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Museum artwork

Aguarela Roque Gameiro Museum goes to Louriceira de Cima

Minde, a region in Portugal with arduous terrain and little water, saw in the breeding of small animals and the extraction of wool a means of survival, through which they began to produce their historic blankets, an art to admire and perpetuate.

Minde is located in the foothills of the mountain, in the extreme northwest of the district of Santarém. It is a land of very weak, stony soils, without water and therefore with very poor agriculture. For centuries, the rearing of small livestock (goats and sheep) supplemented family budgets. The use of wool, from shearing to carding, washing, spinning and weaving, defines Minde’s history: first, coarse fabrics, sackcloth and rough serges were produced, and only later blankets appeared. Today, the Manta de Minde (Minde Blanket) contributes to reviving and awakening memories that define the lives of us all.

Minde Loom

Traquinas do Ninhou

Raquel Roque Gameiro

(1889-1970)

Watercolour reproduction on paper

Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro’s collection

Minde Blanket

Menízia do Ninhou

Weaving workshop

(2008)

Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro’s collection

Aguarela Roque Gameiro Museum

Municipality of Alcanena

The Aguarela Roque Gameiro Museum, which opened in 2009, showcases the work of one of Portugal’s greatest watercolour artists of the early 20th century. For the most part, his paintings are done in watercolour, a technique where the paint is diluted in water, creating a translucent effect. The themes chosen by the artist are diverse and range from urban scenes and daily life to landscapes and maritime scenery or even portraits that convey the artist’s sensitive gaze. The museum is set up in a remarkable example of early 20th century architecture, which

The artwork that visited the Museum

Louriceira de Cima goes to Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro

In the village of Louriceira de Cima, the community used the marbling technique to dye their own fabrics, creating clothes that symbolise their own unfulfilled dreams. Water, pigments, wools, fabrics and dreams bring together territories that are geographically distant but culturally close.

see artwork

Meetings and Sharing

The Community welcomes an artwork from the Museum, inviting it into the heart of their village. This object becomes a catalyst, inspiring museum professionals and the artistic team to engage participants in a collaborative process. Together, they establish connections between the museum artwork, its reflection, and its ties to local heritage. Using local elements such as objects, songs, stories, and traditions, participants craft their own artwork. The celebration reaches its peak with the inauguration of a temporary exhibition in the museum. An artistic performance fosters connections among communities and museum professionals, strengthening bonds between them.

And so it was… Art as an invitation for encounters and connections.

Testimonials

We saw that this artwork paid off for those who did it (…) I’m very pleased with the days I spent with you, and I enjoyed it very much. (…) It was unforgettable. I really enjoyed that artwork. I’m very pleased. (…) We learned everything: To socialise, to do things we didn’t know how to do (…).

Maria Antónia
Community of Louriceira de Cima, Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos

My dream has always been to go swimming. So I made a swimsuit. Others wanted to go flying. I thought it was really funny, the colours, made there with that water, with that paint, with those splashes, to make such nice colours, how it turned out. I liked it.


Deolinda Lourenço
Community of Louriceira de Cima, Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos.

It was a lot of fun, we didn’t even imagine it would turn out so beautiful, we didn’t even dream of such a result!


Fátima Silva
Community of Louriceira de Cima, Municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos.

Exhibitions Credits

  • Cultural Promoter
    SAMP – Sociedade Artística Musical dos Pousos
  • Co-financier
    Iniciativa Portugal Inovação Social
    Programa Operacional Social e de Emprego (PO ISE)
    Portugal 2020
    Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)
  • Social investor
    Câmara Municipal de Leiria
    Partner
    Rede Cultura 2027
  • In collaboration with
    Município de Alcanena
    Município de Arruda dos Vinhos
    Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro
    Junta de Freguesia de Arranhó
    Sociedade Recreativa Louricense
    União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
  • Museums Working Group for “Rede Cultura 2027”
    Alberto Guerreiro | Museu Raul da Bernarda
    Sónia Santos | Município de Ourém
    Bruno Silva | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos
    Dóris Santos | Museu Dr. Joaquim Manso
    Filipe Guimarães da Silva | Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso
    Jorge Figueiredo | Município de Porto de Mós
    Luís Figueiredo | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição
    Margarida Moleiro | Museu Municipal Carlos Reis
    Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
  • The 13 Villages
    Alcanadas (Batalha) | Louriceira de Cima (Arruda dos Vinhos) | Ateanha (Ansião) | Cabeças (Alvaiázere) | Cercal (Cadaval) | Columbeira (Bombarral) | Fanhais (Nazaré) | Freixianda (Ourém) | Folgarosa (Torres Vedras) | Mosteiro (Pedrógão Grande) | São Bento (Porto de Mós) | Fetelaria (Sobral de Monte Agraço) | Pena e Casal da Pena (Torres Novas)
  • The 13 Museums
    Casa do Tempo (Castanheira de Pera) | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha | Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos | Museu de Arte Popular Portuguesa (Pombal) | Museu da Lourinhã | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro (Alcanena) | Museu de Leiria | Museu do Vidro (Marinha Grande) | Museu e Centro de Artes de Figueiró dos Vinhos | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição (Alenquer) | Museu Raul da Bernarda (Alcobaça) | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche

    The project also had the collaboration of museums from the 26 participating municipalities.
  • SAMP Contigo | Coordination
    Raquel Gomes
  • Museu na Aldeia | Coordination
    Gabriela da Rocha
    Sofia Neves
  • Museu na Aldeia | Teams of the project
    • SAMP | Artistic team
      Bruno Homem | Músico
      Filipa Cunha | Música
      Inesa Markava | Diretora Artística de Performances
      Jesus Kristen | Músico
      Raquel Gomes | Artista Comunitária
      Ruben Santos | Músico
      Sofia Neves | Atriz
    • SAMP | Technical team
      Ana Figueiredo | Communication and Content Manager
      Cátia Gaio | Logistic and Financial Support
      Gabriela da Rocha | Museologist
      Henrique Chaves | Sociologist
      Lara Matos | Degree in Social Psychology
      Leonor Capricho | Graphic Designer
      Ismael Neves | Logistic and Financial Support
      Telma Pereira | Production
    • Texts
      Ana Figueiredo | SAMP
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Maria Alzira | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
    • Photography credits
      Team | SAMP
      Gil de Lemos
    • Graphic design
      Henrique Martinowski
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
    • Museology and museography
      Maria Alzira | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro
      Ana Catarina | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro
      Luís Santos | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
    • Exhibition set-up
      Cátia Gaio | SAMP
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Inês Soares e Lorenzo Scodeller | Novonovo
    • Equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Sewing and shaping service
      Catarina Gomes
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Specialised transportation of the artwork
      RNTrans – Grupo URBANOS
    • Technical support | Ceramic kiln
      Filipe Aguiar | CENCAL Alcobaça
      Vera Fortes | CENCAL Alcobaça
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidade da Louriceira de Cima
      Sociedade Recreativa Louricense
      Centro de Artes e Ofícios Roque Gameiro
      Atelier de Tecelagem | Câmara Municipal de Alcanena
      Politécnico de Leiria
      União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional de Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

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