The Museu de Arte Moderna Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso ("Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum of Modern Art"; formerly the Museu Municipal Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, "Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Municipal Museum") is an art museum in Amarante, Portugal. The museum houses collections relating to artists and writers born in Amarante, including Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, António Carneiro, and Acácio Lino. It was founded in 1947 as the Biblioteca-Museu Municipal de Amarante ("Municipal Library-Museum of Amarante"). In the 1980s, it was relocated to the Monastery of São Gonçalo, which was adapted for use as a museum to a design by architect Alcino Soutinho. The museum and the Municipality of Amarante jointly award the Prémio Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso to Portuguese artists in three categories every two years, with the winner of the top-tier Grande Prémio being invited to hold an exhibition at the museum.
History The origins of the museum date to 1938, when a fire destroyed the cinema that occupied the former Chapter House of the Monastery of São Gonçalo. The fire prompted Lieutenant Colonel Costa Santos to propose establishing a library and museum in the space.
In 1946, Albano Sardoeira led the creation of the Grupo de Amigos da Biblioteca-Museu ("Friends of the Library-Museum"), and the institution was formally established in 1947 under the direction of a governing board.
The museum's original collections were eclectic and included:
the municipal archives and library, including works from the former secondary school; the artistic estate of António Carneiro, later expanded through donations by Katherine Carneyro; examples of local folk iconography, including A Serpe ("The Serpent") and the Diabos de Amarante ("Devils of Amarante"); sacred art, furniture, and a collection of local archaeological artifacts.
In 1953, the museum opened galleries dedicated to António Carneiro, António Cândido, and Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso.
The Biblioteca Municipal Albano Sardoeira and the Museu Municipal Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso became separate institutions in 1980.
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