Top 10 Art Museums in San Juan Metro Region, San Juan Metro Region

Located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Museo de Arte y Diseno de Miramar (MADMi) an interactive space designed to inspire creativity and innovation through art and design.

La Casa de los Contrafuertes is an independent project open to the public, that started in the year 2012 as an art work which is committed to seek, expose and encourage overlaps among the works of artists of all disciplines focusing on the Caribbean and its diasporas. Our project is organized around the metaphor of the beehive. It is physically nestled, as a site-specific piece, in a historic heritage building, the oldest civil structure in Old San Juan Puerto Rico, which used to be a ruin at the time we began our effort. We were able to restore the building to code with volunteer work and started a beautiful garden of medicinal and edible plants in its courtyard. Work that fosters a collaborative project in continuous development that explores and promotes the porosity of research, creation and exchange processes between artists from different disciplines, from the Caribbean and its diasporas. This voluntary and self-managed initiative, jointly directed by the artists Charles Juhász-Alvarado and Ana Rosa Rivera, saw its origins in 2012. Today, it has continued to grow true to the original vision of promoting conversations, crossings and creation among artists of different backgrounds. fields In this work, the project has hosted a number of activities and exhibitions that have called diverse audiences. Since the building itself was in a state of near ruins at the beginning of the project, the task of enabling it has been the product of collaborative volunteer work. Today the site enjoys clean and bright spaces suitable for work and exhibition, as well as a garden of edible and medicinal plants.

The gallery, located in Puerta de Tierra in the Old San Juan Historic District, was designed by the architect Luis Gutiérrez and the engineer Pedro Muñoz Marín. Five thousand square feet (5,000) dedicated to contemporary art will be divided into three floors. The main floor will show the main exhibits, and the ground floor will become the presentation and storage area. The third floor, a magnificent roof top garden overlooking the San Juan Bay area will host gatherings and outdoor exhibits. In addition to an inventory of the works of the artists represented, a limited selection of prints will be available for acquisition. The concept of WOCA is to create a space that goes beyond the commercial aspect of a traditional gallery. “My goal is to break with the traditional gallery model, by integrating institutional and educational components, as well as the publishing and archiving of items within the gallery. As part of its educational agenda, the gallery will host art lectures by specialists in painting, photography and conceptual art; in addition to producing catalogues written by renowned local and international critics. “Furthermore, we want to develop alliances and partnerships with schools and art institutions, encouraging and motivating the next generation of local artists. My goal is that the gallery will become a facilitator for young artists into the international market, as well as to keep developing my roster of established ones.” said Walter Otero. WOCA will continue positioning its artists in the international market by participating in art fairs and special projects.Among the institutions which whom Otero has worked with include: The Puerto Rico Art Museum, The Puerto Rico Contemporary Art Museum, Ponce Art Museum, Puerto Rico, Museo Del Barrio, New York, Chicago Cultural Center, MCA, Panama Contemporary Art museum, Bass Museum, Miami, MOCAA LA, MOLAA, Hirshhorn Museum, Bronx Museum, Dommus Atrium, Spain and The New Museum, New York. Otero also assisted in the presentations in Puerto Rico of exhibitions featuring LaChappelle, Matthias Weischer, David Schnell, The Rubells Family Collection and the upcoming Bill Viola show (2013). Over the last decade, Walter Otero has been a key figure on international collectionism in Puerto Rico by intelligently assessing those who want to create or complete a collection. He has managed to make Puerto Rico the new home of many important collections from celebrated artists including Anselm Kiefer, Nan Golding, Ana Mendieta, Doo Goo Sue, The Chapman Brothers, Bill Viola, Matthew Barney, Immendorf, Kara Walker, Julian Schnabel, Alex Katz, among many others.WOCA, has a solid group of international renowned artists which include: Allora y Calzadilla, Ángel Otero, Andrés Serrano, Arnaldo Roche Rabell, Axel Ruiz, Carlos Betancourt, Fabián Marcaccio, Gamaliel Rodríguez, Héctor Arce Espasas, Ignacio Lang, Luis Vidal, Michael Linares, Mónica Rodríguez, Osvaldo Budet, Rafael Vega, Ramón Miranda Beltrán, Shonah Trescott and Víctor Vázquez.

More than just an art museum, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico hosts concerts and festivals as well. The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR), a non-for-profit organization, was inaugurated on July 1, 2000, as a legacy for the Puerto Rican people. The mission of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is to enrich the lives of its diverse audiences by making accessible and promoting the knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of visual arts from Puerto Rico and the world. The MAPR engages diverse communities to facilitate learning experiences about the visual arts through: the growth of a well-researched permanent collection exemplifying significant and representative examples of Puerto Rican art from the sixteenth century to the present; a dynamic program of exhibitions supported by engaging and exciting educational and cultural programs that collectively deepen the understanding of the role of the visual arts in the human experience and contribute to the creation of a curatorial legacy; documentation, research, interpretation, preservation, and conservation of the collection and the visual arts patrimony of Puerto Rico; and alliances with local, regional, and international museums and institutions to advance the knowledge of, access to, and understanding of the visual arts of the world.

In Cuartel de Ballaja's second floor one of the greatest museums in Puerto Rico holds a space for the diverse cultures of the Americas. Museo de las Americas--founded in 1992 by San Juan's famed and beloved archaeologist Ricardo Alegria--is keen on honoring the traditions, objects, and stories that make up the American continent. This museum boasts four permanent exhibits: a) the Natives in the Americas, b) the African Legacy, c) Conquest and Colonization, and d) the Popular Arts. These carefully curated exhibits put on display a magnificent collection that briefly summarizes the "American experiences" throughout the centuries. Moreover, Museo de las Americas has held numerous temporary exhibitions related to the arts and customs of Ibero-America. Some of their past shows include a retrospective of Rafael Rivera Rosa's works; Catharsis: re/building after Maria; Invictus: Cockfighting in Puerto Rico, among many others. This gem of curatorial design also hosts Domingos Familiares, which offers workshops and activities for the whole family every Sunday.

The Museum of History, Anthropology and Art of Puerto Rico was established by law in 1951 as a national museum. It is administered by the University of Puerto Rico and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is the custodian of important collections of Antillean archeology, painting, drawing, local and international engraving, sculpture, poster art, folk art, historical documents, philately and numismatics. It has ethnographic collections of some native peoples of the Americas and of several cultures of Africa. It also has the Puerto Rican Art Documentation Center, which includes valuable documents for academic research. Call 787-763-3939 for information on current exhibition.

Casa Cortés, located in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, is the place to experience the Chocolate Cortés Collection, showcasing works by the Caribbean's contemporary art masters. Currently on exhibit; CCC Caribes, features 58 paintings by 50 artists from 10 countries. Free Admission.Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, from 11:00am - 5:00pm.

Exhibits fine art in the context of the island's history.

Delve into Puerto Ricos African influences through exhibits ranging from slave histories to African utensils.