Didn’t Frida Kahlo teach painting and visual arts right here? This is Escuela Nacional de Pintura Escultura y Grabado La Esmeralda. It’s a Mexican art school with a rich history. It stands within Mexico City’s Centro Nacional de las Artes. This is a large complex of schools for theater dance cinema and other arts.
La Esmeralda’s story starts in 1927. Guillermo Ruiz founded a sculpture and wood carving school. It was first located in the former La Merced Cloister. In the 1930s the school moved. Its new home was in the Callejón de la Esmeralda. This alley now bears the name Calle San Fernando. This location gave the school its famous nickname La Esmeralda.
Antonio M Ruiz took over as head of the school in 1943. He redesigned the building. He separated training into classes. Ruiz also developed the first curriculum. The Secretaría de Educación Pública certified it. This gave the school official status as an art school.
Many famous artists taught here. Diego Rivera Francisco Zúñiga and Frida Kahlo were among them. Carlos Orozco Romero Federico Cantú and Luis Ortiz Monasterio also taught at La Esmeralda. María Izquierdo Fidencio Castillo and Agustín Lazo completed the staff. Raúl Anguiano Feliciano Peña and José Chávez Morado were also teachers.
In 1964 La Esmeralda combined with other national fine arts schools. These schools were supervised by the INBAL. They stayed in the Guerrero location until 1994.
Then La Esmeralda moved to the Centro Nacional de las Artes. Ricardo Legorreta led this project. The new facilities span 12 hectares. It remains an important center for cultural development. It trains students in fine arts.
La Esmeralda is considered the best school for contemporary art. This applies to the entire country since 1996. It only offers undergraduate degrees though. It doesn’t have master’s or doctoral programs. The school is still one of the most important in Latin America.
In 2007 a new curriculum came into effect. It aimed to train professionals in visual arts. The goal was for them to develop a unique style. This style should be conceptually sound. It had to align with their historical and cultural moment. This would let them integrate into art circuits. They could then pursue higher education. They could work in teaching promotion and theory.
Many directors have guided La Esmeralda. Guillermo Ruiz led from 1927 to 1942. Antonio M Ruiz “El Corcito” followed from 1942 to 1952. Other directors include Carlos Alvarado Lang and Fernando Castro Pacheco. Benito Messeguer Rolando Arjona Amábilis and Arturo Estrada also served. Lorenzo Guerrero José Zúñiga Delgado and Mario Rendón each directed. Arturo Rodríguez Döring Othón Téllez and Eloy Tarcisio had their turn. Carla Rippey was the director. Currently Sergio Ricaño Gutiérrez is at the helm.
Today La Esmeralda continues to shape artists. It fosters creativity and innovation. As you leave take a moment to appreciate the legacy. It’s a place where art history continues to unfold.