Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno "Carlos Mérida"

The Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno "Carlos Mérida" is a national museum of modern art located in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Named after the Guatemalan artist Carlos Mérida, a leading figure in Latin American modernism renowned for his painting, muralism, and architectural integration, the institution serves as the central repository for the country's modern visual heritage. It safeguards a chronological collection spanning one hundred years of Guatemalan art, from 1900 to 2000, alongside international works. The museum operates under the Ministry of Culture and Sports, functioning as a dynamic space for the exhibition, dissemination, and conservation of the nation's plastic arts.

The institution originated as the Museo Nacional de Historia y Bellas Artes, which was inaugurated on November 10, 1934, and officially accredited by Government Agreement No. 1623 on January 15, 1935. Initially housed in the Templo del Calvario atop the hill at the terminus of 6th Avenue and 18th Street in Zone 1, the museum was forced to relocate after the temple was demolished in 1947 to allow for the expansion of 6th Avenue. The artistic and historical collections were subsequently moved to the La Aurora National Farm in Zone 13 and to museums in Antigua Guatemala. In 1953, during the National Fair, organizers led by Jorge Toriello Garrido proposed reorganizing the museum in a building then occupied by a National Police detachment, though that building was vacated in 1957 for the Adolfo V. Hall Civic Military Institute. The fine arts collection was finally relocated to Building No. 6 at Finca La Aurora in 1968. On October 16, 1975, the historical and artistic collections were formally separated, leading to the creation of the National Museum of History and the renaming of the fine arts institution as the National Museum of Modern Art of Guatemala. In 1999, Ministerial Agreement No. 428-99 officially added "Carlos Mérida" to the museum's name to honor the master's legacy.

The museum's collection exemplifies the broad spectrum of Guatemalan modernity from 1900 to 2000. Its holdings encompass drawings, engravings, paintings, and sculptures by distinguished national artists, as well as works by foreign artists of international prestige. The collection features approximately 80 artists, including Rodolfo Galeotti Torres, Juan Sisay, Roberto González Goyri, Guillermo Grajeda Mena, Efrain Recinos, and Zipacná de León. The chronological display begins with a 1900 oil painting of Lake Amatitlán by Agustín Iriarte. The institution also holds works by 14 female artists and uniquely features a piece by Luis González Palma, identified by the museum as the only painter-photographer represented in its galleries.

The museum features three dedicated visual arts spaces. The Permanent Exhibition Room safeguards the century-long chronological survey of Guatemalan art as national heritage. The Carlos Mérida Room is exclusively dedicated to his work, featuring a complete collection of his original paintings and lithographic reproductions, including a significant donation from the Mérida family. The centerpiece of this room is the mural Glorificación del Quetzal, one of the most famous murals in Guatemala, which has remained in the space for over two decades. The Temporary Exhibition Room provides an active platform for national and international contemporary artistic manifestations. The museum is currently undertaking a comprehensive conservation project for the Mérida collection, implementing specialized techniques such as environmental monitoring and anoxia chambers to eradicate microorganisms without damaging the works, ensuring professional preservation after 25 years without major intervention.

The museum is housed in a building designed by architect Roberto Moreno and inaugurated in 1939. Originally constructed to host dances during the November Fair dedicated to General Jorge Ubico, the structure features a central Mudejar-style coffered ceiling formed by natural mahogany octagons with bronze rosettes. A wrought iron lamp, 2.50 meters in diameter with 96 lights, hangs from the central ceiling. The corridor features a Spanish terrace design with painted wooden beams, enclosed by 52 windows surrounding the architectural complex. The building is supported by 25 cylindrical columns, each adorned with two hexagonal wrought iron lanterns. The original museum installation in this building was directed by Zipacná de León and Guillermo Grajeda Mena. The terrace is accessible to the public only once a year during the event Una noche en la calle de los museos.

The museum is located in Salon No. 6, Finca La Aurora, Zone 13, Guatemala City, situated near the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and approximately five minutes from La Aurora International Airport. It operates under the Vice Ministry of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 to 16:00, and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00, remaining closed on Mondays. Admission is 5 quetzals for nationals and 50 quetzals for foreigners, with free entry for children under 10 and public school students accompanied by teachers. The museum offers guided tours in Spanish and English, and provides access ramps for special needs visitors. A major modernization and restoration effort is underway, with plans for a full museum reopening in 2025, alongside a temporary exhibition of Carlos Mérida's works at the Museo Nacional de Arte de Guatemala to maintain public access during the process.