Arts and Culture Panama Project #33330

Preserve the El Cano Archaeological Park & museum

by Fundacion El Cano

Project Report | Dec 10, 2018
Preparing an exhibit for the museum

By Alexa Hancock | Project Leader

Preparing the layout of the dispay

While the repairs and renovations for the museum are not 100% complete, we have been able to make the building safe and usable for a small exhibit. By having an exhibit for visitors to see at least some of the artificats discovered in the necropolis, the Foundation aims to set in motion a virtuous cycle; more visitors leading to more funding, and more funding supporting both improvements to the museum and continued excavations and investigation of the El Caño necropolis.

With some funding from the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation, specifically earmarked for the exhibit, Fundación El Caño was able to hire two people to help with the preparations of the exhbit, a goldsmith and specialist in creating supports for artifacts, and a museographic and conservation specialist. Both gentlemen worked on exhibits at the Gold Museum in Bogota, Colombia. Their work began last week and will continue until such time as the exhibit is ready to open.

We are in the process of also installing the security system in the museum building and finding a manufacturer to make the lockable glass covers for the exhibit tables. The Foundation president, Dr. Mayo, has been organizing with the director of the Historical Heritage Bureau of the National Cultural Institute, the organization ultimatley responsible for the archaorlogical park and museum, on the best manner to organize the exhibit to make it as accessible to the general public as possible.

Creating a support for one of the stone artifacts

Cleaning and conserving the artifacts

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Sep 13, 2018
Update on renovations to the museum

By Alexa Hancock | Project Leader

Jun 19, 2018
Progress on the Rescue of the El Cano museum

By Alexa Hancock | Project Leader

Banisters being sanded

Since 2017, the Fundación El Caño team has been hard at work bringing the El Caño Archaeological Park improvements project to reality. Our goal is to make the history of Panama come to life for anyone visiting the park. The first phase, creating a space to exhibit the artifacts, involved obtaining architectural plans for the renovations of the museum building and the construction of new restroom facilties. We then had to obtain the permits from the National Cultural Institute and then quotes for the work. As we wanted the community involved in this project, local workmen were hired for the job. Then we had to prioritize what we could do with the funds we had. Unfortunately there were not enough funds to build new restroom facilties as drawn up by the architects so the decision was made to improve the faciltiies that were already in the park.

During the course of 2017 funds were raised to have exhbit tables for the museum exhbit to be constructed and museum appropriate track lighting to be installed.

In early 2018, the purchases of the materials were made and the work began in February. For two months, the Fundación El Caño team worked with the contracted construction people to complete the renovations of the museum building before the rains began again. Some of the work compelted included rebuilt front steps, repairs and treatment to the roof for leaks, repairs and painting to the interior and exterior walls of the bulding, and a drop ceiling was installed inside to allow for the new lighting and air conditioning to be installed. All of the wood work around the windows, the doors and the bannisters were sanded, treated and stained. The exterior of the building was painted in a two color scheme that more in line with the tradition of the area. At the same time the restrooms were given a facelift with new doors, plumbing fixtures and paint. They were made safer with rebuilt stairs and handrails.

While the renovations to the museum were not fully completed, it is in an appropriate and safe condition for a small exhibit of artifacts discovered in El Caño. Some of the items still left to finish include repairing the flooring and steps of the back deck, installing a ramp for disabled visitors and a deck to connect the museum and the restroom facilities. Once additional funds are raised those items will be completed.

The work continues and we are looking forward to the exciting day when we can have an opening of the El Caño necroplis artifacts.

work being done on the restroom facilities

Drop ceiling being installed

Working to remove the rust from the window bars

Before and after interior of museum building

Before and after of the exterior of the building

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