Museum of the Revolution in Havana, Cuba
Havana, May 18 (RHC)-- May 18th is International Museum Day. The day dedicated to raise awareness about museums is being celebrated since 1977.
The main objective of International Museum Day is to let people know the significant role played by museums in preserving the culture and heritage of countries.
Museums are not just huge buildings. "Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples," according to the International Council of Museums.
Cuban museums have joined the celebration with multiple virtual exhibitions available to internet users. That is the case of the Museum of the Revolution –formerly the Presidential Palace—which treasures emblematic pieces linked to Cuba’s history and the country’s independence wars.
On this occasion, the museum is displaying a large exhibition that includes a pocket watch that belonged to the Father of the Cuban Homeland, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, which he actually used in the Ten-Year War against Spanish Colonialism, also personal belongings of Revolution leader Fidel Castro and others of heroine Celia Sánchez Manduley, which they had with them and even used during the guerrilla war on the Sierra Maestra mountains.
Also, on occasion of International Museum Day, the National Museum of Fine Arts opened the virtual exhibition ‘Paletas pintadas. Pintura Española del Museo de La Habana 1909-1916’. It compiles 33 paintings by 31 high caliber Spanish painters. The paintings belonged to the personal collection of Carmen Odena de Artal -- the wife of Spanish dealer José Artal.
The featured artists include Francisco Pradilla, Ricardo Madrazo, José Benlliure, Eliseo Meifrén, Hermen Anglada and Joaquín Sorolla.
International Museum Day events are organized around the world and more and more museums participate in these events.
In 2020, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 37,000 museums participated in the events in about 158 countries, according to the International Council of Museums.
The theme of 2021 International Museum Day is - The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine.
