Nahím Isaías Museum: What Is Its Mission And Contribution To Ecuador

Nahim Isaias Museum: What is its Mission and Contribution To Ecuador

In this new article, you will get to know, in detail, the Nahím Isaías museum. You will discover its mission and contribution to the culture and art of Ecuador.

When was the Nahim Isaias museum Inaugurated ?

The Nahím Isaías museum has a great history, and it is not only based on constant help to people, but also on instilling culture and art.

Guayaquil has witnessed great works throughout history. 

Its inauguration dates back to 1989, thanks to Nahím Isaías Barquet, who was part of the history of philanthropy in Ecuador.

This museum has more than two thousand pictorial pieces and sculptures from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

That June 25th, it opened its doors with an exhibition of “Colonial Art from the Quito School” and “Republican Art.”

Why is it called the Nahím Isaías museum?

The name of the emblematic museum of Guayaquil is due to Nahím Isaías Barquet since he was the one who promoted the development of cultural and artistic practices.

Why?

Isaías studied art at the Colonial School in Quito. 

Thanks to this, he gathered paintings related to Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Ecuadorian Coast, modern and contemporary art.

His commitment to Guayaquil society was always his life goal.

The impact of Nahím Isaías on the culture and education of Guayaquil has been significant.

The creation of his Isaías Dassum foundation is a clear example of his mark.

Exhibitions of the Nahím Isaías museum

There are two types of exhibitions: temporary and permanent.

• Temporary: they present different emerging works of art; there is a specific space for their exhibition.

Most of them highlight the Ecuadorian culture of previous centuries.

• Permanent: pictorial and sculptural works stand out regarding the colonization and conquest of the Spanish in Latin American territory.

There are two opposite worlds:

• Aboriginal: according to the Cambridge Dictionary, the aboriginal concept defines it as:

“A member of a race of people who were the first people to live in a country, before any colonists arrived”.

It shows the thoughts and beliefs that the natives had before the conquest.

• Western culture: Christianity became known throughout the American territory and managed to transform all kinds of indigenous beliefs.

Thanks to these two characteristics, art became a valuable testimony to learn, highlight and see directly those customs that stood out before the Renaissance technicality.

In the same way, thanks to these types of exhibitions, it was possible to discover Christian semiology after the conquest and how they communicated the feudal mystical ideal.

In a way, they tell us, with paintings and sculptures, the history of Latin America and its impact on current culture.

Nahím Isaías Museum: opening hours

We highlight the contact details of this important museum, located in Plaza de la Administración, an important and symbolic place in Guayaquil:

The Nahím Isaías museum is located on Avenida Pichincha and calle Clemente Ballén. It opens daily with the hours mentioned above, and entrance is free.

Where is the Nahím Isaías museum located?

The museum is located in the center of the city of Guayaquil, a historic neighborhood.

There they host restaurants and cafes recognized for years.

The Administration Square is a symbolic place, where the walls and streets keep the entire history of the city’s independence.

One of the center’s attractions is the Arosemena passage, as it is one of the urban values of the city.

This passage can take you to the Nahím Isaías museum and, incidentally, see the most beautiful places in Guayaquil.

Nahím Isaías Museum: address

Its exact location is Avenida Pichincha and Calle Clemente Ballén, in the Administration Square.

In this square, all the heritage buildings, monuments, and architecture highlight the city’s history and culture.

What is the mission of the Nahím Isaías museum?

Nahím Isaías has left a significant legacy thanks to his philanthropic foundation.

For Nahím Isaías, the objective was always to help those with low economic resources and without the possibility of a decent education.

For this reason, the primary mission of the Nahím Isaías museum is to educate adults and children about Ecuadorian culture through art.

The museum shows more than two thousand pieces representing Ecuadorian culture before and after the conquest, including a sample dedicated to the pre-Columbian period of Ecuador.

They are archaeological pieces belonging to the indigenous cultures that inhabited the territory.

The museum also exhibits French-style European paintings, sculptures, and objects.

On the other hand, the exhibition “Jesús de Nazareth, camino y arte” is a clear example of contemporary design.

It is based on the life of Jesus, always highlighting colonial art.

These two examples define the museum’s mission on a cultural and artistic level.

What is the contribution of the Nahím Isaías museum to the culture of Ecuador?

The contribution of the Nahím Isaías museum is the teaching of pre-Hispanic culture through colonial art, in which the customs and traditions of the indigenous people are emphasized.

In the same sense, the evangelizing mission of the conquerors can be read, led by Christian motives.

Therefore, the fusion of these two stages of history has achieved that indigenous elements influenced colonial art:

• The architecture; 
• Traditions;
• Society;
• Art: painting, music, etc;
• Legends and myths.

Conclusions

Thanks to this article, we can understand the history, objective, exhibitions, schedules, etc., of the Nahím Isaías museum. 

Therefore, we can conclude that:

• Its inauguration was on June 25th, 1989;
• The name is due to Nahím Isaías Barquet;
• In the museum, there are two types of exhibitions: temporary and permanent;