International Museum Day to be celebrated nationwide with multiple activities

The Ministry of Culture and Youth invites the public throughout the country to celebrate International Museum Day with various activities, as well as a joint exhibition developed by different museums in Costa Rica.

The agenda will include workshops, talks, exhibitions, guided tours, and other activities available in museums across the country.
The Ministry of Culture and Youth will open a joint exhibition with pieces from various museums to showcase the treasures preserved in these cultural spaces.
Check the full program at: https://tinyurl.com/3mc7976e

The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ) invites the public across the country to celebrate International Museum Day with multiple activities and a joint exhibition developed by different museums of Costa Rica.

In this collective exhibition, each museum will present pieces that characterize their collections, so that visitors can admire unique objects in a single space: the Social Reform Exhibition Hall of the Calderón Guardia Museum, located in Barrio Escalante.

Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth, stated: “Museums are much more than guardians of the past: they are living spaces where our history dialogues with the present and projects itself into the future. On International Museum Day we celebrate their role as meeting places where people can reconnect with their roots, discover Costa Rican talent, and enjoy the heritage that gives us identity. This year, we celebrate with activities throughout the country and a unique collective exhibition at the Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia Museum, bringing together the soul and work of our national museums.”

Carola Fumero, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC), added: “International Museum Day (IMD) is a date to recognize the social contribution of museums as spaces of cultural exchange, dialogue and cooperation, critical thinking, safeguarding and valuing heritage in all its forms. It is a special day to visit museums, as they are filled with activities that reaffirm their essential value through constant dialogue with the communities and audiences that visit them, as well as with the social and cultural contexts they belong to.”

Exhibition | “Museums on the Move: Collections that Transform Communities”

From May 16 to June 2, the exhibition “Museums on the Move: Collections that Transform Communities” will be on display. Various museums have provided a significant piece from their collections to showcase the work of their institutions and offer the public a collaborative exhibition reflecting each entity’s mission and the important work they do.
The opening will be on Friday, May 16, at 9 a.m. at the Calderón Guardia Museum. Admission is free.

Luis Núñez Bohórquez, Director of the Calderón Guardia Museum, said: “This initiative of creating a collective exhibition allows museums to come together as a community, working as a team to ensure museums remain relevant, vibrant, and accessible spaces, especially in these times of constant change. Museums play a role in inspiring, educating, and continuously seeking ways to innovate in safeguarding heritage. They must adapt to present and future generations and reach out to communities to bring about social transformation and evolution.”

Joint program

The public will enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities offered by different museums, including workshops, talks, exhibitions, guided tours, and more, ideal for family enjoyment.

Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in museum interventions, such as painting the façades and architectural details of heritage buildings, drawing workshops, freehand sketching, and leaving behind a memory of their museum visit.

On Saturday, May 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC), in the main entrance of the CENAC, visitors interested in sketching outdoors can draw the façade of the MADC’s architectural structure. It will be a space to draw, build community, and reflect on what museums of the future could look like. Each participant must bring their own sketchbook and pencil.

The Figueres Ferrer Cultural Center will also offer drawing sessions on Saturday, May 17, starting at 11:30 a.m., where visitors can draw gallery elements or the building façade. More information at: gestioncultural-cchjff@mcj.go.cr

On Saturday afternoon, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Calderón Guardia Museum, professor Rodolfo Rojas-Rocha will lead the workshop “Rediscovering the Museum,” guiding participants in painting the façade or architectural details to capture experiences, techniques, memories, emotions, and processes of the building. Pre-registration is required at: reservasmcg@musecal.go.cr
Additionally, visitors will be able to draw in different areas of the museum, letting their creativity flow.

On Sunday, May 18, the Costa Rican Art Museum will host an art workshop to create three-dimensional cards inspired by the architectural features of the MAC building, helping participants appreciate the heritage value of the Old La Sabana Airport Building, home to the Museum since 1978. Visitors will be invited to reinterpret elements such as stained-glass windows, moldings, reliefs, and columns using diverse techniques.
The workshop starts at 10:00 a.m. in Room XIV and requires prior registration at: coordinacion.educacion@mac.go.cr
Additionally, the MAC will inaugurate the National Salon of Visual Arts on Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. Free admission.

All information and details can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/3mc7976e

The objective of International Museum Day (IMD) is to raise awareness of the fact that “museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among peoples.”
Organized on or around May 18 each year, the events and activities to celebrate IMD may last a day, a weekend, or extend throughout the month. IMD was first celebrated 40 years ago. Each year, more and more museums around the world participate. In 2024, more than 37,000 museums in about 158 countries and territories participated.

This year, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) set the theme for International Museum Day as: “The future of museums in changing communities”.
According to ICOM, the theme “invites us to reimagine the role of museums as essential connectors, innovators, and guardians of cultural identity. In line with the 27th ICOM General Conference in Dubai, it emphasizes upcoming critical discussions, harnessing the energy of youth, and adapting to new technological frontiers to collectively empower museums and communities to thrive amid rapid change.”