The Bliss Institute is a theatre, museum, and National Arts Council in the cultural centre of

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

. It is named after

Baron Bliss Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, 4th Baron Bliss, commonly known as Baron Bliss (16 February 1869 – 9 March 1926), was a British-born traveller who willed nearly two million Belize dollars to a trust fund for the benefit of the citizens of w ...

. The original construction started in 1953 and finished one year later. The architectural design was done in a modernist international style. The program consisted of a library, an auditorium, an exhibition area and reading rooms. The gallery for the auditorium resembled the prow of a ship. The trusteeship of Baron Bliss invested $251,829 dls in the construction of the building and $7,532 in furniture. It was almost all refurbished in 2003 by a Mexican construction company, becoming the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, housing the headquarters of the ICA (Institute of Creative Arts). The museum contains a number of archaeological finds from the

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

site of

Caracol Caracol is a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District, of Belize. It is situated approximately south of Xunantunich, and the town of San Ignacio, and from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau ...

. The theatre stages numerous concerts and a number of artistic exhibitions and political events are held in the complex.

Gallery

File:Bliss Insitute 1999.JPG, Bliss Institute 1999, prior to renovations File:Proposal Bliss Institute 2005 rafbalboa.jpg, Proposal for renovation. Bliss Institute, Belize city. 2000 Source: Bachelor's Thesis Architectural Degree by Rafael A. Balboa

References

External links

Flickr images
Museums in Belize Theatres in Belize Buildings and structures in Belize City {{Belize-struct-stub