In 1969, artist and educator Raphael Montañez Ortiz saw a void in the landscape of New York City's art scene and sought to fill it by founding El Museo del Barrio. Since its founding, El Museo del Barrio has inhabited various locations in el barrio, a Spanish-speaking neighborhood on the Upper East Side. All the while the museum has given voice to contemporary artists from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Today El Museo del Barrio has a permanent home alongside nine other distinguished cultural institutions on Fifth Avenue, which allows it to maintain cultural roots while expanding its appeal to a non-Latino audience.
El Museo del Barrio's expansive permanent collection features 8,000 objects dating from the Pre-Colombian period to modern times. Its varied artifacts collection tells the history of Latin Americans through domestic and religious objects as well as politically-charged prints and posters. Paintings, sculptures, photography, and film capture the unique perspective of Latino artists on the evolution of their culture and assimilation in the United States. Raul Farco, Jack Delano, and Héctor Méndez Caratini are just a few of the artists whose work you'll discover at El Museo del Barrio.
Past exhibitions at El Museo del Barrio have never shied from presenting raw realism through photographs, paintings, installations, and documentaries. Several recent exhibitions of note include Mexico: The Revolution and Beyond, featuring challenging photographs by early 20th century photojournalist Agustín Victor Casasola, and "Arte No Es Vida: Actions by Artists of the Americas, 1960-2000", a collection of performance art with strong political commentary. Currently the museum's galleries are undergoing renovation and are set to re-open in autumn 2009.
While there is no set admission to the museum, visitors are encouraged to make a suggested donation. Other ways to get involved with El Museo del Barrio include educational programs for youth and adults and events such as Tango nights and film screenings.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Wednesday through Sunday: 11am to 5pm
- Suggested Donation:
- Adults: $5
- Students and Seniors: $3
- Children under 12 and Members: Free
- Subway Stop:
- 6 train to the 103rd Street Station
- Contact:
- Location: 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, New York, NY
- Phone: 212-831-7272
- Website: www.elmuseo.org
