On Thursday, 13 August 2020, President Danilo Medina was present for the formal inauguration of the National History & Geography Museum. The new museum is located at Juan Pablo Duarte Cultural Plaza, next door to the Museum of Modern Arts.
Also present for the inaugural were: Miguel de Camps, director of the Museum of History and Geography; Culture Minister Eduardo Selman; the general director of Museums Ana Maria Conde; the director of Monumental Heritage Linda Roca; and Francisco del Valle, director of the Presidential Commission for Provincial Development, the Medina government division in charge of rescue and remodeling work at Dominican museums.
During his keynote speech, Culture Minister Eduardo Selman said that the building is practically new. “The magic of this building cannot be compared to any other new one,” said Selman, a leading Dominican architect and urbanist who said he felt honored to put the Museum of History and Geography at the service of the Dominican people.
Selman spoke of other new culture centers, naming the Dominican Gold Museum in Cotuí, the city nearest to the largest Dominican gold mine. He also mentioned the San Francisco de Macoris Cultural Center and the Dominican Music Museum under development in the Colonial City in Santo Domingo. He said it is up to the new authorities to complete these works.
Speaking on the Museum of History and Geography, Francisco del Valle, director of the Presidential Commission for Supporting Provincial Development, explained that the building was initially adapted from a former high school to house the museum. He said the Seismology Office had required the deep intervention of the building structure. The new system has a camera system and fire protection system, new air conditioning, wind-resistant and solar-protected windows. Public service areas and office areas were renovated.
Also attending were: María Elena Ditrén, director of the Museum of Modern Art; Christian Martínez, director of the Museum of Dominican Man; Billy Hasbún, director of International Relations; Ruth Herrera, general director of Books and Reading at the Ministry of Culture; and Diómedes Núñez Polanco, director of the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National Library.
In addition to the inaugurated museum at the Plaza de la Cultura in Santo Domingo, remodeling and refurbishing work on the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Dominican Man are in the process of being completed. The Ministry of Culture seeks to make the sprawling paths of the Plaza de la Cultura more people-friendly. The plan calls to preserve the area as a city park area with improved landscaping, small squares, and a low capacity amphitheater. Facilities for carrying out events and a security system that includes surveillance cameras and control booths are in the works.
In addition to the National Theater, the Museum of Modern Arts, the Dominican Man Museum, the National Library, the Natural History Museum are also at Plaza de la Cultura. That museum had opened last year after a renovation and was getting good reviews before closing due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
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