Artists 21. Extension-Teaching-Research and Community Articulations through the Heritage of Luján

Abstract

The town of Luján (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina), is rich in its historical, cultural and religious heritage. Among its most outstanding institutions in the field of visual arts is the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts “Fernán Félix de Amador” (MMBA, in Spanish), whose role has  mutated in recent decades  into a cultural center and multipurpose hall, due to the lack of budget and public policies that should have prioritized its heritage and promoted public accessibility.

This paper presents the results of five years of work, carried out through the Artists 21 University Extension Project, of the National University of the Arts, based on an interdisciplinary and multisectoral proposal that involved a large work team. This project was aimed at strengthening the missions and functions of the MMBA within the framework of its 60th anniversary. To address them, we worked on three axes: 1) Heritage, 2) Territory and 3) Extension-Research-Teaching. Through these we proposed to articulate academic production, research and professional practices, with the enhancement of two donations by Rebuffo and Leone. They were received by this institution in order to share these materials with the community and promote access to the local heritage.

Among the main achievements, we highlight collective work and transdisciplinary learning, the university-museum-school-community articulations, the implementation of scholarships for students and the curricular extension practices. Finally we want to offer this important heritage to the community and build, together with Luján teachers, useful approaches, for the construction of situated knowledge and shared identities.