HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA

FOLLOWING THE REOPENING OF THE HISPANIC SOCIETY'S MAIN GALLERIES IN JUNE 2023 AND THE HOMECOMING OF THE MUSEUM'S HIGHLIGHTS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE TESORO TOUR, FY 2024 MARKED THE FIRST FULL OPERATIONAL YEAR SINCE THE HSM&L CLOSED IN DECEMBER 2016. THIS MILESTONE YEAR SAW THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW EXHIBITION PLAN DESIGNED TO SHOW THE DEPTH AND DIVERSITY OF THE COLLECTION, WHICH AIMED TO OFFER FRESH PERSPECTIVES AND INVITE NEW VOICES TO THE CONVERSATION. RECAPTURING THE SPIRIT AND VITALITY OF ITS GLORIOUS DEBUTS, THE MUSEUM WELCOMED BACK LIVING ARTISTS, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON COMMUNITY-BASED TALENT. IN THE GALLERIES, BOTH THE COLLECTIVE DOMINICAN YORKS AND ENRIQUE MARTINEZ CELAYA ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WITH HISTORICAL PIECES FROM THE PAINTING COLLECTION, BRIDGING PAST AND PRESENT, LOCAL AND GLOBAL. FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE WIDER MUSEUM COMMUNITY, THE HSM&L PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL PICASSO CELEBRATION YEAR AND ORGANIZED AN IN-DEPTH DOSSIER EXHIBITION, PICASSO AND THE SPANISH CLASSICS, WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO SYMPOSIA, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND PROGRAMS.MODERN LIBRARYTHIS FISCAL YEAR STAFF FOCUSED ON THE MODERN LIBRARY ASSESSMENT PROJECT BEGUN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH SEEKS TO DETERMINE COLLECTIONS SIZE, LOCATIONS, SUBJECT COVERAGE, GROWTH AND SPACE NEEDS. COMPLETED: LOCATIONS, SHELF LIST COUNTS, AND PHYSICAL INVENTORY OF ALL MODERN LIBRARY MONOGRAPHS.THE LIBRARY CONTINUED WELCOMING READERS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, FROM 12:00P.M.3:30P.M. FROM OCTOBER 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2024 (EXCLUDING THE MONTH OF AUGUST WHEN THE READING ROOM IS CLOSED), THE READING ROOM RECEIVED 270 READERS. THIS YEAR MOST READERS CAME FROM NEW YORK AND OTHER US STATES, THE REMAINDER FROM EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA. MATERIALS CONSULTED INCLUDED 512 MANUSCRIPTS, 446 PRINTED BOOKS (FROM RARE BOOK DEPT.), 83 MODERN BOOKS, 3 REFERENCE VOLUMES AND 1 PERIODICAL.DEPARTMENT OF MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKSTHE MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKS DEPARTMENT GAVE PRESENTATIONS TO CLASSES FROM VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES (FORDHAM, COLUMBIA, BARNARD, YESHIVA, COLGATE, AMONG OTHERS), TO COLLECTORS, AND BIBLIOPHILE GROUPS. IN ALL, 28 SUCH PRESENTATIONS WERE GIVEN.THE DEPARTMENT ALSO FOCUSED ITS EFFORTS ON THE PROVISIONAL CATALOGING OF PRINTED MATERIAL DATED 1701-1830 WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE AUDUBON TUNNEL STACKS. IN THE PAST YEAR, THEY CATALOGED 520 TITLES AND APPROXIMATELY 200 MANUSCRIPTS, UNCATALOGUED ACQUISITIONS DATING BACK TO THE PERIOD 1910-1916. THEY ALSO CONTINUED TO MANAGE THE OPERATION OF THE LIBRARY'S COPYING AND REPRODUCTION SERVICE, SCANNING APPROXIMATELY 2,000 IMAGES.CONSERVATION DEPARTMENTTHE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT DEDICATED MUCH OF ITS TIME THIS FISCAL YEAR TO PREPARING FOR AND