Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno "Carlos Mérida", Museum of modern art in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The National Museum of Modern Art is a museum of contemporary art in Guatemala City that displays paintings, sculptures, and lithographs. Works come from both Guatemalan and international artists.
The institution opened as the Museo Nacional de Historia y Bellas Artes in the Templo del Calvario on November 10, 1934, and was accredited by the government on January 15, 1935. That temple was demolished in 1947. The idea of reconstructing the museum in a former Policía Nacional Civil building grew during the 1953 national feast. The museum took its current name on October 16, 1975, and was renamed after Carlos Mérida in 1999 by Ministerial Agreement 428-99.
The museum's name honors Carlos Mérida, a painter whose works occupy a dedicated gallery space where visitors can explore his artistic vision. Local and regional artists are prominently featured throughout the collection.
The museum sits near the international airport and is easy to reach from most locations. Hours vary between weekdays and weekends, so check before visiting.
The building's central coffered ceiling is Mudéjar in style, made of natural mahogany octagons with bronze rosettes at the centre of each. From it hangs a wrought-iron lamp 2.50 metres across with 96 lights. The painted-beam terrace above, ringed by 52 windows, opens only once a year, during the event "Una noche en la calle de los museos".
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