School of Creative
Industries
Rica Estrada
Rica is a seasoned arts and cultural manager whose practice runs parallel to her roots in independent art initiatives and problematising gaps in Philippine art history. Her focus in the last decade has been on museum work, serving as deputy director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' (CCP) Visual Arts and Museum Division, overseeing the CCP's exhibition programme, collections programe, and the Thirteen Artists Awards, among others. She is currently the vice president of the Association of Greater Manila Museums and a board member of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.
Rica's research interests are situated at the intersection of cultural policy and arts leadership, driven by her pursuit of fostering a more secure, equitable, ethical and sustainable artistic community.
Thesis abstract
The Museum of Philippine Art: A case study on museum closure
This research investigates the phenomenon of museum closures through a case study of the Museum of Philippine Art (MOPA). The MOPA was a government art museum operational from 1976 to 1986 in Manila, Philippines. It was founded at the height of the Martial Law era and closed within a few months of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
In systems thinking, a museum’s lifespan can be affected by two conditions. First, if it ignores the networks surrounding them. Second, if the system in which they are housed is dysfunctional (Jung and Love 2017). To analyze the life and eventual demise of MOPA systematically, it is necessary to identify whether the system is closed or open, as well as its constituent components, operations, and management.
This research proposes that the MOPA case study is an example of both and will present how the political conditions in the Philippines, coupled with the museum’s incomplete adherence to industry standards and traditional leadership structure made for an untenable environment for the endurance and sustainability of a public art museum. This hypothesis will be validated through a review of academic literature and evidenced through qualitative data collection in the form of interviews and document analysis.