España | Florida - Foundation 500 Años

			In creating the first Latino museum in the United States, designers should gather together the cultural diversity, imagination and significance of the Hispanic legacy in this country, several experts and speakers agreed Thursday in Miami. The Commission on the National Museum of the American Latino met Thursday at Miami Dade College with different associations to discuss the viability of building such an institution in the U.S. capital. The commission listened to the assessments of experts regarding the project, which will highlight the contribution made to U.S. history by different Hispanic communities from their inception to the present day. Cuban architect Raul L. Rodriguez said that the museum "should have a touch of 'magical realism,'" should "characterize the Hispanic" and should merge the fantastic with the everyday. Rodriguez also emphasized that the diversity of the museum shows the extensive contribution of all groups of Latinos to the country's culture and history. The 22 members of the commission in September must present to the U.S. Congress and the White House a report with their final conclusions on the museum project based upon the recommendations of experts. Among its other tasks, the commission will have to evaluate the potential of the Latino museum and its capacity for drawing together various expressions of the art, culture and history from among the Hispanic community in the United States. Another aspect of the project that is being studied in depth is the selection of the best site for the NMAL. Alonso Henriques, the president of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Council, expressed the willingness of his organization to help collect funds for the creation of the museum. For its part, the Spain-Florida 500 Foundation expressed its unconditional support for the project and recalled that in 2013 the state of Florida will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon on its shores from Puerto Rico. In accord with that, the foundation emphasized that the Latino museum should accent the importance of the state of Florida and the contribution of Spain in the exploration, evangelization and colonization of the area that eventually became the southeastern United States. In the judgment of the Spain-Florida 500 Foundation, the museum will be a project that will provide unique proof of the legacy of the successive generations of Hispanics in this country. Since its inception, the action plan for the museum's construction has been a joint effort by the Republican and Democratic parties. The bill was signed into law in 2008 by President George W. Bush. The sponsors of the bill include Congressman Xavier Becerra (California) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida); former Democratic Sen. KenSalazar (Colorado), who is the current U.S. interior secretary, and former Sen. Mel Martinez. All indications are that the cultural project is moving ever closer to becoming a reality. Becerra said the creation of the museum will cost between $250 million and $500 million, and it will have to be financed via contributions and donations from the private sector. The hosts of Thursday's meeting were MDC President Eduardo Padron, music producer and businessman Emilio Estefan and public relations executive Aida Levitan.
	First Latino museum in U.S. should reflect diversity and legacy Source: EFE date: 02-26-2010