Style and Art

The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum at Chicago, has changed its name to the National Museum of Mexican Art.

The museum, opened in 1987, in a renovated boat craft shop in Pilsen's Harrison Park decided to do some status-seeking as its 20th anniversary approachs. Carlos Tortolero, its president and, said that, if anything, the name change is overdue.

“No one would argue that we're No. 1″ as a Latino arts organization, he said in an interview last week in the museum. “As a Mexican institution, no one rivals us.”

The mission of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is to stimulate and preserve knowledge and appreciation of Mexican culture through sponsoring events and exhibitions that exemplify the rich variety of visual and performing arts in the Mexican culture; to develop a significant permanent collection of Mexican art; to encourage the professional development of Mexican artists; and to offer arts education programs.

The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is the nation's largest Latino arts institution and the only Latino museum accredited by the American Association of Museums.