Guatemala's Museo De Arte Colonial To Reopen After 2025 Raid

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The Museo de Arte Colonial in Antigua, Guatemala, is set to reopen after a court-ordered raid in December 2025 led to its closure and the relocation of 287 colonial-era artworks. Following extensive negotiations, Guatemala's Ministry of Culture and Sports (MCD) regained control of the museum's premises on August 11.

The reopening process will be lengthy, involving the restoration of the 18th-century complex and its fragile collection. A specific reopening date has not yet been announced. The museum, established in 1936 in the former Universidad de San Carlos, houses colonial paintings and sculptures, including works by artists such as Tomás de Merlo (1694-1739) and Cristóbal de Villalpando (1649-1714).

Johann Melchor, Antigua's city-designated chronicler and a Guatemalan colonial art expert, told The Art Newspaper that“Guatemalan sculpture has distinctive qualities and was among the best known in the West Indies for centuries.” Melchor also noted that the site has consistently faced conservation challenges.“The museum suffered from 50 years of neglect, and many pieces needed restoration,” he said, emphasizing the institution's cultural importance to the city.

The city of Antigua owns the museum building, while the MCD held an operating agreement valid until 2032. The court's decision to close the museum late last year stemmed from a report by the Consejo Nacional para la Protección de la Antigua Guatemala (CNPAG), which the Guatemala's Public Ministry requested in May 2025 after an undisclosed complaint. Despite the report indicating that only ten works required urgent in situ restoration, most of the collection was rapidly transferred to the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura in Guatemala City during a two-week operation.

Concerns arose regarding six large-scale paintings, five by Merlo, which remained at the museum due to their fragility and were left unsupervised. These paintings were eventually moved on foot to Antigua's Museo de Arte de Guatemala, located 200 meters away, on February 25.

“The keys are back, and we will work hard so that the museum is back, too, and with it, a part of our history will come alive again,” said culture minister Luis Méndez Salinas during an August 13 inspection. He confirmed that evaluations are underway to determine the next steps, with plans for new museography and temporary exhibition spaces. However, the collection's return will be gradual, as many artworks still require restoration and are currently housed in various venues.

The eventual reinstallation of the artworks will be complex. Javier Quiñónez, the CNPAG's Antigua conservator, stated:“We conducted a preliminary assessment of the collection, but we ignored the works' current state and whether they were damaged by changing the conditions in which they were kept for 50 years or during their transfer.” He stressed the importance of evaluating the works' condition and clarifying the museum's legal status.

The physical condition of the museum building also presents challenges. Jesús A. Castillo R., the CNPAG's chief of immovable heritage restoration, noted:“The recovery of the collection must be addressed in parallel with that of the building.” Preliminary inspections revealed peeling paint, dirt, and humidity, all requiring individual assessment. Castillo emphasized that“the museum's architectural and environmental conditions are decisive in guaranteeing their conservation.”

Melchor, Quiñónez, and Castillo collectively highlighted the critical need for funding and a comprehensive long-term plan for the museum.“We hope there are better days ahead for the museum,” Melchor concluded.

We previously reported:

Bolivia's most visited museum, the Casa Nacional de Moneda in Potosí, will begin a five-year restoration project next month, funded by a $513,000 grant.

The Smithsonian board will vote on August 31 to house the National Museum of the American Latino in its Arts & Industries Building, bypassing Congress.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Latino may be housed in an existing building, rather than a new one, as a board meeting

Source: The Art Newspaper

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