The Museum of Latin American Art will be celebrating its 20th year anniversary on Feb. 27. The first day is an opening reception for many of its members while it will be open to the public starting Feb. 28. The exhibit is open to the public until Jan. 1, 2017 with an admission fee of $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens.

The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free every Sunday. It is also celebrating the accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition for a museum in the United States.

"It's a great moment for the museum and for the community.Some people don't realize this museum has been here for 20 years and don't recognize the importance of this museum," museum CEO Stuart Ashman said.

In the 20 years of its existence, the museum has featured more than 130 exhibits of artwork by Fernando Botero, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Frida Kahlo, Wifredo Lam and Diego Rivera.

History

MOLAA was founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner, MD in 1996. Its location in Long Beach, California is the former building of the Balboa Amusement Producing Company.

MOLAA is the only museum in the United States that was established just for modern and contemporary Latin American art. Its collections include works of Carlos Cruz-Diez, Roberto Matta, Los Carpinteros, Rufino Tamayo and Tunga.

The founder Dr. Gumbiner was not only a practicing physician and HMO manager but also a collector, patron and philanthropist of Latin American arts. Before establishing MOLAA, he contributed to different art galleries such as the Huntington Beach Arts Center, the CalState Art Museum and the Bowers Museum.

The museum's mission is to "[expand] knowledge and appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American art." It has various art collections, cultural events, educational programs and exhibits available for interested artists and visitors.

20th Anniversary Program

The exhibition will include about 150 paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures from more than 20 countries. It is part of the personal collection of Dr. Gumbiner that also includes Chicano and U.S. Latino artworks. Among the pieces are from Ecuador's greatest artist Eduardo Kingman and Nicaraguan painter and poet Omar d'Leon.

The museum will be divided into two areas, the MOLAA collection and New Directions. The MOLAA collection focuses on contemporary Cuban art, contemporary photography, Mexican art and printmaking. On the other hand, New Directions will showcase Chicano and U.S. Latino art.

The MOLAA is expecting about 70,000 visitors this year, an increase from the previous year's record high of 63,000.