Jade Museum Costa Rica

Schedule: from Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Phone: +506 2287-6034
Address:
on 7th avenue, between 9th and 11th streets, at the INS building, district: Carmen, canton: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.

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On October 30th, 1924, the Congress of the Republic of Costa Rica adopted the Law No. 12 which created a monopoly on insurance in favor of the State, giving it the name of Insurance National Bank, and 24 years later, changed its name to the National Insurance Institute (INS in Spanish). This institution aims to provide protection and service to the people of Costa Rica.

In the seventies, the National Insurance Institute faced the situation of relentless stealing and commercialization of archaeological objects, both inside and outside the national territory, so the museum acquired artifacts from collectors by purchase and in a few cases, by donation. By then, the INS had made up its objects collection from pre-Columbian times to approximately 7000 pieces of various materials such as jade, ceramics, stone, gold, shell, wood, resin, bone and others. For these acquisitions and for historical reasons the aesthetic prevailed in contrast to the daily. On October 31st, 1977, the INS opened the Museum under the name “Archaeological Collection of the National Insurance Institute”, and then in 1980 with the agreement of the XI Session of 6556 of the current Directorate, it was renamed to Jade Museum (Museo del Jade).

Following the failure to restructure a lost cause due to the non-scientific excavation methods, the Jade Museum was given the task of promoting research projects, in order to learn the context, if possible, through the association of scientifically excavated objects. These investigations have worked in fields such as: anthropological, archaeological, geologist, artist and ethno-musical.

Jade Museum Costa Rica with over twenty years of operation has enabled thousands of nationals and foreign visitors to visit their exhibition halls, having the opportunity to admire one of the richest institutional collection of America. The variety of its objects, consisting of four collections, archeology, art, ethnography, numismatics; reflects one of the INS objectives, to generate a social contribution, through registration, documentation and exhibition of expositions.

For more than quarter of a century, the cultural heritage that the museum guards, has served as an ambassador to Costa Rica, by being part of international exhibitions displayed in different cities in America, Europe and Asia. The high quality of the art collection is reflected for instance in the significant number of works by renowned Costa Rican artists, representing various periods of the national plastic production, which on many occasions have been given on loan for exhibition and research.

The Jade Museum throughout these years has facilitated its showrooms, both to publicize the product of national and international artists as for exhibitions related to a wide range of subjects like history, science, technology and other topics related to human activity. Today it’s the only existing museum of pre-Columbian jade and the largest collection of this type in exhibition, since this archaeological museum shows not only jade objects but valuable pieces carved in stone and ceramics of high artistic quality. The museum is located on the first floor of the National Insurance Institute of Costa Rica.

The Contemporary Art and Design Museum Costa Rica

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The Contemporary Art and Design Museum Costa Rica (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo or MADC in Spanish) is located on the premises of the Former National Liquor Factory, founded in 1856. This is one of the greatest architectural and patrimonial sites of Costa Rica and is located in an important historical area of downtown San Jose. The old FANAL building after a radical restoration in the early nineties, became the National Culture Center (CENAC in Spanish).

The Contemporary Art and Design Museum, founded in 1994, is “an open and multiple space”. To achieve this ambitious idea, the museum promotes and disseminates on a permanent basis the most recent and dynamic trends of contemporary art and design within the Central American region, and its links with the Latin American and international areas.

The museum has 5 exhibition halls, including one auditorium-room and an outdoor space, “Pila de la Melaza” (molasses pile), which is used for multi-events (performances, installations, music, etc). The museum also has a coffee-shop (Room 2), exhibiting and marketing innovative and attractive products by Costa Rican, Central American and international designers. The MADC has a video library and documentation center where you can consult a wide variety of audiovisual materials from Central American and international artists, ranging from documents to video presentations, performances, among others. The Museum also has a wide range of catalogs and art & design books, from the museum and other institutions.

Address: On 13th St., between 3rd and 7th avenues, in CENAC building, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.935831,-84.073333 (9°56’8.99″N, 84°04’24.00″W)
Schedule: from Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Website: www.madc.ac.cr
Phone: +506 2257-9370

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Shapes, Spaces and Sounds Museum Costa Rica

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Shapes, Spaces and Sounds Museum Costa Rica opened its doors to the public on April 2002, it is a program of the Costa Rican Art Museum, established by Law 6091 published in the Scope No. 157 from the Gazette No.209 on November 4th, 1977. It is located in the Former Train Station with exhibits in architecture, music, literature and fine art, which can be touched and heard.

The museum’s exhibit program and infrastructure is designed in consideration of accessibility requirements, with complete commitment to the 7600 Act of Equal Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities, published in the Official Gazette No. 10 on May 29th, 1996 and also to Act 7555 of Architectural historical Heritage of Costa Rica. The Shapes, Spaces and Sounds Museum is a nonprofit program of the Costa Rican Art Museum, for training, education and awareness in all the arts through interactive spaces, educational programs and the use of multisensory stimulation techniques. Guided tours for students from 2 to 17 years of age are available.

Address: On 3rd Avenue, between 17th and 21st Streets, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934625,-84.069114 (9°56’4.65″N, 84°04’8.81″W)
Schedule: from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Phone: +506 2256-1281

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Abya Yala Theater, Costa Rica

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Abya Yala Theater, managed since its founding in 1991 by David Korish and Roxana Avila, it is an independent theater in Costa Rica, dedicated to creating original theatrical works. In addition to entertainment, providing entertainment and research spaces, teaching workshops, national and international conferences and seminars, it maintains an active role in field of fields of production and promotion of artistic and cultural activities in Costa Rica and Central America.

Abya Yala Theater has been awarded with the National Award for Best Theatrical Group in 1999, 2002 and 2006, as well as the Aquileo J. Echeverría prize in drama in 2002 for the play “Nos Esperamos”. Its original work “Sade” was Honorable Mention of the Uchimura Award of UNESCO in 2001.

The theater’s workshops are a service to communities, institutions, professional groups and performing arts amateurs. These workshops may involve the collaboration of other members of Abya Yala, according to the number of participants and needs of each workshop.

Besides David Korish and Roxana Avila, the Abya Yala Theater is currently comprised by Andrea Gómez, Oscar González, Janko Navarro, Grettel Méndez y Rolando Salas; together they maintain two types of work – entertaining and rehearsals that allow an integral, intense and personal development. Since 1996, the Abya Yala Theater has held three acting training and theatrical research labs, the first from 1996 to 1997, the second from 1997 to 2000 and the last from 2004 to present.

Address: at Colegio de Costa Rica towers in FANAL on 11th St., between 3rd. and 7th avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.935742,-84.071708 (9°56’08.67″N 84°04’18.15″W)
Website: www.teatro-abyayala.org
Phone:+(506) 2297-1663

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Giratablas Theater, Costa Rica

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The Giratablas Theater is an alternative space, which since 1997 houses proposals from independent groups of various artistic styles, including shows from the Giratablas Theater group.

The theater distinguishes for its constant professional programming of innovative performances, from both experienced and new talents, especially in the field of theatrical art. Here are also developed activities related to dance, music, literature, visual art and video. It has a stage of 36 m² and capacity for 90 spectators. In Giratablas Theater you can enjoy contemporary classical and experimental plays, from both universal and Costa Rican authors. The short seasons of the groups allow the viewer to enjoy during the year a variety of proposals.

In these 15 years of uninterrupted programming at the Giratablas Theater, more than 1500 national and international artists and over 300 groups have presented. Giratablas Cultural Association is an alternative cultural space that provides to both the physical and human planes, different areas for the development of initiatives in the area of cultural management and stage production.

The Giratablas Theater encourages projects that emerge from civil society, not only for the benefit of a large group of artists, but also to support research, production and artistic training. The option to implement projects of social interest through its association is made possible thanks to the mode of working as a counterpart with organizations and institutions with shared objectives.

