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Laurinda Santos Lobo Cultural Center and José de Alencar Library reopen in Santa Teresa
Published on 19/12/2024 - 16:09 | Updated
The Laurinda Santos Lobo Cultural Center, in Santa Teresa, reopens this Monday (23/12) - Disclosure/ Municipal Department of Culture Next Monday (23/12), the Laurinda Santos Lobo Municipal Cultural Center will reopen its doors, along with the José de Alencar Municipal Library, both located at Rua Monte Alegre 306, in Santa Teresa. Part of the Rio de Janeiro City Hall's network of cultural facilities, the complex is undergoing the largest restoration and requalification process in its history thanks to the Cultura do Amanhã program. The amount invested in the cultural center and the library is R$1,389 million.
– Laurinda Santos Lobo was a visionary who transformed Brazilian culture by embracing and promoting the artistic avant-garde of her time. The revitalization of the cultural center that bears her name, as well as the José de Alencar Library, dedicated to one of the country’s greatest writers, renews Santa Teresa’s role as a territory of experimentation and cultural effervescence, connecting tradition and modernity – said the Municipal Secretary of Culture, Marcelo Calero.
Construction work on the cultural center began last August. The first stage included revitalizing the façade, renewing the window frames and painting, while maintaining the pink tone that became a trademark of the mansion, built in 1907.
The wall was also restored, the gardens were restored and the fire system was renovated. To ensure full accessibility to Laurinda Santos Lobo, an elevator was installed and will be in operation from January. Work on the mansion will continue until August 2025, when the complex will be fully renovated.
A library of tomorrow
The José de Alencar Municipal Library, located next to the Laurinda Santos Lobo Cultural Center, returns to the scene as an entirely new facility, after undergoing a complete renovation of its infrastructure, including the replacement of the electrical and hydraulic networks and the restoration of the facade frames.
In addition to being part of the Cultura do Amanhã program, the unit is part of the second phase of the Bibliotecas do Amanhã program, which seeks to transform these spaces into places for cultural enjoyment and production, as well as study and community integration. In this way, in addition to gaining full accessibility, with ramps and walkways, José de Alencar received new furniture and collections and will have a systematic program.
Tribute to a patron of the arts
Laurinda Santos Lobo, known as a patron of the Belle Époque in Rio de Janeiro, stood out as one of the pioneers in supporting the artistic and intellectual avant-garde in Brazil. Born in Cuiabá on May 4, 1878, she settled in Santa Teresa, but did not occupy the mansion on Rua Monte Alegre.
She lived in the mansion that is now the Glória Maria Municipal Park. There she received musicians, writers, painters and politicians.
In addition to being a patron, Laurinda was a defender of social causes and an enthusiast of progress. She died in Rio de Janeiro on July 16, 1946, and, at the suggestion of residents and artists from the neighborhood, in 1979, the Laurinda Santos Lobo Municipal Cultural Center was created.
Multiple artistic languages
Also on Monday (23/12), the first exhibition to occupy the Cultural Center in this new phase will open: “Love: (de)construction of affections in Laurinda Santos Lobo”. Curated by the Association of Visual Artists of Santa Teresa – Chave Mestra, the collective brings together works by more than 40 artists based in the traditional neighborhood of Santa Teresa and presents different expressions, such as photography, painting, sculpture, installation and performance.
The works explore the theme of love, inspired by the visionary woman who gives the cultural facility its name. The exhibition, produced by Beatriz Roza and Edite Coelho, will be on display until March 16, 2025.
– The reopening of the Laurinda Santos Lobo Municipal Cultural Center marks the resumption of its vocation as a space for welcoming the arts in Santa Teresa. A meeting point for the artistic community, which invites the public to discover the rich creative and cultural tradition of the neighborhood – said the manager of Cultural Centers of the Municipal Department of Culture, Gisele Nery.
Hours
The Laurinda Santos Lobo Cultural Center and the José de Alencar Municipal Library will be open from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 18 pm.
