Permanent exhibition, representative of all Spanish-American craft traditions that exist today and that have disappeared, with special emphasis on the Canary Islands.
The Spanish-American Crafts Museum of Tenerife-MAIT is headquartered in La Orotava, in the former convent of San Benito Abad, which was built in the 17th century and overseen by the Dominican order. