Alberto Sierra: His Story and Legacy
Alberto Sierra Maya was one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín (MAMM) and served as its first curator. Among his achievements were coordinating the First Colloquium on Non-Objective Art and Urban Art and founding Galería de la Oficina, the first art gallery in Colombia. He was born in Medellín in 1944 and passed away on March 19, 2017. MAMM celebrates his achievements and contributions in this space, which will continue to be present in the Museum’s daily life.
On August 24, 1978, Alberto Sierra Maya brought the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín to life, along with a group of artists and art enthusiasts. His work and vision fostered the realization of the First Colloquium on Non-Objective Art and Urban Art and dozens of projects, including the Sculpture Park, the Arturo and Rebeca Rabinovich Hall, and the National Competition for the José María Córdova Airport; all of them important in the history of MAMM.
He distinguished himself as the curator of dozens of exhibitions both within and outside the Museum. In April 1980, he produced the MAMM’s first exhibition at the Carlos E. Restrepo location, titled “Art in Antioquia and the 1970s,” an exhibition that featured the first presentation of Débora Arango’s work, “Justice.”
At 72, Alberto Sierra Maya was a member of the MAMM’s Board of Directors and Technical Committee. He was an active member, known for his critical perspective and extensive knowledge of art. In his early years at the Museum, he was responsible for designing the logo and a large portion of the exhibition catalogs for the MAMM’s first decade. In addition to curating the Museum, he created the promotional materials used to publicize its programming.
Alberto Sierra’s legacy is invaluable to the city and its culture. He was one of the great protagonists in the life of the Museum, in his tireless work as a cultural manager, curator and founder of the Museum, leaving an indelible mark for dozens of generations influenced by his love for art.
Commitment to artists was vital.
Alberto Sierra was surrounded by local artists of great importance to the country’s culture, such as Ronny Vayda, Óscar Jaramillo, Rodrigo Callejas, Beatriz González, Hugo Zapata, Álvaro Marín, and Marta Elena Vélez, among many others. His work as a gallery owner at the Galería de la Oficina allowed him to showcase the work of many of them.
He had a great interest in supporting different artists in their growth and evolution, and in the case of Débora Arango, he was particularly keen to present her work to the public, which he showcased in the Retrospective exhibition at the MAMM in 1984. His close relationship with the Museum motivated the artist to donate a group of 246 paintings and a series of sketches, watercolors, and ceramics in 1987.
Sierra Maya was an architect from the Pontifical Bolivarian University, founder of the Galería de la Oficina, and a founding partner of the MAMM.
The Board of Directors, the Technical Committee and the employees of the Museum, praise, thank and recognize his teachings, his commitment and his contributions, without which the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín would not be possible today.
