Center to Pay Homage To Artists of Heredia

Heredia, north of San José, will soon have its much-awaited cultural center, thanks to President Oscar Arias’ signing a law Dec. 4 to create the Omar Dengo Cultural Center of Heredia.

Joining local authorities and artists from throughout the Heredia province, the president said, “Today we celebrate art and culture, peace and harmony, the aesthetics and education of beauty.”

“But first and foremost,” he said, “we celebrate our pride in being Heredianos.”

A nostalgic Arias waxed poetic about his hometown, which is north of San José.

“This is my land. Here is where my dreams, and many of yours, were born,” he said.

The cultural center will be located in a building that once housed the Republic of Argentina School. It will act as an incubator for creativity, to encourage and promote native artists, as well as foment research and education in the arts for Heredia’s population, explained a statement from Casa Presidencial.

And of course, in Arias tradition, the center will promote a culture of peace.

The president cited such local figures in the arts as sculptor Jorge Jiménez Deredia, writer Alí Víquez and painter Hugo Sánchez.