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Mérida, Yucatán — Part of the Palacio de la Música, which opened a month ago, will be closed for the first 16 days in August for “adjustments.”
The high-tech museum is filled with interactive exhibits such as touch screens that guide visitors through the history of Yucatecan trova.
The changes, which are being described as a phase in the museum’s development, will cost 29 million pesos, or roughly US$1.5 million, a bill split between state and federal governments.
The rest of the Palace will be open. An art exhibition, “Pinceles de la Península,” will remain open for three weeks. It includes 134 music-themed paintings by local and foreign artists using oil, acrylics or pastels to create figurative or abstract works. Free talks about the works are Thursdays in the Callejón del Congreso corridor, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
After announcing the temporary closure, Sedeculta director Roger Metri Duarte said that in its first month, the Music Palace welcomed nearly 12,000 visitors, or an average of 350-400 people a day.
A pilot program of free guided tours has been held at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., in addition to live serenade concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.
He commented that this room is still a work in progress.
“Once the committee has been set up and the money has arrived — from the State Cultural Infrastructure Support Program — we will work on the most playful and interactive part,” said Metri Duarte.
Metri Duarte stated that they are about to complete the academic and administrative part of this cultural site. By Aug. 17, work must be completed. “In the morning we will have educational visits,” he said.
On the verge of concluding the present state administration, Metri Duarte promised a smooth transition to a new state government run by an opposing party.
“We are already finishing our documentation for the transition, we are putting everything in order,” he added.
When questioned by a reporter about his future, Metri Duarte replied that he will dedicate himself to poetry.
Built on the site of the former state legislature, and surrounded by some of the Centro’s most iconic and historic sites, the complex contrasts with its neighboring neoclassical symphony hall and a 17th-century church. Aside from the museum, it contains a performance space and research center.
Originally slated to open by the end of 2017, the Palacio de la Música opened in June, reportedly for 400 million pesos, 70 million more than originally projected.
With information from Desde el Balcón