Functions for adults are regularly scheduled Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and Sundays at 6 pm. For the whole family and especially for the smallest ones, the Children’s Theater program is on Sundays at 11 am and 2 pm. The Giratablas Theater is located diagonal to KFC in Barrio La California.

Address: Diagonal to KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Barrio La California, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.932014,-84.064844 (9°55’55.25″N, 84°03’53.44″W)
Phone:+(506) 2253-6001

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Variedades Theater, Costa Rica

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Built in 1892 as a theater and started working as a movie theater from 1920, projecting back then silent films and nowadays is still active, making it the oldest theater in San José. In 1999 it was declared Historic Architectural Heritage. The Municipality of San José wants to buy it to use it as the Municipal Theater. The theater has witnessed all sorts of cultural and social events throughout its history.

In August 1890, the Spanish businessman, Tomás Garita, began the construction of a new theater building, inaugurated in 1891 under the name “Variedades Theater” (Varieties Theater) with 384 seats. Its facade was decorated with images of dance, theater, lira, as well as masks and dragons. For the inauguration, the featured presentation was the French opera “La Mascota” (The Mascot) by Edouard Audran and by the Fajardo Vazcona company of Spanish Zarzuela and Operetta.

Once built the National Theater, the Variedades Theater functioned as an alternative to this. Costa Rica did not have a theatrical culture and that’s why the National Theater attracted a little public, while the presentations of zarzuelas at the Variedades Theater sold out. Artistic presentations that couldn’t be presented at the National theater for space reasons, were mounted at the Variedades.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century’s, the Variedades Theater gave significant space to social, cultural and politicalevents of the then burgeoning Costa Rican society. Presentation of silent movies began in 1906, together with zarzuelas and plays, becoming one of the most important cultural spots in the capital, as audience was very diverse, given the characteristics of the different shows that housed.

Its walls and three floors of seats, were the first to hear on June 10th, 1906, the powerful voice of the national tenor Manuel “Melico Salazar”. Beginning in the twenties, the Variedades Theater was devoted to the cinema. In November 1930, the theater projected the first Costa Rican film, “El Retorno” (The Return), directed by the Italian Romolo Bertoni and produced by Mario Urbini, owner of the theater at that time.

The theater was declared Architectural Heritage of Costa Rica, according to Executive Decree No. 28249-C, published in La Gaceta No. 232 on November 30th, 1999. Currently owned by the Leasing Company S.A., the theater remains projecting movie films, but several upgrades have been made to have the same technology in sound and image as the modern cinema malls. In recent years, there have been some activities such as the Costa Rican Film Festival, plays, concerts with groups like Malpais or the Nicaraguan Perrozompopo and other cultural activities and comedy shows such as “La media docena” (The half-dozen), among others.

The municipality of San José, has raised the idea of acquiring the property to make the Municipal Theater, and give a permanent place to the newly created “San Jose Theater Company”. If this goal becomes a reality, San José would have three big theaters, the beautiful National Theater, the grandiose Melico Salazar and the most ancient of the three, the Variedades Theater, which would end up turning San José into an icon of the Latin American theatrical culture.

Address: On 5 St., between central and 1st avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934417,-84.076322 (9°56’3.90″N 84°4’34.76″W)
Website: www.teatrovariedades.com
Phone:+(506) 2222-6108

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La Esquina Theater, Costa Rica

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La Esquina Theater (The Corner theater) invites you to spend a pleasant moment with us, marked by 10 years of life and more than 100 plays of laughters and fun. La Esquina Theater waits for you 100 meters west of the Magaly Movie Theater or 100 meters south of the Former train Station to the Atlantic, in Barrio La California, San José.

Address: 1st Av., 21st St., district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934031,-84.069033 (9°56’2.51″N 84°4’8.52″W)
Schedule: From Friday to Sunday at 8 p.m. onwards
Phone:+506 2257-0223

Address map: Click here to view directions from La Sabana Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO La Esquina Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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La Comedia Theater Costa Rica

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This small theater was founded by a group of independent artists. The idea behind the creation of this theater was to provide a forum for presenting original works from Costa Rica. Today, this theater offers a variety of functions each week, usually with a satirical humor related to the Costa Rican society.

