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by Conceição Amaral
The art of IN THE HEART OF LISBON, A MUSEUM, A SCHOOL AND A VARIETY OF WORKSHOPS
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The Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Foundation is a Public Utility Institution, founded in 1953 when the banker Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva donated the Azurara Palace and his art collection to the Portuguese State. The Foundation’s mission is to safeguard, promote, disseminate and transmit skills in the decorative arts by means of a museum, schools and workshops, paralleled by activities in the field of conservation and restoration. The Foundation plays a crucial role in Portuguese culture. It houses numerous important facilities such as the Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts; in addition to preserving, researching and displaying its patrimony of works, it also engages in the promotion of Portuguese traditional arts and professions through guided tours, conferences and educational workshops. The College of Decorative Arts provides courses in interior design as well as training in heritage preservation and restoration, within the framework of the research activities promoted by the Centre for the Study of Decorative Arts. The goal of the Arts and Crafts Institute is to provide professional training for careers in wood crafts and decorative painting. In addition to restoring antiques, the Workshop for traditional arts
and crafts produces new objects made using time-honoured techniques, the modern continuity of tradition. The Conservation and Restoration Department also plays an important role. In conjunction with the workshops, it co-ordinates activities covering a wide variety of materials, both on a scientific and a technical level. This close-knit organisation provides a dynamic relationship between the Museum, the Schools and the Workshops. It expresses awareness of the fact that art and heritage must be closely linked to schooling, training and the transmission of skills, an intangible heritage whose protection and safeguard is one of the major concerns of many governments and of the UNESCO. As guardian of Portugal’s decorative arts culture, the Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva Foundation teaches and transmits this heritage, made of rigorous competence and skills, in its arts and crafts workshops, where the teachings of dedicated master craftsmen ensure the continuity of traditional savoir-faire and materials. Our approach in training and teaching will enable future generations to take advantage of a cultural and artistic diversity that is vast and very much alive. We conduct a number of informative activities in order to pro-
TRANSMITTING KNOWLEDGE Cabinet making, casting, book-binding and decoration, woodwork are only some of the crafts that the Foundation preserves and transmits in its workshops located in the heart of Lisbon, next to the Museum of Portuguese Decorative Arts, home to fine handicrafts such as the imposing dining room on the opposite page.
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