The Mexican Museum to Present ART OF NEW SPAIN Exhibition, 2/19

The Mexican Museum, the premier West Coast museum of Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Latin American and Latino art, culture and heritage, announces a new exhibit opening February 19, 2016 - Art of New Spain: Highlights from The Mexican Museum Colonial Collection. This exhibit will explore Spain's impact on Mexico's artistic culture during the Colonial Period, which begins with Spain's notable 16th century expeditions to Mexico and ends around the time of Mexico's victorious War of Independence in 1821. Visitors will also be encouraged to reflect on the important role that Roman Catholic missionaries played as spiritual leaders during this period, as well as how they used art to instruct the public.

Part of the Museum's ongoing effort to display artworks from its world-class permanent collection, New Spain: Highlights from The Mexican Museum Colonial Collection will include breathtaking paintings, sculptures, and a built-inretablo, or altarpiece. The major themes in the exhibition are "Missionaries," "The Retablo," and "Techniques." The exhibited works include selections from a recent bequest from David and Thea Ramsey, in honor of Lucille B. Eisenbach.

New Spain: Highlights from The Mexican Museum Colonial Collection is being presented by Guest Curator Teresa Jiménez-Millas, a private art conservator currently working with Molly Lambert, Architectural Conservation Inc., and Tracy Power Objects Conservation. Jiménez-Millas has worked on numerous Colonial Period pieces, including polychromed and gilded wooden sculptures, frescoes, and paintings.

Jiménez-Millas previously worked in Greece for the Greek Ministry of Culture in the Conservation Department of Byzantine Antiquities. Prior to that, she worked in Spain, focusing on the conservation of polychromed wooden sculptures and altarpieces, paintings, and ceramics. She holds a bachelor's degree in Art History from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and a master's degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Goods from the College for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Goods in Madrid, with a specialization in sculpture.

"The Mexican Museum has a unique collection of Colonial art that immediately captivated me. Working with such valuable and exciting artworks is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Jiménez-Millas. "New Spain: Highlights from The Mexican Museum Colonial Collection is an excellent representation of the journey taken by Mexican culture during the 16th through 19th centuries. This exhibition will transport museum guests on that journey."

A special Members of The Mexican Museum reception for the exhibit will be held on Thursday, Feb. 18, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. People are encouraged to become new members by contacting The Mexican Museum at (415) 202-9700 ormembership@mexicanmuseum.org, or by visiting the Museum website. The Museum is located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE.

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About The Mexican Museum: Founded by the well-known San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at the Fort Mason Center. It is the realization of his vision to present the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to include the full scope of the Mexican, Chicano, and Latino experience - including the arts, history, and heritage of their respective cultures.

In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Museum joins over 200 organizations in 45 states, Puerto Rico and Panama that are in association with the Smithsonian. The Mexican Museum currently has a permanent collection of more than 16,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American, Latin American, Latino, and Chicano art.

The Mexican Museum, open Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., is located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures, and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit: http://www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Mexican Museum is currently preparing for the construction of its permanent home in the heart of the Yerba Buena Gardens Art District, which is expected to open in 2019. People are encouraged to support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members, or by joining the Builder's Society online or by mailing a check to: The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA 94123. For more information on the Builder's Society, please contact Adriana Lopez at (415) 202-9700.

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