Discover impressive and imaginative works of art at the Macay Museum, a showcase of modern and contemporary Mexican art. This important cultural institution, officially known as the Museo Fernando García Ponce-Macay, is housed in a beautiful 16th-century building that was originally an archbishop's palace. Over the years the building has had a variety of different uses, including an art teaching school, government offices and a religious hostel.
Devote a couple of hours to browsing the 15 rooms set aside for temporary exhibitions, which are changed every three months. The artworks are drawn from the museum’s collection of more than 500 pieces by national and international artists.
Then turn your attention to the museum's permanent exhibitions, which are presented in two galleries and four permanent rooms. Study works by Fernando Castro Pacheco, Gabriel Ramírez Aznar and Fernando García Ponce, all towering figures of Mexican art. Among the highlights are Pacheco's Caminante del Mayab, The Large Public Urinal Plaza by Aznar and Ponce's Red on Red Background. The bench where he worked is also on show.
Learn more about Mexican art and create your own pieces with the museum's programme of presentations, workshops as well as painting, engraving, sculpting and pottery classes. There are activities for both adults and children on offer. Find details on the museum's website.
View the artworks in the Revolution Passage, an arched passageway between the museum and Merida Cathedral. It features an ongoing roster of temporary exhibitions of sculptures. See more of the museum's art pieces on the Paseo Montejo, a long and wide tree-lined boulevard. Every year the cultural institution invites Mexican and international artists to exhibit their contemporary sculptures here.
The Macay Museum is located next to the 16th-century Merida Cathedral on the Plaza Grande in the historical centre of the city. Arrive on foot, by taxi or use public transportation. If you are driving, park for a fee in the lots in the downtown area. The museum is open every day except Tuesdays. Admission is free.
