The Banco de la República Cultural Center in Cúcuta is a space for research and gatherings. It focuses on exploring the knowledge of this diverse border region that neighbors the Venezuelan cities of Ureña and San Antonio. Its collection of materials documenting the region is constantly growing and the spirit of the spaces is focused on research, knowledge dialogues, and enjoyment of diverse cultural manifestations. It has a Regional Documentation Center that has an important collection on the Greater Santander and the Venezuelan border, in addition to access to the catalogue of Banco de la República’s Library Network, a multipurpose room fitted for concerts and exhibitions, a room for educational exhibitions, and a music room.
At the center, the community may access temporary exhibitions from Banco de la República’s art collection, the Cúcuta Music Festival, other concerts from the national concert season in the Multipurpose room, and all the technical and research capacity of Banco de la República’s Cultural Network. Its programs and services have been consistent over time and, as evidenced by the public’s reception, have contributed to the transformation of the regional reality. This Cultural Center seeks to motivate reflection on the knowledge and particularities of the encounters that take place in this border city, as well as to contribute to the recovery, conservation, analysis, study, and dissemination of cultural heritage through the collections, services, and cultural activities that are carried out in its spaces. At the Cultural Center, the community of Cúcuta can enjoy all the services offered by Banco de la República’s cultural network.
History
The Banco de la República Cultural Center in Cúcuta opened to the public in February 1985 with its offices in the old facilities of Banco de la República, located on the corner of Calle 10 and Avenida 5, in the center of the city. Initially, it only had a small room and its work was essentially inter-institutional. Two years later, in July 1987, the Cultural Center was moved to the central bank’s new offices (Diagonal Santander # 3E - 38) where it is currently located. It is a strategic location because it is on one of the avenues with the most access to public transportation and it is connected to the city’s most important commercial centers, which has allowed users throughout the city to access its services. In recent years, programming has been strengthened, with important developments in the fields of art and music, and events and programs that have been consolidated and preserved over time. These include the Cúcuta Music Festival, music appreciation programs, and multiple workshops on art and museography carried out for more than two decades and that have contributed to the training of regional artists, which is evident in their significant participation in the Imagen Regional program exhibitions.
