The Instituto and the Museo are housed in the Lichtenstein House in the historical Heritage Park section of the city of Corpus Christi. The Museum displays a rich mosaic of cultural samples from 19 different Hispanic countries and the United States. The Instituto is a non-profit organization administered and directed by an all-volunteer 10-member Board of Directors while the Museum is managed by both the Board of Directors and Instituto members. Our mission is to promote a better understanding of the diverse Hispanic cultures represented in our community as a means to build bridges of friendship.
The Instituto’s goals are:
- To educate our community about Spanish and Hispanic American culture and history in the United States.
- To promote a cultural exchange within our community.
- To increase awareness of Hispanic culture in the United States through art, literature, history, and folklore.
- To award scholarships to outstanding students who attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Del Mar College.
How Your Donation Helps
For the last 40 years the Instituto has created programs that have revolved around history, music, dance, art, and gastronomy. We have successfully incorporated all these through our museum and yearly cultural events. The base of many of our activities is the Museo del Instituto de Cultura Hispánica de Corpus Christi. The Museo is open year around and housed in the Lichtenstein House at Heritage Park located in the historical section of the city of Corpus Christi. This museum is the only Hispanic Museum in this area that showcases a rich mosaic of cultural samples from 19 different Hispanic countries and the United States. In addition to each country’s display case, the museum also displays many other permanent exhibits along with special exhibits, which are changed periodically. The following are activities achieved by the Instituto.
- Café Cultura: A Bridge to Hispanic/Latin Culture in Corpus Christi.
- Cultural Creations: Celebration of Hispanic Cultures in our schools
- International Dinner of Hispanic Cuisine and Music
- Festival Navideño
- Sustained Collaboration held at the Museo
The Instituto also promotes Hispanic Culture in the colleges by providing scholarships to students at Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. We keep the community informed on Hispanic History and activities through our monthly News Letter, Onda Portadora.