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The year 1995 marked the beginning of studies conducted by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, aimed at the creation of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art. For its part, the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico (GDB) approved the museum project and allocated funds for its construction. The GDB, interested in fostering the socio-economic development of Puerto Rico for the benefit of present and future generations, agreed to restore and rehabilitate the old Municipal Hospital of San Juan, which today houses the Puerto Rico Museum of Art.
On July 18, 1996, the Government of Puerto Rico officially presented the Puerto Rico Museum of Art project. The initial work team was joined by architects Otto Reyes Casanova and Luis Gutiérrez Negrón, who established “The Museum Group” to develop the project. This group was responsible for the restoration and rehabilitation of the old San Juan Municipal Hospital, the design of the new 10,000-square-foot east wing, which currently houses the Museum's administrative areas, and the design of the underground parking and botanical garden. The consulting firm RKK&G performed the pre-design phase and initiated the restoration of the historic building.
On July 18, 1996, the Government of Puerto Rico officially presented the Puerto Rico Museum of Art project. The initial work team was joined by architects Otto Reyes Casanova and Luis Gutiérrez Negrón, who established “The Museum Group” to develop the project. This group was responsible for the restoration and rehabilitation of the old San Juan Municipal Hospital, the design of the new 10,000-square-foot east wing, which currently houses the Museum's administrative areas, and the design of the underground parking and botanical garden. The consulting firm RKK&G performed the pre-design phase and initiated the restoration of the historic building.
F&R Construction was hired to begin the general construction of the new building wing. The historic building, originally designed in the 1920s by architect William H. Shimmelphening, is the only existing structure of the 13 that comprised the old San Juan Municipal Hospital. The building served as the complex's surgical hospital until 1966, the year the Río Piedras Medical Center was inaugurated. Subsequently, it housed the facilities of the Department of Public Works until 1975, after which it was closed.
Construction processes for the project continued, with an emphasis on the underground parking. In line with the construction, the first exhibition of the Museum, titled «Spaces in Transition - Transition in Spaces,» was developed. The exhibition, a year and a half before the Museum's inauguration, presented elements of flexibility and dynamism that corresponded to the transformation process of a early 20th-century building into a 21st-century museum. This year, the MAPR acquired José Campeche's “La Virgen de la Soledad de la Victoria,” the first artwork for its permanent collection.
On April 29, 1999, the first Board of Trustees of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art was established. The Honorable Pedro Roselló, former governor of Puerto Rico, appointed 15 members from the public and private sectors to take the initial lead on one of the country’s most important cultural projects.
Construction began on the lake and the landscaping project that would make up the Sculpture and Botanical Garden of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art.
On June 30, 2000, the Puerto Rico Museum of Art was inaugurated during a formal ceremony organized by the Government of Puerto Rico. To mark its grand opening, the MAPR presented its inaugural exhibition, “The Treasures of Puerto Rican Painting.” This exhibition was the result of cooperation among the country’s leading cultural institutions, the Musée d’Orsay, and 50 private collectors. For the occasion, the work “El Estudiante” by Puerto Rican artist Francisco Oller—which is part of the permanent collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France—was brought to Puerto Rico.
Construction of the Plaza de las Artes began in January 2011 and was primarily driven by the institution’s desire to maintain the home of Puerto Rican art in optimal condition and to provide new spaces for various art forms. Over the years, the Museum’s main entrance had begun to show signs of deterioration. Given this, the MAPR Board of Trustees conducted an analysis of how the Museum has evolved and how to make it even more accessible to its visitors. The evaluation culminated in the decision to convert the museum’s entrance into an open space named ‘Plaza de las Artes.’.
In the new plaza, the main gates were removed, allowing direct access to the building from De Diego Avenue. In addition, the existing trees were relocated, and benches and public areas were installed for use by visitors and the Santurc community.
The design of the ‘Plaza de las Artes’ was handled by the architectural firm Luis A. Gutiérrez Arquitectos, PSC, who was one of the individuals responsible for the restoration and design of the Museum's new wing. The physical improvements to the Museum's grounds were made possible through the efforts of the Government Development Bank, the entity that owns the structure housing the MAPR.
The Puerto Rico Museum of Art (MAPR) celebrated the opening of its new Plaza de las Artes on September 17, 2011, with a major event open to the public that highlighted the reason for its creation: to foster community life and art for all. The artistic program for the opening was organized by the cultural alliance arteSanturce. During the opening ceremonies, a tribute was also paid to the artist couple Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, who represented the United States at the 54th Venice Biennale and are residents of Puerto Rico.
The traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony was replaced by a sound-and-light show never before seen in Puerto Rico (‘3D mapping projection’) created by Puerto Rican artist Anaitté Vaccaro, which featured live performances by the contemporary dance company Andanza. The facade of the building that houses the museum came to life through three-dimensional images that included works from the institution’s permanent collection, as well as animations that transformed the structure into a giant canvas.
On June 9, 2019, the Puerto Rico Museum of Art (MAPR) opened its new permanent exhibition, titled ‘Puerto Rico Plural‘. Featuring more than 250 works, spanning from the 18th century to the present, by over 150 Puerto Ricans, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the experience of Puerto Rican identity through art. It features expressions of longing, tributes, critiques, contrasts, and convergences, as well as invitations to dialogue—all conveyed through a variety of artworks and artistic media.
Although ‘Puerto Rico Plural’ spans 21 galleries at the museum, the exhibition begins outside, on the main façade. There, Puerto Rican artist Alexis Díaz created an impressive mural in Chinese ink that is part of the successful exhibition.
Titled ‘Those Who Forget Their History Are Doomed to Repeat It,’ the mural has since welcomed local and international visitors while engaging with the artistic landscape of Santurce’s urban space.
