Museo de Arte Popular Americano


Address

Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 227

Inside the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center.

Building B, level -1.

Phone

+56 2 26396139
+56 2 29771721

Opening hours

Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 to 20:00 hours
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 11:00 to 20:00 hours

Contact

mapa@uchile.cl

Tickets

Free

Overview

The American Folk Art Museum is thematically focused on the different artistic expressions of the American peoples, whose works provide evidence of their cultural identity, traditions and customs.

With over 60 years of history, the museum emphasizes the craftsmanship of the Latin American, European and Eastern nations.

The Museum also carries out interesting research and extension activities, with workshops set out in such a manner as to bring the community in contact with the most authentic expressions of folk art.

History

The origin of this museum lies in the First Exhibition of American Folk Arts, which was held to celebrate the centenary of the University of Chile, in 1942.

On the occasion of this event, several American governments sent examples of folk craftsmanship characteristic of each country, in a significant gesture of friendship. With this folk material donated to this research center, the American Folk Art Museum was created in 1943, opening to the public one year later.

Professor and writer Tomás Lago was its first Director, and took on the task to enlarge most of the collections between 1943 and 1968. His successor, folklore specialist, writer and professor Oreste Plath, until 1973 greatly popularized all folkloric expressions, thereby creating a vast bibliography on the subject.

Since 2010, the museum began to operate inside the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center.

Permanent Collection

Free.The American Folk Art Museum includes collections from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela and Chile, besides works from countries in Europe and the East.

Highlights are the collections of Mapuche silverwork and art, in addition to pottery, basketry, weaving, musical instruments, horse-riding implements, religious imagery, instinctive painting, leather works, wood and bone carving, among others.

 

Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, 227, Santiago.


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