About us
Founded on October 25, 1990 by Wilbur Garrett, retired editor of the National Geographic Magazine, La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation is organized as a nonprofit in the United States under the laws of the State of Virginia. Since 2004 the presidency is held by Mr. Fernando Paiz, a Guatemalan businessman recognized for his support to the arts, culture and education. In 2007 starts operations in Guatemala, where is registered in the Ministry of the Interior as Fundación La Ruta Maya.
Fundación La Ruta Maya (Guatemala) is the only private organization in Central America that promotes and manages the recovery of archaeological property that left the country illegally in the past decades, with the purpose of repatriation. The Foundation also receives donations in Guatemala.
CULTURAL HERITAGE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL:
- Organizing temporary exhibitions in museums and venues with cultural spaces;
- making collections accessible to researchers and students;
- strengthening museums and exhibitions in the country and abroad.
- The collection consists of more than 3,000 objects duly registered as National Cultural Heritage at the Register of Cultural Patrimony of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
Foundation La Ruta Maya
What we do
La Fundación La Ruta Maya es una organización sin fines de lucro cuyo objetivo es apoyar el rescate, conservación y preservación de los valores culturales, promoviendo la educación, la divulgación y puesta en valor del patrimonio cultural maya en la región mesoamericana.
The main activities of the Ruta Maya Foundation are carried out through the following programs:
Recovery and repatriation of archaeological objects:
Since 2007, the Foundation has carried out the importation of cultural goods following the established procedures, and obtaining the corresponding permits, both from the Ministry of Culture and Sports and from the SAT Customs Administration. Already in Guatemalan territory, the pieces are registered as cultural heritage of the Nation before the Registry of Cultural Assets.
Collection Registry and Management:
Each object in the collection is inventoried and legally registered as cultural heritage of the Nation at the Registry of Cultural Property of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala. Presently, more than 3,000 archaeological artifacts have been registered. Each object has a file that includes its legal registration form, a history of restorations and other conservation processes, photographs, associated bibliography and data of similar objects that has been published.
The Foundation does not purchase archeological objects for its collection in Guatemala as it does not want to foster the looting and illegal trade of artifacts considered national patrimony. However, the foundation accepts objects given voluntarily by individuals and institutions.
Exhibitions:
The Foundation manages the collection for the purposes of custody, protection, conservation, research and public display for educational purposes. Pieces from the collection are on loan from accredited museums in the country and are available for loan to foreign museums and international exhibitions.
Since December 2007, La Ruta Maya organizes exhibitions of pre-Hispanic Mayan art and other works of art (such as carved forks, textiles and traditional dance masks), with the aim of showing the public the variety of artistic manifestations still present. in the Mayan region. To date, the collection has been presented in more than 20 exhibitions in Guatemala and has participated in at least 5 international exhibitions -some of them traveling and continuing their journey- with presentations in various museums in Central America, North America and Europe.
Education and research:
Registered archaeological pieces are available to researchers and university students for academic work and cabinet practice.
Dissemination:
News and discoveries in the Maya region and Mesoamerica, as well as the collection of the Foundation, are made available through different platforms: web page, press releases, specialized magazines, academic publications, and social media.
Publications:
The Foundation has edited, promoted, and contributed to various publications that highlight Guatemalan art, including self-published books, exhibition catalogs, and magazine and newspaper articles. For this reason, several pieces in his collection have been featured in magazines and catalogs of specialized exhibitions on Mayan art.
Las Hondas Guatemaltecas
A book edited by the Foundation is LAS HONDAS GUATEMALTECAS, written by Anabella S. Paiz and Valia Garzón (2007), which is available in a Standard version and a Special Numbered Edition.
Important sections
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Conservation Policy
Conservation Policy
The restoration of each object is determined based on a careful study and analysis of the physical condition of the piece, as well as the visible evidence that will allow the most faithful restoration possible.
Read moreSchool section
School section
Here you will find links to educational resources with information about the Mayans especially for children and youth. Enjoy them!
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