The theater offers a small Café where you can enjoy a delicious Costa Rican coffee during the intermission.

Address: next to Mas x Menos supermarket on Central Av., between 11 and 15 St., district: Carmen, canton: San José, province: San José, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.933506,-84.073711 (9°56’00.62″N, 84°04’25.36″W)
Schedule: From Thursday to Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Phone:+506 2233-2170

Address map: Click here to view directions from La Sabana Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO La Comedia Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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La Aduana Theater, Costa Rica

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La Aduana (Customs) Theater frequently presents and organizes dances and plays, and it is also the home of the National Theater Company. It is now temporarily in the building assets of the Former Customs, which until recently operated the offices of the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (INVU in Spanish).

The reason for moving the theater and offices of the CNT (National Theater Group) is the beginning of the restoring process of the heritage buildings of the “Casa del Cuño”, where the theater operates. This new hall will be used for a short period, because we trust that the company releases its new theater in February 2010.

Both the size of the stage, as the amount of space available to the public in the temporary theater will be similar or even with more capacity than the available at La Aduana Theater. The plays that will be presented in this temporary place will be: “Figueroa” by Jorge Arroyo and the winner of the contest of the CNT.

Address: Behind Fercori, in Barrio La California, between 7 and 9 Av., 25 St., district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.934578,-84.066781 (9°56’4.48″N, 84°04’00.41″W)
Phone:+506 2257-8305

Address map: Click here to view directions from La Sabana Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO La Aduana Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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De la Danza Theater, Costa Rica

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Dance in Costa Rica has achieved a high development in recent years that claims to assert it’s presence within the government structures with an effective institutional response to address the many expectations from the industry and an active presence in society, which allows the Costa Rican citizens to have easier access to culture, an active participation in the development of their creative capacities, a direct contact with the new trends and a constant research of their own expressions.

The National Dance Company (CND in Spanish) is a cultural institution, created under Executive Order 10187-C, on July 10th, 1979. Since January 1st, 2000 it’s governed by the Executive Order No. 27991-C, as a program of the Melico Salazar Theater, both under the Ministry of Culture and Youth.

From it’s incorporation to the Melico Salazar Theater, all it’s processes are adjusted accordingly to Melico’s, allowing greater coordination between both institutions.

Covered under the theme you are part of the movement, the CDA is articulated through the following programs:

National and international tours:
In coordination with national and international institutions it does presentations in different regions of the country and internationally. The presented choreographs are proposals for repertoire.

Urban Area:
With national agencies, it does research projects on our popular and folk dances, which culminates with a show where modern dance echoes life in Costa Rica. This program seeks to explore the configuration of the city and the regions of Costa Rica through the imagination of humans who inhabit it.

Creative Encounter:
Production consists of interdisciplinary research, where it is intended that dance, music, poetry and drama mix as a whole production coordinated with agencies, companies and artists of international renown.

Independent Contact:

The movement of independent dance now represents a tuning fork through which the various artistic trends and searches in Costa Rica vibrate. Free of shackles of political or ideological order, it develops a pioneering work in the global art movement. The IC (Independent Contact) is a network, open and responsive to the creative forces of the independent movement of dance in Costa Rica. This is articulated through:
* Professional meetings and regular classes for independent dancers
* Infrastructure
* Production and Co-productions
* Movement of artists

To achieve the greatest impact on Costa Rican culture, it relies on partnerships with institutions related to dance, as well as other national and international independent agencies. The National Dance Company is supported by the administrative departments of the Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture and Youth.

Address: CENAC, Former National Liquor Factory, on 11th St., between 3rd ad 7th avenues, district: Carmen, canton: San Jose, province: San Jose, Costa Rica. Zone postal code: 10101.
GPS Coordinates: 9.935883,-84.073328 (9°56’09.18″N, 84°04’23.98″W)
Phone:+506 2222-2974 / +506 2257-5524

Address map: Click here to view directions from La Sabana Park, San Jose, Costa Rica TO De la Danza Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica.

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