'It Is Our Responsibility That You Feel Welcome'
Victoria Ramirez, executive director of the Arkansas Arts Center: “It’s really just a brand-new building.”
También puedes leer este artículo en español, 'Es Nuestra Responsabilidad que Se Sientan Bienvenidos'.
There's a problem with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts: it doesn't exist yet.
The museum (formerly the Arkansas Arts Center) is building its new, beautiful, modern building with a $30 million contribution from the city of Little Rock and a campaign to raise $142 million. It is expected to open in the fall of 2022.
What the museum has is an executive director: Victoria Ramírez.
Ramírez, whose husband is Mexican, has a doctorate in education from the University of Houston and was appointed executive director of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in August 2019. She was previously director of the Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas, a position she held since January of 2017. Before that she was deputy director of the Bullock Museum of Texas State History in Austin and director of educational programs for the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.
She knows one thing if for sure: the Little Rock museum’s admission will be free. "It will be like going to the movies as a family and we will always have something interesting."
“We are a museum that has always tried to welcome the entire community,” she said. Her plan is for the museum to be "interesting and relevant to the community ... when they see our programs and works of art everyone will find something that will appeal to them."
"It is our responsibility to make them feel welcome," she said. "This is a museum for the entire community, from toddlers to seniors."
She mentions programs designed for children, such as art classes, and evening programs for adults.
The classes, following her experience at the El Paso museum, will be interactive. "People like to use their hands, they like to make art," Ramírez said.
In addition, older adults will be able to use the museum as a meeting place and place of distraction, where they can share stories, learn pottery techniques and keep their minds active, she said.
“Art tells stories, and we need people to tell stories. That is an important part of continuing our culture," Ramírez said. "If we don't share those things, people will forget them, or they will not know them."
"We see that in El Paso and Little Rock there are special talents that can contribute to the community," she added.
The Collection
"We have an international collection with works of art from Central and South America, and Asia," Ramírez said, adding that the museum maintains meticulous files of each object of the collection to ensure that they have been ethically obtained.
Many prestigious museums have been accused of having objects stolen from other cultures during invasions and colonization.
"Fortunately, we keep very detailed files that do not produce any red flag indicating that this object was taken unethically," Ramírez said.
She said the museum wants to acquire more objects from around the world. They currently have a valuable collection of drawings on paper, including watercolors. "Drawings are our cornerstone," she said.
The construction of the building continues. Once completed, 14,000 works of art will have to be moved.
At the museum in El Paso, people came with an interest to learn about Mexican, Hispanic and Tejano culture as well as from cultures from around the world, she recalls. It is interesting to see the pottery made by different cultures and textiles, she remembers.
"It's like bringing the world to a place together with the people who created it," she said.
In El Paso the museum held an annual parade alluding to the Day of the Dead that included the creation of altars, food, and dances. Ramírez remembers how the event brought generations of families together.
"Those are the special things a museum can do," she said.
