Our Visit ToThe Museum of Art of Puerto Rico

My husband Bill and I just enjoyed a lovely vacation in the Caribbean. Our first stop was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we were to board a cruise ship. Because we had never been to Puerto Rico before and were badly in need of a change of scenery, we decided to stay a few days before we caught our cruise. We booked a stay at the Doubletree Hotel in the Condado area of San Juan.

On Saturday, April 17th, we decided to take a walk to the beach. I let my husband lead the way and he took us in the opposite direction of the Atlantic Ocean. Instead of heading north, we went south and, after crossing a very busy highway, ended up in front of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (Museum of Art of Puerto Rico). Looking up at the impressive facade of a neoclassical building originally built in 1920, we saw the shorter version of the museum's name, MAPR.

I have to admit, we visited MAPR largely because I needed to use the restroom. Bill is also very interested in art. I didn't know it, but by the time we were finished with our visit, I would also be much more interested in art and Puerto Rico's rich history. It turns out MAPR is an excellent way to spend time in San Juan. Not only are many of the exhibits beautiful, but they are also incredibly insightful. Just walking through MAPR's collection and taking a good look at the works by Puerto Rico's finest artists gave me a new perspective on what it means to be Puerto Rican.

History and facilities

The MAPR, which opened its doors to the public on July 1, 2000, is housed in a building with a lot of history. The building was erected in 1920, designed by an architect named William Shimmelphenning, and functioned as the San Juan Municipal Hospital.

In the mid 1990s, local officials decided that Puerto Rico needed a new and excellent art museum. In 1996, a new east wing was built by architects Otto Reyes and Luis Gutierrez and an enormous three storey stained glass window was contributed by local artist, Eric Tabales. This window overlooks an impressive atrium that is flanked by the museum's gift shop and the Raul Julia Theater, which embraces art, music, dance, and drama, and seats 400 people.

Two doors at the rear of the building open into a lovely botanical garden, where there are thousands of different types of flowers, plants, and trees. The botanical garden is centered with a beautiful pond stocked with large, colorful, and hungry fish. Naturally, there are also sculptures in the garden as well.

The museum also has a children's learning area called activARTE and a restaurant.

Our visit

After I had a chance to use the restroom, Bill and I wandered through the museum's halls, taking in the impressive works of art, some of which dated from the 1700s. The MAPR offers a wide variety of art in different mediums; we saw works done in oil and watercolor as well as drawings, collages, photographs, and sculptures. And all exhibits had information in English and Spanish.

A few exhibits really stood out to Bill and me as we explored the museum's 1100 permanent pieces as well as its current exhibits. One exhibit, for example, was a mock up of what appeared to be an ordinary barber shop. But look carefully, and you see a statement made, with the expensive hubcaps on the walls, the sculpted fists along the backside of the wall, the large pool table in the foreground, and several televisions blasting videos of people trying to be upwardly mobile. The piece, entitled "The Barbershop Does Not Cry" was built in 1994 and donated to the museum in 2002.

A different work showed a muscled white man in a Speedo, clearly an American, being wrung through what looked like an old fashioned washing machine. The machine bore the label "Gringo-matic". To the side, a speech balloon said that they'd done everything they could to get out that damn plantain stain. Spend more than a few minutes in Puerto Rico and you'll soon find out that plantains are a dietary staple there.

In the next room, there were works devoted to showing how Puerto Rico was "discovered" by Christopher Columbus. In stark whites, blacks, and browns, the artist depicted the ships approaching menacingly, urinating on the pretty island.

Another exhibit used videos, photos, and collages to express issues facing Puerto Rico today, such as the argument over whether or not Puerto Rico should become a state. In one exhibit, an unsmiling but pretty young girl is shown in her bedroom, which has Disney decorations, a television, a DVD player, and many Disney videos. In the next photo, she's shown unsmiling with a half glass of milk in front of her, obviously hungry for more. In that same exhibit, there were also photos that showed ordinary Puerto Ricans with extraordinary presence, making me want to learn more about the local culture and get to know some of the people for myself.

Overall, Bill and I both left with a new viewpoint on what it means to be Puerto Rican. The art in the MAPR really gave us some insight into this culture with which we had previously had little experience. I think my favorite part of the museum, however, was the botanical garden. It's like an oasis of peace and beauty in a big city. I had a ball watching the fish and strolling through the garden's shady paths. Parts of it look a bit like El Yunque, Puerto Rico's famous rainforest.

I wish I could have taken some pictures of the indoor exhibits, but photography indoors was not allowed.

Admission

Bill and I paid about $6 each to tour the museum. However, there are some days when visiting the museum is free of charge. Once you pay, you're given an wristband to wear in the museum as well as a map and literature about the exhibits.

Hours

Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

* The activARTE Gallery hours are:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Contact information

299 Avenida De Diego
Santurce, Puerto Rico 00 909
Tel: 787-977-6277
info@mapr.org

To arrange tours: MAPR Department of Education
Tel: 787-977-6277 exts. 2230 and 3230

Overall

Whether you're an art lover or not, I think the MAPR is well worth visiting if you have some extra time in San Juan. I went there hoping to use the restroom and came out a woman with a changed perspective.

Sources:

Personal experience
www.mapr.org