Planning a visit to the Rufino Tamayo Museum? Good choice to see modern and contemporary art! But, before your visit, here are some surprising facts about the artist and the venue, as well as general info about the museum: address, opening hours, price, etc.
1. It was a golf club!
In 1981 the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Internacional Rufino Tamayo opened its doors to the public. However, the project started almost 10 years earlier: in 1972. The artist and his wife Olga Tamayo wanted to create a space to showcase the contemporary art that emerged after World War II.
They decided that the Chapultepec Forest would be the site of the building, due to the cultural and natural importance of this site. Thus, the Mexico City government granted Tamayo a space in the forest, land where the Azteca Golf Club was located.
2. There is a museum with pre-Hispanic pieces in Oaxaca
Rufino Tamayo not only developed the cDMX museum the museum is located in the center of Oaxaca, but also the Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art of Mexico. From a young age, the muralist conserved and collected pre-Hispanic pieces.
Then, the government of Oaxaca donated a viceregal building so that it could display such a collection; it donated about 1,300 pieces! Currently, this venue has five halls, in addition to offering cultural activities and promoting different artistic expressions.
3. About Olga Flores Rivas
Throughout the painter’s story, we hear the name of Olga, his wife. Olga Flores Rivas, better known as Olga Tamayo, was a pianist; she studied at the National Conservatory of Music. When she met Rufino, together they promoted cultural and artistic projects in Mexico and other countries.
During their marriage, which lasted 57 years, Olga collected a lot of objects such as photos, diaries, magazines, books, films and other items about her and her husband. These objects make up the Tamayo Archive housed in the museum.
Please note that to meet him you need to make an appointment in advance. You can request more information via e-mail at info@museotamayo.org or by calling 55 4122 8200.
4. Tamayo did not accept donations?
It should be remembered that Rufino Tamayo had the objective of vindicating the interpretation of art in Mexico (which was focused on politics and revolutionary nationalism). Thus, he explored artistic expressions from spiritual and aesthetic perspectives.
It was also focused on collecting pieces from artistic currents that emerged after World War II. Together with Olga, Tamayo dedicated himself to buying works of the best quality to form his collection.
He avoided donations and exchanges, as this gave him the freedom to create his own criteria for art. The museum currently features donations that contemporary artists have made to the museum. Some of them belong to Pedro Reyes, Pablo Vargas Lugo and Gabriel Orozco.
5. Tamayo Museum General Info
Now that you have an overview of this iconic venue, you should know that it is open 🕛 Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The general admission ticket costs 💵 $90 and only cash payment is accepted.
Admission is free for children under 12, students, teachers and seniors with ID. The sundays the ticket is free of charge for all audiences. The Tamayo Museum is located at 📍 Paseo de la Reforma 51, Bosque de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo.