One of the first places on your list of galleries to visit in Havana should be the National Museum of Fine Arts or its Spanish name, la Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) . It is located at Calle Trocadero, e/Av. De la Belgica (Misiones/Egido/Monserrate) y Calle Agramonte (Zelueta), Centro. Beyond this, you should also visit many of the other art galleries in Havana which you can discover on an organized tour of the city. After a tour of the National Museum of Fine Arts, walk through the streets of old Havana and discover on your own, small art galleries and the workshops of the artists themselves. It is possible and wonderful. Stumbling upon a small gallery not listed in a tourists’ guide to Havana or finding an artist’s workshop and meeting the artists by chance on your own should be listed as one of the true delights of Havana.
The National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana should be the starting point of your exploration of the world of art in Cuba. There are actually two buildings in Havana which house the national collections of arts. In one museum, you will find the international collection of artists and in the other, one can find the collection of the works of the artists of Cuba. Designed by the architect Rodriguez Pichardo and opened in 1954, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes was later renovated by the architect Jose Linares. It is a gorgeous building architecturally. Not only will a visit expose you to the painters since the beginning of Cuban history from the 17th century to today, but it will also clarify the history and mood of its artists, a history often unexplored and misunderstood.