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How Was El Museo del Barrio Founded?
In June of 1969 Martin W. Frey, superintendent of School District 4, under pressure from parents and community activist to implement cultural enrichment programs for Puerto Rican children, appointed artist/educator Rafael Montañez Ortiz to create educational materials for schools in District 4 on Puerto Rican history, culture, folklore, and art.
That Summer Montañez Ortiz traveled to P.R. with Martin W. Frey to conduct research on Puerto Rican culture and made institutional contacts with museum directors and anthropologists. In 1969, District 4 encompassed parts of Central and East Harlem.
Montañez Ortiz was primarily hired to serve the population of East Harlem, known as El Barrio, where the majority of the Puerto Rican population lived. As an artist, activist, and teacher at the High School of music and Art, Montañez Ortiz reconceived the project as a community museum, dedicated to the Puerto Rican Diaspora in the United States, that he names “ El Museo del Barrio.” He served as the institution’s founding director from June of 1969 to Spring of 1971.
In the fall of 1969 funded by the Community Education Center, El Museo del Barrio began operations in a schoolroom at PS 125, located at 425 West 123rd Street. PS 125 also housed the office of District 4. During the first year as Director Montañez Ortiz reached out to the East Harlem community by discussing plans for El Museo del Barrio with parents, teachers, the young Lords Political Party, and the Real Great Society (a collective of East Harlem-based architects and urban planners).
In the late summer of 1970, El Museo del Barrio moved from West 125th Street to P.S. 206 at 508 East 120th Street. After being housed in a few other locations, El Museo found a permanent home at 1230 Fifth Avenue.
El Museo has a catalog in its museum shop that provides a more detailed history from its inception in 1969 to 2004.
Information courtesy of Monica Tavares, For more details, visit: http://elmuseo.org/en/explore-online/timeline/intro
That Summer Montañez Ortiz traveled to P.R. with Martin W. Frey to conduct research on Puerto Rican culture and made institutional contacts with museum directors and anthropologists. In 1969, District 4 encompassed parts of Central and East Harlem.Montañez Ortiz was primarily hired to serve the population of East Harlem, known as El Barrio, where the majority of the Puerto Rican population lived. As an artist, activist, and teacher at the High School of music and Art, Montañez Ortiz reconceived the project as a community museum, dedicated to the Puerto Rican Diaspora in the United States, that he names “ El Museo del Barrio.” He served as the institution’s founding director from June of 1969 to Spring of 1971.
In the fall of 1969 funded by the Community Education Center, El Museo del Barrio began operations in a schoolroom at PS 125, located at 425 West 123rd Street. PS 125 also housed the office of District 4. During the first year as Director Montañez Ortiz reached out to the East Harlem community by discussing plans for El Museo del Barrio with parents, teachers, the young Lords Political Party, and the Real Great Society (a collective of East Harlem-based architects and urban planners).In the late summer of 1970, El Museo del Barrio moved from West 125th Street to P.S. 206 at 508 East 120th Street. After being housed in a few other locations, El Museo found a permanent home at 1230 Fifth Avenue.
El Museo has a catalog in its museum shop that provides a more detailed history from its inception in 1969 to 2004.
Information courtesy of Monica Tavares, For more details, visit: http://elmuseo.org/en/explore-online/timeline/intro
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