There are spaces that hold objects and there are spaces that hold stories. The Santiago Paredes Museum, which is part of the identity of the Nuestra Señora de la Consolación School, is one of them.
On Saturday, August 29, the institution opened its doors to share with the community an experience that allowed them to connect with the artistic and cultural heritage of San Juan through a vibrant, participatory, and interactive lens. Parents of students, alumni, former teachers, families, artists from the province, and residents of the department came to explore, discover, and appreciate this legacy that the institution safeguards and makes available to new generations.
The event also had a significant impact on various media outlets, including press, radio and television, which helped to publicize the value of this proposal and the richness of the heritage preserved by the College.
A story that began more than four decades ago
Santiago Paredes' presence at the Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Consolación is not recent. In 1983, the artist himself visited the institution and publicly created one of his works there: the face of Velázquez's Christ. That experience marked the beginning of a relationship that, over the years, transformed into a true commitment to the preservation and transmission of his work and his legacy.
Paredes, a renowned self-taught artist from San Juan, dedicated much of his life to portraying the landscape, customs, people, and architecture of his homeland. His works also constitute a valuable testament to the San Juan that vanished with the 1944 earthquake.
Today, part of that legacy remains in the Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, which has become a unique space within the province: an educational institution that, at the same time, safeguards and shares a significant part of San Juan's artistic heritage.
A recognition that moved
One of the particularly significant moments of the day was the presence of Susana Paredes, daughter of the renowned artist , who supported the proposal and expressed her recognition and gratitude for the work that the institution has been doing to preserve, value and transmit the legacy of her father.
His presence had a special meaning: it allowed the memory of the artist to reconnect with the present and confirm that what Santiago Paredes left to San Juan continues to be valued and passed on to new generations.
The recognition from his family is undoubtedly an incentive to continue strengthening this space that not only preserves works, but also links, memories and a part of the cultural history of our province.
A community that makes the museum possible
The day was also an opportunity to recognize and thank so many people who made it possible for the Santiago Paredes Museum to open its doors and welcome the community.
Behind every artwork, every tour, and every explanation lay time, commitment, and dedication. Administrators, teachers, and students enthusiastically participated in preparing the program, contributing their talents to an experience that allowed them to learn, share, and appreciate heritage from an educational perspective.
Artists from the province and entrepreneurs from the department also joined in, enriching the day and creating a space for encounter between culture, education, art and the local community.
To all of them, our recognition and gratitude.
Because a museum truly comes alive when people engage with what it preserves. And in this case, that engagement is expressed in an educational community that understands that educating also means safeguarding memory, valuing culture, and opening it up to others .
A heritage that continues to speak
The successful turnout for this event confirms the community's interest in and appreciation for this heritage. Every visitor who enters the Santiago Paredes Museum encounters not only paintings, drawings, and objects, but also a part of San Juan's history and the legacy of an artist who understood his land and captured it for future generations.
From the Nuestra Señora de la Consolación School, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who came, to those who collaborated in the organization, to the media outlets that supported and publicized the initiative, to the artists and entrepreneurs who participated, to the families, alumni and former teachers who returned to the school where they grew up, and especially to Susana Paredes , for her presence and for her words of appreciation.
May this meeting inspire us to continue caring for and sharing this heritage.
Because when art is preserved, memory remains .
When shared, memory becomes community .
And when it is handed over to new generations, memory becomes the future .