The Museo Alameda: The Latin American Smithsonian

I was watching a show today called LatinNation, a show about everything Latino in today’s society, and I happened to come across a segment that talks about a museum in San Antonio totally based on Latin American history and culture, The Museo Alameda. Now I found that very interesting, it is the first time I have ever heard of such a museum and as the segment continues, I was able to see a wide variety of art, sculpture, artifacts and illustrations all displayed in this museum originating from different regions of Latin America and from different points of Latin American history. I am very much encouraged to go visit this museum when I have the opportunity. It is great to know that Latin American history and culture is preserved here in the states thanks to the Smithsonian Institute’s Secretary Michael Heyman. Now I am sure that there are other museums in the United States that exhibit Latin American based works and that there is continued research on Latin American culture and history. Our past needs to be preserved and be told to the next generation of Latin Americans so they will know that they came from a rich and diverse culture. If you happened to know a museum that hold Latin American exhibitions, please feel free and post the names and links so all of us can check them out and possibly pay a visit.

Below is a brief history of  The Museo Alameda that I got off of their website but visit the site for yourself so you can learn more about it.

In 1949, Tano Lucchese, the legendary San Antonio businessman, built the largest movie palace in the United States dedicated to Spanish language entertainment. At the opening on March 9, 1949, Luchesse said, “The Alameda will be a permanent symbol of good faith and understanding between the Latin American and Anglo American where they might share and recognize two different cultures.”

By 1991, the theater had fallen into disrepair. A group of San Antonio visionaries promoted the rebirth of the Alameda as an important national icon symbolizing the contributions of Latinos to the cultural heritage of our country. The City of San Antonio supported this vision by donating the landmark properties and by contributing capital dollars to the redevelopment campaign. This moved inspired the AT&T Foundation, the Ford Motor Company, and the Ford Motor Company Fund to underwrite important elements of the Alameda’s redevelopment.

In 1996, Secretary I. Michael Heyman of the Smithsonian Institution announced a physical presence of the Smithsonian in San Antonio. This announcement designated the Museo Alameda as the first formal affiliate of the Smithsonian outside of Washington D.C. and gave birth to the Smithsonian’s affiliations program. In May of the same year, Governor George W. Bush signed a joint resolution of the Texas legislature establishing the Museo Alameda as the official State Latino Museum. Soon thereafter, Michael Kaiser of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Alameda Theater.

These alliances breathed life into the idea proposed by founding chairman Henry R. Munóz III: that the Alameda would become a national center for Latino arts and culture, fulfilling Tano Lucchese’s dream of a place that tells the story of the Latino experience in America.

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• Mysa.com: Museo Alameda plans year-long exhibit (mysanantonio.com)