INSTALLING EXHIBITIONS BOTH WITHIN THE HSM&L AND FOR EXHIBITIONS ORGANIZED BY OTHER MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS, ALL LISTED BELOW. SEVERAL PAINTINGS, OBJECTS, AND TEXTILES WERE CONSERVED, AND TREATED DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR: PLASTER CAST OF A BRONZE BUST (D1203), JOS GESTOSO BY JOAQUIN SOROLLA Y BASTIDA (A43), 19TH-CENTURY CUBAN ARTIST MANUEL SANCHEZ RAMOS (LA2068), BERNAB DE OCHOA DE CHINCHERTU Y FERNNDEZ DE ZIGA BY JUAN CARREO DE MIRANDA, 1660 (A2006), PORTRAIT OF A MAN BY ANTHONIS MOR VAN DASHORST, 1550 (A1959). MAP (HC427/35), CUENCA RUG (H305), 1766 ALPUJARRA RUG (H302), SILVER FRAME (R3431), 18TH CENTURY BRAZIER (R4004), SILVER FRAME CONTAINING MINIATURE OF VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE, 18TH CENTURY (R3021), MATE CUP WITH BOMBILLA, PERU 18TH CENTURY (R3024), BIOMBO CA.1820S (LS2430), TARTESSIAN COSMETIC PALETTE ANADE, 7TH TO 6TH CENTURY BCE (D519), COMB WITH INCISED LIONS AND HARES, 7TH TO 6TH CENTURY BCE (D500). FREELANCE OBJECT CONSERVATOR URSULA KULGER CONSERVED A ROMAN MIRROR 100-199 CE/I-III D. C (R4439/R4459) AND ETRUSCAN BRONZE WINGED BOARD (D951) AND MEXICAN PETACA (S80). SEVERAL PAINTINGS ALSO RECEIVED NEW FRAMES: MINIATURE OF A LADY, UNKNOWN ARTIST, 1575-1625 (A310), DON MARTN DE LEYVA BY JUAN BAUTISTA MARTNEZ DEL MAZO, 17TH CENTURY(A86), CARREO DE MIRANDA (A2006), VIRGIN WITH THE YARN WINDER BY LUIS DE MORALES, 1566-1570 (A80), PORTRAIT OF A LADY, UNKNOWN ARTIST CA. 1680 (LA1653), SAINT CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA, UNKNOWN ARTIST 18TH CENTURY (A3412), MARA, QUEEN OF HUNGARY, EMPRESS OF HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (1606-1646), UNKNOWN ARTIST (A93), JOS GESTOSO (A43).DEPARTMENT OF MUSEUM EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMSMUSEUM EDUCATORS OVERSAW THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF THE ANNUAL ARTE EN EL ALTO MANHATTAN WITH DOMINICAN YORKS AT THE HISPANIC SOCIETY, ACCOMPLISHING A LONG-OVERDUE INCLUSION IN OUR GALLERIES OF ARTISTS FROM THE LOCAL MAJORITY DOMINICAN NEIGHBORHOOD. THEY ALSO COORDINATED THE SECOND ITERATION OF THE ART ON THE AUDUBON TERRACE SELECTING PNTAME ANGELITOS NEGROS BY ROSE DELER AS THE 2024 INSTALLATION. FOR THE K-12 SUMMER PARTNERSHIP, THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSEUM EDUCATION PROVIDED 6 SESSIONS OF ARTMAKING FOR DAY CAMPERS FOR COMMUNITY LEAGUE OF THE HEIGHTS OPEN STREETS PROGRAM. THE SESSIONS WERE STAFFED BY OUR EDUCATORS AS WELL AS OUR SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS FROM THE BLOOMBERG ARTS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING & SPECIAL EVENTSTHE PR AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT ORGANIZED ALL EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTIONS, CULTIVATION VISITS, AND COORDINATED SCOUTING AND FILMING ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE MUSEUM. