This Friday, The Tico Times is going to do something we’ve never done before: We will open the doors to our office in Barrio Amón and invite the public inside. That’s right – our building on Avenida 11 will be an official stop on the Art City Tour.
But you won’t just find cubicles and coffee machines: To celebrate our first-ever open house, our staff has decorated the walls with archival photographs and favorite newspaper covers. Music will play in our vestibule. Staff members will be on-hand to greet you and talk about the paper.
Why do this? Well, ever since The Tico Times went all-digital in late 2012, a lot has changed around here. We have revamped our website, produced more ambitious multimedia projects, and attracted a much more diverse audience. But our mission is the same now as it was in 1956 – to break news and document life in Costa Rica – and despite some administrative changes, we are the same newspaper we’ve always been.
We want to celebrate that 58-year tradition with the people who matter most, our readers. We admire the Art City Tour, because it directly connects everyday people to cultural institutions, free of charge, and celebrates Costa Rica’s quirky capital city. It is an honor to join the Art City family and welcome the community into our working space.
For readers of a certain age, our gallery of photographs and front-page covers will mean a stroll down memory lane. For younger folks, this series is a chance to learn about our provenance – not just the people who made headlines, but the reporters who wrote about them and the photographers who illustrated events as they transpired.
We hope you’ll take the time to visit and share some time with us. As ever, thanks for reading!
The Art City Tour takes place Nov. 21 in downtown San José. The Tico Times is located on Avenida 11, between Calle 5 and 7, Barrio Amón. 5 – 10 p.m. Free. For more information about The Art City Tour, visit GAM Cultural.
