Art City Tour: San José’s Best Kept Art Secret
Art City Tour: San José’s Best Kept Art Secret, San Jose art scene: In just over two square kilometers of San José’s Greater Metropolitan Area — known as Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM) — you will find most of the entire country’s museums, theaters, galleries, cultural centers, parks, squares and heritage buildings. This area also houses 57% of Costa Rica’s population, bringing together many cultures and people.
Inspired by this diversity in culture, the GAM Cultural platform was born in 2009 as a kind of bridge for communicating and connecting all that the city has to offer.
The success of Art City Tour
is like that of a marriage,
creating a link between a vibrant city
and its art and culture.
For the ninth consecutive year, GAM Cultural has developed many programs to arouse public interest in discovering San José’s richness of arts and culture. That includes our Art City Tour, which has captivated locals and foreigners alike.
Since inception, this unique urban cultural experience has attracted more than 101,264 visitors to explore San José’s special places free of charge. In 2017 alone, more than 17,286 people participated in the six Art City Tours.
Volunteer explains evening logistics to visitors. Photo: Jose Tenorio
Art City Tour groups are guided through a selection of cultural spaces accommodating 15 to 40 people each, depending on the date, theme, and dynamics. These include museums, galleries, cultural centers, design stores, squares, restaurants and heritage buildings in San José Center and nearby neighborhoods such as Amón, Otoya, Escalante, Los Yoses and Sabana.
Specific geographic zones for each Art City Tour are connected by routes suitable for urban transportation modes such as a bus, cycling or walking. Visitors have free access to all participating spaces and transportation during the night. Meeting places are at well known public locations throughout the city.
Workshop at the Museum of Art and Contemporary Design (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo). “Chepe on Vacation” edition, July 2018.
Regular tour hours are from 5 to 9 p.m. The exception is “La Noche en Blanco” in November, extended until midnight.
As founding director of GAM Cultural, I think the success of Art City Tour is like that of a marriage, creating a link between a vibrant city and art and culture.
Five different cycling groups at the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano. Photo : GAM Cultural
Being a cultural enterprise that integrates related initiatives and collectives, the program is financially supported by like-minded sponsoring groups. They too recognize the benefit of investment in culture and striving to revitalize San José’s attractions.
Next Art City Tour
La Noche en Blanco
November 16, 2018
5pm to Midnight
For each tour, there are seven locations around the city, all points of interest and easily accessible, where free transportation is available to take visitors from one location to another.
Sector East
• Museo Calderón Guardia, Barrio Escalante
Central Sector
• Museum of Art and Contemporary Design
• Jade Museum and the pre-Columbian culture
• Museums of the Central Bank, Plaza de la Cultura
Sector North
• National Gallery and Penitentiary Museum
Sector West
• Costa Rican Art Museum, Sabana Este
Contact:
Download the App: GAM Cultural