PAINTINGS

PRINTS

ARTIST'S BIO

INTERVIEW W/ ARTIST
(video)

MAPR DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
by Dr. Carmen T. Ruiz de Fischler, Ph. D.

- (essay in Spanish)
- (essay in English)

TERTULIAS

The mission of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is to promote the knowledge and appreciation of Puerto Rico’s visual arts, from the 17th century to the present. MAPR seeks to contribute to the education and enjoyment of the general public by means of acquisition, documentation, interpretation, conservation and exhibition of Puerto Rican art.

In 1996 the Government Development Bank (GDB) for Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company announced plans to construct the MAPR. The aim was to create a state-of-the-art museum dedicated to the display and study of the island’s visual arts, where visitors could enjoy Puerto Rican culture. MAPR is an autonomous, non-profit corporation. Its development and construction have been funded by the Government of Puerto Rico. Since its opening, on July, 2000, MAPR assumed financial responsibility. MAPR is currently governed by a Board of Trustees comprised by nineteen representatives from both the private and public sectors; and Dr. Carmen T. Ruiz de Fischler serves as the Executive Director.

MAPR comprises 130,000 square feet of modern facilities, designed with the most rigorous contemporary museum standards. The renovated west wing of the museum involved the transformation of a 1920’s neoclassical building designed by architect William H. Shimmelphening. The historic building is only one of thirteen buildings that constituted the former San Juan Municipal Hospital. It functioned as a hospital until 1966 when it became the property of the Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico and remained vacant until 1975. It now serves as the main entrance to the Museo and houses the chronological art exhibition in 18 galleries.

The east wing is a modern, five-story building designed by architects Otto Reyes and Luis Gutiérrez. This wing, which harmoniously blends with the historic building, features a three-story atrium in the museum’s Great Hall. The Raul Julia Theater, a 400 seat-multi-purpose theater, the museum store and Pikayo, a fine dining restaurant are located here. The atrium gives way to the Sculpture Garden, a five acre garden with a varied selection of native Puerto Rican flora.

Location

The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR) is located in San Juan’s Santurce section.

Exhibitions

Treasures of Puerto Rican Painting-Inaugural Exhibition
Puerto Rican Art Through Time-Part I
Contemporary Art From Japan (Japanese Art and Culture Association)
Kandinsky and Abstract Art From Russia (Collection of the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg)
Puerto Rican Art Through Time-Part II
Navegaciones y regresos-Antonio Martorell individual show
Art Auction for Education Programs and Museum’s General Development
Dancing Floor (installation by Allora & Calzadilla)
Painter of the People: Rafael Tufiño Retrospective
The Artist Within-activARTE Family Gallery
An Artist and Her Mirrors: Myrna Baez Retrospective
Santos: Substance & Soul (Smithsonian Institution-Center for Materials Research and Education)
Naíve Painting From the Musée International D’Art Naíf Anatole Jakovsky
Between Spaces Aixa Requena individual show
Bullet & Trajectory-Carlos Rivera individual show
Speak Truth to Power-Oscar Arias
Los caprichos by Goya
Luis Feito exhibit
HOME: una celebración del espÌritu gigante de Roberto Clemente
Vuelo nocturno by José Morales

Future Exhibitions

Interplay
Luis Hernández Cruz Retrospective
Víctor Vázquez
Augusto MarÌn Retrospective
La Hueca Archaeology exhibition
Héctor Méndez Caratini
Ada Bobonis
Francisco Rodn Retrospective
Miguel Trelles
Henry Klumb
Nick Quijano
Paine Webber Collection
Domingo García
Anaida Hernndez
Mari Mater O’Neill
Rafael Ferrer