Puerto Rican Athenaeum
Encyclopedia
The Puerto Rican Athenaeum —or Ateneo Puertorriqueño in Spanish
— is one of Puerto Rico
's chief cultural institutions. It was founded in 1876.
The Athenaeum serves as a museum
, school
, library
, and performance hall for the greater Puerto Rico. It hosts a number of contests, conferences, and exhibits each year, presenting the best art, literature, and music that Puerto Rico has to offer. Some say it was the first institution of higher learning in Puerto Rico in which the islands' top minds gave free classes in their areas of expertise.
It operates out of its own building in Puerta de Tierra, adjacent to Old San Juan, in a strip that also houses the "Casa de España", the Carnegie Library, the Capitol complex and the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
headquarters.
On July 25, 2007, Athenaeum president Eduardo Morales Coll lit the "Decolonization Torch" in a ceremony attended by Senate President Kenneth McClintock
, a leader of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
(NPP) and Caguas Mayor William Miranda Marín
, a leader of the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
(PDP). The Torch was designed by sculptor Jose Buscaglia Guillermety
, who was present as it was lit. Antonio Caban Vale
-"el Topo", Danny Rivera
and Andy Montañez
were among the performers who donated their talent during the artistic part of the ceremony. The Torch will remain lit until Puerto Rico resolves its colonial problem, according to Morales Coll.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
— is one of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's chief cultural institutions. It was founded in 1876.
The Athenaeum serves as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and performance hall for the greater Puerto Rico. It hosts a number of contests, conferences, and exhibits each year, presenting the best art, literature, and music that Puerto Rico has to offer. Some say it was the first institution of higher learning in Puerto Rico in which the islands' top minds gave free classes in their areas of expertise.
It operates out of its own building in Puerta de Tierra, adjacent to Old San Juan, in a strip that also houses the "Casa de España", the Carnegie Library, the Capitol complex and the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee ) is the National Olympic Committee for Puerto Rico. It oversees Olympic-sports in Puerto Rico, and selects the Olympic team which represents the island...
headquarters.
On July 25, 2007, Athenaeum president Eduardo Morales Coll lit the "Decolonization Torch" in a ceremony attended by Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
, a leader of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
(NPP) and Caguas Mayor William Miranda Marín
William Miranda Marín
William "Willie" Miranda Marín was the mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1997 until his death in 2010.-Personal life:...
, a leader of the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
(PDP). The Torch was designed by sculptor Jose Buscaglia Guillermety
Jose Buscaglia Guillermety
José Buscaglia Guillermety is an educator and sculptor.-Early years:Buscaglia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico into a distinguished Puerto Rican family. His father Rafael was a very important and influential political figure within the ranks of The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico...
, who was present as it was lit. Antonio Caban Vale
Antonio Cabán Vale
Antonio Cabán Vale a.k.a. "El Topo" , is a guitarist, singer and composer of Puerto Rican folklore themes. He is one of the founders of the "new song" movement of the early 1970s...
-"el Topo", Danny Rivera
Danny Rivera
Danny Rivera is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter who was born in San Juan whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is well-known in Puerto Rico for his political activism.-Musical career:...
and Andy Montañez
Andy Montañez
Andrés Montañez , better known as Andy Montañez, is a salsa singer from Puerto Rico.-Early life:Montañez, like singer Daniel Santos and boxer Ossie Ocasio, is a native of the Tras Talleres area of Santurce San Juan. He is known by the nickname "El Godfather de la Salsa"...
were among the performers who donated their talent during the artistic part of the ceremony. The Torch will remain lit until Puerto Rico resolves its colonial problem, according to Morales Coll.
External links
- Information in Spanish, with photos
- The Rich Heritage of Ateneo Puertorriqueno - The Puerto Rico Channel