Casa del Arte

The need for an art collection was recognized from the foundation of the university in 1919, in large part as an educational benefit to the students. In 1929, the then rector, Enrique Molina Garmendia, proposed building a gallery, and in the 1950s Tole Peralta, a professor of art, lent impetus to the project. In January 1958, during the rectorship of David Stitchkin Branover, the university acquired an important collection of more than 500 Chilean paintings from the philanthropist Julio Vásquez Cortés. Construction of the building began in 1963, now with the additional objective of exhibiting the art to the whole community. The architects were Osvaldo Cáceres and Alejandro Rodríguez, and the building was originally intended to house the administrative offices of the university extension and the Department of Plastic Arts, as well as the art gallery. The site was an open space which had once contained the original university dental school, partly destroyed by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. the 13th International Conference of the Bryozoology Association in 2004 and exhibits and presentations by José Balmes, Valentina Cruz, ==Architecture and fittings==

The building is hexagonal in shape, with primary facades facing both the square and the remainder of the university, together with an entrance atrium from which a large window reveals the interior hall. The architecture is a mix of styles, Art Nouveau in the front section and neoclassical at the rear, the result of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. A skylight facing the campus illuminates the exhibition hall, while the main section of the building faces the Plaza Perú. One of the first trees planted in the university, a redwood, grows beside the museum. It has two floors; the upstairs spaces are wood-panelled. ==Collection==

The art displays contain the largest collection of Chilean artists during the period from 19th to the 20th centuries. The collections include foreign artists. The rectangular shape of the gallery enables the visitor to easily observe the evolution of Chilean art over time. This gallery is also equipped with tables and groups of antique chairs and has low artificial light so that visitors can rest there. The Sala Generación del Trece, also on the ground floor, contains a permanent exhibit of paintings from that artistic movement, including the well known Pintor bohemio by Ezequiel Plaza and Velorio de un Angelito by Arturo Gordon. This gallery is the largest after the main hall. On the upper floor, the Sala de los grandes maestros (gallery of great masters) is dedicated to masters of Chilean painting, including Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma's La ninfa de las cerezas, one of the most praised works of Chilean art. This gallery is polygonal in shape and formal in character; outside it, González Camarena's mural can be seen from a higher vantage point. The Sala Marta Colvin, on the ground floor, is named for the Chilean sculptor and houses temporary exhibitions by artists invited by the Casa del Arte or the university. This space was also designed to be adaptable to varying kinds of performance, and is used, for example, for readings, discussions and poetry recitals. On the basement level, reached by a corridor lined with windows, is the Sala CAP, named for the Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato, which contributed to its remodeling. This is used for temporary exhibitions of contemporary art in any medium, including audiovisual art. The majority of these works are contemplative in nature, and the room's simple colors and architectural irregularity allow it to be totally modified to suit the needs of a particular show. This room also has no exterior light sources, inviting the visitor to meditate on the art. Audiovisual commentary is sometimes provided. In addition, the Sala Universitaria, a basement space in the Plaza de Armas in the centre of Concepción, houses primarily works by regional artists. Since 2008, the University Extension has used it for an exhibit on the history of Chilean painting targeted particularly at children and teenagers. The Presencia de América Latina mural was recognized by the Government of Chile as a National Historic Landmark under Decree Number 147 of April 30, 2009. Also in recognition of its heritage and cultural value to the conurbation of Greater Concepción and Bío Bío Region, it was one of the cultural artifacts recognized with a plaque in 2009 in celebration of the Bicentennial of Chile in 2010. ==References==