Taking a page from Bilbao’s book (see The Guggenheim Museum Will Stay in Bilbao Until 2034), Pamplona is hoping that opening an art museum will help attract tourism year round, not just during the Spanish town’s famous running of the bulls.
The Guardian reports that the Museo Universidad de Navarra was opened this week by King Felipe VI, who called the institution “a great advance in culture and education.” The collection, much of which was donated by María Josefa Huarte Beaumont, the daughter of a local construction magnate, includes Rothko, Picasso, and Kandinsky. Her decision to donate the artworks was the impetus for the museum.
In addition to these big names, the Huarte family is committed to displaying works by young local artists. The museum hopes to “produce works with artists rather than acquire new work,” according Rafael Llano of the museum’s artistic committee. The building’s architect, Rafael Moneo, is also a native of the province.
The museum opens with a roster of five exhibitions, including a collection of photographs taken in North Africa during the early years of the 20th century, and “Abstraction and the Modern,” a display of the Huarte collection.