Volume II — Number 98
April 2017
Monthly Newsletter
Newsletter
Jiri Karel A good congress. The last weekend of last March was held in San Sebastián the XXV National Congress of the Associations of Friends of Museums. Representing our Association we participate our Secretary and I. A detailed summary of this event is included on page 5 of this Bulletin. In my opinion, I have to say that, in general, it has been a good Congress.
M. A. Carretero.
in the approach of the sessions. Thus, he established the figures of the coordinator and the secretary for each of the working groups that were formed in Congress. I was chosen as one of the coordinators for one of the three working groups that were to be organized in the Congress, and a few days before moving to San Sebastian we had a meeting at the headquarters of Elmuro, entity in charge of the general coordination of the Academic session of the Congress.
To my mind, the absence of museum directors contributes greatly to an The idea was that, through event that is solely the responsibility of the Friends the intervention of the of Museums Associations. components of each group, experiences, problems and opportunities, from the Already since the XVII perspective of the Congress held in Vigo in association and its March 2009, we were showing our disagreement relationship with the with the participation of the museum and society, would directors of museums in our be revealed. Congresses. The conclusions of each group were presented by However, since this issue Nuestra sede: has been rectified for some their respective Castillo Grande de representatives in a plenary years, we continue to S.J. de Valderas session held at the end of believe that the working Avda. Los Castillos, s/n sessions are not of the morning of the second sufficient duration to enable day of the Congress. 28925 ALCORCÓN. the members to present (MADRID) The group meeting had to be info@amigosmava.org their opinions and discuss held in an hour, which we solutions on the matters covered in these sessions. considered to be insufficient for the members of each team to present their ideas This year, the Federation introduced a slight change about the extent to which the topics covered.
by Robert Muro, director of Elmuro, seemed to me of great interest and enjoyed with its contents. The concerts celebrated by the Landarbaso Choir and the duo formed by soprano Amaia Azpiazu along with guitarist Xabier Ugarte were excellent. The first one can be heard through this link. The program was magnificent, starting with a guided visit to the San Telmo Museum, whose Friends Association was the organizer of the Congress, followed by another to the beautiful city of San Sebastián, a dinner in the restaurant La Perla, visits to the Diocesan Museum, The Naval Museum, the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum and the Chillida Leku Museum, where one of the sons of the genius Chillida commented on the different aspects of his father's life and work. A good Congress entitled "Culture and society, where are we going? Friends of Museums in times of change.
Therefore, we express our most expressive congratulations and gratitude to the organizing entity, the Friends of the San Telmo Museum and, once again, the team of the Spanish Federation of Friends of Museums for the enormous effort made to celebrate this In my opinion, it should have Congress and the treatment been extended with the offered to the attendees. planned time in the afternoon for the visit to the The next one will be City. celebrated in 2018 in Huelva and its organization will be in Both the lecture given on charge of the Friends of the Friday 24 by the art historian Onubense Museum. We Javier González de Durana hope it will be another good and the Saturday 25 offered Congress.