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEPARTMENT PLANNED THE ANNUAL CONCERT SERIES, A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM ORGANIZED IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL ENSEMBLES AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS. THIS YEAR'S SERIES, TITLED MUSICAL PILGRIMAGE, FEATURED THREE CONCERTS CURATED BY SKYLARK.DEPARTMENT OF PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS THE DEPARTMENT OF PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS CURATED THE HSML'S EXHIBITION PICASSO AND THE SPANISH CLASSICS WHICH MARKED THE MUSEUM'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION OF THE PICASSO YEAR. THIS PROJECT HIGHLIGHTED AN ASPECT OF THE ARTIST'S WORK THAT HAS PREVIOUSLY GONE ALMOST UNNOTICED: HIS RESPONSE TO SPANISH LITERATURE. THROUGHOUT PICASSO'S LIFE, HE AFFIRMED HIS SPANISH HERITAGE, AND HE FREQUENTLY FOUND INSPIRATION IN LITERARY MASTERWORKS FROM HIS HOMELAND. PICASSO AND THE SPANISH CLASSICS FOCUSED ON THE ARTIST'S REINTERPRETATION OF SUCH TEXTS AND PARTICULARLY, HIS ENGAGEMENT WITH TWO GIANTS OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SPAIN, OR ITS SIGLO DE ORO: LUIS DE GNGORA Y ARGOTE (15611627) AND MIGUEL DE CERVANTES (15471616). THE EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTED PICASSO'S REINTERPRETATION OF VELZQUEZ'S PORTRAIT OF GNGORA, HIS VISION OF THE IDEAL WOMAN, AND HIS DEPICTION OF THE ICONIC FIGURES FROM CERVANTES'S NOVEL DON QUIXOTE. FEATURING A RECENT ACQUISITION, PICASSO'S SUITE OF PRINTS, GNGORA'S VINGT POMES (1948), THE SHOW DISPLAYED RARELY SEEN ART ALONGSIDE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY EDITIONS AND MANUSCRIPTS. AS SUCH, IT AFFORDED VISITORS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS PICASSO IN A NEW CONTEXT, BUT ALSO ONE CONSISTENT WITH THE MISSION OF THE HSML.MUSEUM DEPARTMENTTHE STARTING OF THE FISCAL YEAR BEGAN WITH IN-HOUSE EXHIBITIONS SHOWN AT THE HISPANIC SOCIETY MUSEUM & LIBRARY'S MAIN GALLERY IN THE EAST GALLERY, AS WELL AS IN THE NEWLY RENOVATED MAIN COURT AND GALLERY ONE, INCLUDING: ANATOMY OF A FRESCO: DRAWINGS OF JOS CLEMENTE OROZCO FROM THE WORNICK COLLECTION (SEPTEMBER 15 - NOVEMBER 19, 2023); A COLLECTION WITHOUT BORDERS (SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 - MARCH 30, 2024 AND JULY 25 - OCTOBER 20, 2024); THE WORD-SHIMMERING SEA: DIEGO VELZQUEZ | ENRIQUE MARTNEZ CELAYA (APRIL 18 - JULY 14, 2024); AND WEARING POWER: LUXURY AND STATUS IN ANCIENT IBERIA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 - JANUARY 5, 2025). OUTDOOR EXHIBITIONS ON AUDUBON TERRACE INCLUDED WOMEN OF THE HISPANIC SOCIETY.COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONSTHE FY24 PERIOD INCLUDED LOAN AGREEMENTS WITH THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART, LIGHT ART EXHIBITIONS/FUNDACIN BANCAJA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, BUCERIUS KUNST FORUM, CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY'S MARY M. TORGGLER FINE ARTS CENTER, HERBERT F. JOHNSON MUSEUM OF ART AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY, SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART, AND THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS INCLUDED SPAIN AND THE HISPANIC WORLD: TREASURES FROM THE HISPANIC SOCIETY MUSEUM & LIBRARY, AT THE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY MUSEUM OF ARTTHE EXHIBITION'S EIGHTH AND FINAL VENUE. FINALLY, THE MUSEUM DEPARTMENT WAS INVOLVED IN COORDINATING LOANS AT NUMEROUS LOCAL INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.