The International Day of Museums, marked on May 18, will be celebrated with a series of initiatives coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Culture. These activities will be held at all Azorean museums, which will be exceptionally open on that day.
The Angra do Heroísmo Museum promotes a concert "The 20th century - a period of changes" at 9:30 PM, featuring Quinteto Rústico: Rita Pereira (flute), Lívio Dias (oboe), Aldara Medeiros (clarinet), Rafaela Oliveira (bassoon) and João Gaspar (French horn).
The quintet will perform works by Jacques Ibert, György Ligeti, Joly Braga Santos, Eurico Carrapatoso, Claude Debussy and Didier Favre.
In turn, the Santa Maria Museum celebrates the event with the opening of an exhibition under the title "Álvaro Cunhal - Life, Thoughts and Fights: an example of the present and future" at Vila do Porto Municipal Library at 9 PM.
Organised by the Angra do Heroísmo Museum in the context of the celebrations of the centenary of the communist leader's birth, the exhibition consists of 17 panels and several documents that belonged to Álvaro Cunhal.
On São Jorge, the Francisco Lacerda Museum will open the exhibition "The Spirit of the Place" by Rainer Hellberg at Casa dos Tiagos in the town of Topo at 9 AM.
This exhibition, which will be open until June 26, features 21 photographs depicting the butchering of sperm whales.
The same museum will also host the exhibition "Weaving on São Jorge - Among Quilts" at its premises with the aim of disseminating the cultural heritage of São Jorge. The exhibition, open to the public until July 3, consists of quilts belonging to the museum's collection.
On Sunday, May 17, the Pico Museum promotes the presentation of the volunteering project “From Kibera With Love” at a free-admission session to take place at the Whaling Museum in Lajes do Pico at 9:30 PM. Developed by Marta Baeta, this project is intended to help children and youth from the kenyan city of Kibera by ensuring them education, medical care and goods of prime necessity.
On May 18, the Graciosa Museum will organise guided tours to its long-term exhibition and the museum’s backstage. This initiative will provide participants with an opportunity to visit the collections of toys, lamps and ceramic objects, and two harvester machines.
In turn, the Horta Museum hosts the exhibition "Faces of Salt" by German photographer Kai-Uwe Franz at Manuel de Arriaga House that will be open to the public from Tuesday, May 19, until July 3. It consists of various photographs taken during his visit to the island of Pico in 2010.
The Carlos Machado Museum will promote the conference "Gardens and their second nature: in search for the historical sense of São Miguel gardens," delivered by Isabel Soares Albergaria from the University of the Azores. The event will take place on May 18 at Santa Bárbara Church at 4:15 PM.
On the same day, the Santa Bárbara Centre will organise the educational workshop "Imaginary Vegetation" at 3:30 PM. Under this initiative, participants, after a guided tour the exhibition "Nature in Dialogue," will create their imaginary vegetation using natural elements, paint, plaster as well as different media and plenty of creativity.
This initiative, which counts on the participation of members of São Miguel Deaf Association, requires prior registration by telephone 296 202 930.
The Carlos Machado Museum will also celebrate the European Night of Museums on May 16 with a music concert at the Sacred Art Centre (Colégio Church) from 8 PM to 12 AM. Organised with the collaboration of the Ponta Delgada Conservatory, the concert features works by Vivaldi, Gaubert, Kronke, Elgar, Dinicu, Schostakovitch and Doppler.
The event also includes the participation of "O Coletivo" group. On the same night, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the temporary exhibitions "There's a lot of hats" and "Religious representations. Armando Cândido de Medeiros Collection"
The European Night of Museums will also be marked by the Angra do Heroísmo Museum (MAH) with a programme developed under the theme "Horse Riding Passion: Fashion and Riding at MAH."
The initiative begins at 8 PM with a guided tour to the Visiting Reserve of Animal-powered Vehicles from the 18th and 19th centuries and to the exhibitions "And Steel Change the World: Schneider Canet battery in the Azores" and "From the Sea and Land ... history in the Atlantic." During the tour, participants will be provided with information on these exhibitions, with special emphasis on the critical role played by animal-powered vehicles until recently, whether in the everyday life of people or in epic contexts.
At 10 PM, designer Sílvia Teixeira will present a collection of pieces inspired by traditional Portuguese riding costumes, which will be complemented by an equestrian art exhibition by Quinta do Malinha.
Established by ICOM - International Council of Museums, the International Day of Museum is annually celebrated on May 18. In turn, the European Night of Museums, created by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, is marked on May 16, being a different way for museum to welcome people and raise their awareness for the cultural importance of their collections.
The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that this and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of the CulturAçores Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt.