of the museum began. It was finished in 1965 and officially opened in December 28, 1965.
[edit] The building and architecture
"Puerto Rico has many marvelous museums but none combine magnificent collections with extraordinary architecture as beautifully as the Ponce Museum of Art."[13] The striking facade and interior was designed by renowned architect, Edward Durell Stone. One of the main features of the museum is its hexagonal galleries, which allow natural light to pour through its corners bringing a unique illumination to them. The museum has a total of 14 galleries, two gardens, and an amphitheater. The main entrance with its bifurcated ladders is another of the main features of the museum.
[edit] 50th Anniversary (2010) Events
The museum is currently closed while undergoing extensive renovations, and is set to reopen in time for the celebration of its 2010 50th anniversary. In the meantime, the museum is holding exhibitions at an annex it opened in San Juan's Plaza Las Américas, and it is lending some of its best pieces out to traveling shows at fine arts institutions throughout the world[14][15][16].
The current work is both a renovation and an expansion, as it will ultimately also increase the size of the museum [17] by over 40%[18]. The $20 million renovation will include a new building to house a historic archive and a library[19]. The 37,745 square foot annex to the museum’s main building, will house new educational spaces, a library specializing in art history, the Don Luis A. Ferré Archives, a laboratory for the conservation of artworks, a multipurpose room, an artwork storage area, museum shop, restaurant, and administrative areas.[10]
[edit] The Museum
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The Museo de Arte de Ponce houses the greatest collection of European art in Latin America [20]. The museum has an impressive collection of almost 4,000 pieces that range from the 14th to the 20th century, Italian Baroque, British Pre-Raphaelite, Spanish Golden Age and contemporary Latin-American art.
Some of the artists whose paintings and works are exhibited at the museum are Peter Paul Rubens, Lucas Cranach, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Eugène Delacroix, and Sir Edward Burne-Jones, among others. The main masterpiece of the museum is the Flaming June, painted by Frederic Leighton. Ferré bought this piece for $6,000 in London, and it was his favorite[21].
The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon, the final masterpiece of Sir Edward Burne-Jones is another of the main masterpieces of the museum collection.[22] The enormous painting was started in 1881 and left unfinished at the artist's death in 1898. Both Flaming June and The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon are currently on loan to Tate Britain while the gallery undergoes a two-year refurbishment.[23]
"Equally important is the Puerto Rican art collection, which ranges from the 18th century to the present day and includes great masters such as José Campeche, Francisco Oller, Miguel Pou, as well as the best contemporary talent such as Myrna Báez, Francisco Rodón, Antonio Martorell and Arnaldo Roche Rabell, among others." [24]
The museum has also housed several expositions of some of the best and most renowned artists of the world. In March 2006, the museum exhibited the work of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
The Museum charges a small admission fee to the public, but most revenues come from substantial donations made by Puerto Rican individuals and business. Some have made single donations for the sole purpose of acquiring art to be exhibited in the museum, while others donate for the maintenance and operational expenditures of the museum. A bronze plaque placed in the front entrance, next to the information booth, recognizes these donors.
[edit] Gallery
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Main Exterior View |
 Another Exterior View |
 Night view of the entrance and one of the upper level galleries |
Main Hall |
 The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon (detail) by Edward Burne-Jones |
Flaming June, by Fredrick Leighton (1830-1896) |
[edit] References
- ^ World Class Museum Retrieved June 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Ven al Sur, page 20. Compañia de Turismo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2003.
- ^ Que Pasa!, Oct-Nov 2004, page 80. The Puerto Rican Tourism Company, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- ^ World-class Museum
- ^ Finest art museum in Puerto Rico
- ^ Largest Art Museum Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ The Caribbean's Largest
- ^ Ponce en sus Dimensiones, page 2. Municipio Autonomo de Ponce, Ponce Puerto Rico. Jorge Ariel Torres, editor, page 13.
- ^ The Most Important Collection in the Western Hemisphere Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ a b c MAP Informe Anual 2007 / MAP 2007 Annual Report Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ 3,000 pieces
- ^ King Arthur Comes Home: How a key Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood painting by Edward Burne-Jones Ended up on a Caribbean Island. By Celia Quartermain. New Statesman. April 14, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ Museo de Arte de Ponce, Estado Libre Asociado De Puerto Rico. Compañia de Turismo. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2003.
- ^ The New York Times, June 7, 2009.
- ^ Phoenix Art Museum
- ^ Greenwich (CT) Art Museum
- ^ Museum Being Expanded
- ^ MAP: Informe Anual 2008
- ^ $20M Expansion
- ^ Explore Beyond the Shore: Stare in Awe at Our Masterpieces, Estado Libre Asociado De Puerto Rico. Compañia de Turismo. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2003.
- ^ Flaming June Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ New Statesman "King Arthur comes home"
- ^ The Guardian; "Pre-Raphaelite painting of Arthur returns"
- ^ UNESCO
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Museo de Arte de Ponce |
Coordinates: 18°0′53.63″N 66°36′57.4″W / 18.0148972°N 66.615944°W
