After nearly four decades as the president and CEO of the National Museum of Mexican Art, founder Carlos Tortolero is retiring.
When the Pilsen attraction opened in 1987, Tortolero remembers being told his idea of opening a free museum was “crazy.” Now, he says he feels comfortable passing the reins to a successor as the museum is in “the best place it’s ever been” financially.
The news of his retirement, effective Dec. 31, comes ahead of Tortolero’s 70th birthday in March. At the museum’s annual gala next year on May 10, he will be the guest of honor. He plans on enjoying his retirement by writing, consulting and spending time with his 2-year-old grandson.
“I’m a baseball freak,” he told the Sun-Times Tuesday. “You know, too many baseball players play way past their prime. I want to leave on top.”
A search for the museum’s new president is already underway.
“I know whoever we hire will take the museum to a new and higher place,” he said. “As a teacher, as a counselor, as a parent, as a grandparent, you want the best for the people who come after you.”
The exhibit that sticks out the most in his memory opened in 2006. “The African Presence in México: From Yanga to the Present” featured a broad scope of Afro-Mexican artwork from the 18th century alongside contemporary works.
Tortolero said that the showcase was especially important because it traveled to over half a dozen venues around the U.S. and Latin America. That exhibition later was featured in the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in 2009.
Another accomplishment that he is proud of is the museum’s annual Day of the Dead exhibit, when several ofrendas, or altars, are set up in memory of friends and family who have died. In 2021, first lady Jill Biden visited the main gallery to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of people who died from COVID-19 that year.
Tortolero has acquired several important accolades throughout his career. In 2016, he won the Ohtli Award, which means “path” in Nahuatl. The Mexican government presents the honor to “individuals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the Mexican community outside of Mexico.”
That same year, the city of Chicago honored him with its highest award in arts, the Fifth Star Award. And one year later, the Sun-Times listed him among the top 200 Illinoisans in 200 years of history.
Then in 2018, the Chicago History Museum presented him with the Harold Washington Making History Award for Distinction in Public Service. Washington had been present for the museum’s grand opening, Tortolero said.
The museum will remain free long after his departure, because keeping the artwork accessible is important, Tortolero said.
“I have had eight or nine museum directors call me up privately asking how we’re free,” he said. “But you know what, it’s a priority. ... You really need to believe that the arts are for everybody. And I do.”
