TIJUANA. - The Tijuana Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Tijuana, in Spanish) is one of the most representative buildings in Tijuana, and although a young city, it has put Tijuana's name up high, culturally speaking at least. Consolidating itself as the most important cultural platform in Mexico's northeastern region, with an infrastructure that allows the promoting and development of well-nurtured programming that includes all of the artistic and cultural disciplines.

Inaugurated on October 20th, 1982 by then Mexican president José López Portillo, as part of the National Fund for Social Activities (Fondo Nacional para Actividades Sociales [FONAPAS] in Spanish), which goal is to strengthen national identity in the northern border region of Mexico and encourage cultural tourism coming from the U.S.

Since 1992 and for almost 20 years, the CECUT was home to the Baja California's Orchestra (Orquesta de Baja California [OBC] in Spanish) and the Hispanic American Guitar Center (Centro Hispanoamericano de Guitarra in Spanish). Among it's 1,600,000 visitors you can find a local, regional and binational community. It serves students, artists, creators, academic institutions, similar institutions, associations, civil groups, news media, private companies and the general public.

Designed by architects Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Manuel Rosen Morrison, the CECUT incorporated itself almost instantly to the city's urban landscape, "The IMAX dome, with its spherical architecture, quickly became a city emblem, a recognizable figure for all tijuanenses, it included a permanent museum and it made possible the offering of cultural activities in a permanent and continuous way. We've recognized important local artists careers by naming some spaces in their honor, for example the Vizcaíno Station, the Federico Campbell Lounge and the Vidal Pinto Photo Hallway. What we, the tijuanenses, celebrate is the continuity in time and the possibility of having the best art and national culture out there within our reach" said Pedro Ochoa Palacio, CECUT's general director.

There aren't many tijuanenses who don't have thrilling and happy memories inside the facilities, from its theater plays, concerts and different artistic exhibitions, the CECUT is, without a doubt, part of Tijuana's heart.

Via CECUT's Facebook

More news at SanDiegoRed.com

Follow San Diego Red on Facebook and Twitter.

Editorial@sandiegored.com

Translated by: edgar.martinez@sandiegored.com