The "Museo de Las Americas: Part I" Story

Courtyard in the Museo de Las Americas in Old San Juan, PR.

It was an ordinary day.  Walking around the upper level of the Museo de Las Americas in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico admiring the artwork of not only local artists, but artists from around the world who have their work in collections and on display at this fabulous building.  The museum is a short distance from El Morro, one of the two huge forts that stand on the corners of the walled town of Old San Juan, and is located in a former Spanish Army barracks that at one time housed over 1,000 soldiers and their families.  

A patron studies the guide book.

The original rooms served as bedrooms, warehouses, kitchens, jails, stables and dining rooms.  During WWII the building became a U.S. military hospital and eventually was given back to Puerto Rico where it finally became a museum.  The three levels of the square building have archways along each side that have railings to prevent visitors from falling to the lower level.  The walls seem to be between 18" to 24" thick that all face toward a central courtyard of squared patterned brick, stone and tile.  In one corner of the courtyard stand a few square umbrellas, the colors of the building, that have tables and chairs under them.  The museum was inaugurated in 1992 as a non-profit organization run and maintained through funds received from the local government as well as the Friends of the Museum.  The museum functions to provide a location for permanent as well as seasonal exhibitions whereby the public can gain an understanding of the history and culture of the Americas.  Artisans from Latin America, the United States and Puerto Rico are showcased in the museum.  

One of the many displays in the museum.

A local artist, Antonio Martorell, has his work exhibited in a few of the many galleries with work from many others displayed in the open walkways facing the courtyard as well a few other galleries.  There are two permanent exhibitions housed in galleries with one that features Indians in America that covers 22 ethnic groups that were able to survive conquest and colonization.  Tomorrow I will give you a glimpse into the work of the featured artist Martorell, while today I will give you a visual journey of some of the other artists.  After paying the $2.00 fee, Carol and I, along with friends Jerry and Just Sue, climbed the steps to the second level where the galleries begin.  The open walkways as well as the galleries feature historic artifacts which consist of folk art, tools, musical instruments, masks, wooden figures and just about anything that has become famous in popular culture in the Americas.  Follow along as I walk the balconies and look through the galleries.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Oxcart from Puntarenas, Costa Rico.  A few years ago Carol and I had the chance to visit the factory where oxcarts are made in Puntarenas and watch the artisans at work.  The colors are vibrant and designs unique.  A true piece of Central American art.  This was along one of the balconies on the second floor of the museum.

Don Salvador Casellas constructed this dollhouse in the 1980s.  He was the first interior decorator in Puerto Rico when he started decorating houses in the 1940s.  He studied art at New York's Parsons Institute of Design.  This doll house was made by him as well as the furniture.  He and his sister Mercedes made the rugs and curtains.  Don Salvador was also a painter and decorated the Governor's Mansion, La Fortaleza, for Luis A. Ferre and Rafael Hernandez Colon.  His son donated this dollhouse in 2006 to the museum which is housed in one of the galleries.

This display shows the houses of the diverse regions of the Americas.  They reflect the climatological and environmental conditions of their location.  

The chapel is representative of those built up until a few years ago throughout Puerto Rico's rural areas.  They were made from tropical hardwoods, with palm leaves, grass and shrubs for thatching.  Members of neighboring rural communities held devotional ceremonies in the chapels.  This chapel and altar were built by Mr. Jose Lopez Diaz and Mr. Rodriguez who were both from Ciales, Puerto Rico. 

This Ceramic Chess Game was designed and made by Juego de Ajedrez from Peru.

This board game is called Wari or Mancala.  It is made of wood and seeds are used for playing pieces.  Built by Juego del Wari from Santa Lucia.  A few years ago my friends Jerry and Just Sue bought me one just like as a gift.

This outdoor display is titled the evolution of colonization and it shows several cannons.  I have included a closeup of one of the barrels of a cannon so you can view the delicate patterns made on the cannon.

This wall that I stand in front of is from the artist that I will feature in my story tomorrow.  His name is Antonio Martorell and he is a graphic artist from the island  of Puerto Rico.

Self-designed artwork from Antonio Martorell which is featured in his exhibit in the Museo de Las Americas.