Programs and Facility Information
About Casa Herrera
Casa Herrera is a 17th-century colonial property located in the heart of Antigua, Guatemala. Casa Herrera is one of the great original houses of colonial Antigua, dating approximately to 1680. Its twenty-six rooms were beautifully restored and updated in 2008 and include a large lecture/auditorium hall, various teaching and study spaces, offices, resident dormitories, a full kitchen, as well as a research library devoted to the art and archaeology of Mesoamerica (currently in development). The Casa is centrally located just one block north of the plaza of Antigua at 4a Avenida Norte, No. 9.
The Casa is owned by the Fundación Pantaleón, a not-for-profit foundation organized and operated under the laws of Guatemala for charitable, educational and cultural purposes consistent with the mission of The University of Texas at Austin. As an extension of Mesoamerica Center, of the Department of Art and Art History of the College of Fine Arts, the Casa’s programs and research activities further facilitate the study, exploration, and appreciation of Pre-Columbian art and archaeology and the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica.
Casa Herrera provides a major venue for research and teaching of Pre-Columbian art and archaeology, facilitating dialogue and cooperation among scholars, faculty, and students from diverse disciplines, numerous institutions, and nations. The facility’s setting in Antigua provides an ideal venue for scholars and students to pursue, explore and appreciate both the rich Pre-Columbian heritage of Guatemala and its modern cultural milieu.
Mission Statement
Casa Herrera’s mission is to create new opportunities for education and research, facilitating learning and dialogue in many fields of study among scholars and students from institutions and nations in Central America and beyond. In addition to its primary role as a place of scholarly research and teaching, the Casa aims to be an important venue for community engagement with academia and the arts through regular public programming such as lectures, concerts, and performances.
While Mesoamerican art, archaeology and anthropology represent the Casa’s primary research focus, it also explores a wider array of interdisciplinary activities and uses that resonate with UT’s mission.
As the university strives toward academic excellence through interrelated and comprehensive educational opportunities, the Casa also embraces research and collaborations in academic areas such as languages, architecture, Latin American Studies, continuing education, and the performing arts.
Learn more about Casa Herrera's hometown of Antigua, Guatemala.
About Fundación Pantaleón
Casa Herrera is owned by the Fundación Pantaleón, a not-for-profit foundation organized and operated under the laws of Guatemala for charitable, educational and cultural purposes consistent with the mission of The University of Texas at Austin. Under a Usufruct agreement, the Fundación Pantaleón makes available to The University of Texas at Austin the use of the Casa as a year-round facility for teaching, research, conferences, and cultural activities operated by the Department of Art and Art History of the College of Fine Arts.
Fundación Pantaleón was founded in 1992 by the shareholders of Pantaleón Group. It is dedicated to developing education, health and environmental projects in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. It is a private organization with no political affiliation. Fundación Pantaleón's mission is to support education, health and environmental projects that offer an opportunity to increase the level and quality of life.