Description of the attraction
The Museum of Contemporary Art, which locals call Masai for short, is located in the main square of Merida, not far from the city's cathedral. The museum displays paintings and sculptures by many renowned Mexican masters. The neoclassical building that houses these collections is called "Ateneo Yucatan". Sometimes this is also called the Museum of Modern Art. The two-story mansion was built for religious purposes in the years 1573-1579 at the initiative of the bishop of the province of Yucatan Diego de Landa. During the reign of Bishop Gonzalo Salazar, in 1608-1636, the palace was rebuilt and became his residence. The building was confiscated from the Church during the struggle for independence and was soon converted for the needs of the museum.
The Medina Museum of Modern Art is the only gallery in Mexico that maintains friendly relations with other similar institutions in the country and has the opportunity to exchange collections, which means creating interesting temporary exhibitions. The museum in Merida was founded for educational purposes. Lectures and seminars are often held here, schoolchildren and students are brought here on excursions. The entrance to the museum is free for the younger generation.
The 15 exhibition halls of the museum are occupied with collections of paintings by Fernando Garcia Ponce, Fernando Castro Pacheco and other popular painters.
There is a cozy cafe at the museum, where it is so pleasant to look through art albums over a cup of coffee, purchased right there - in a small souvenir shop.
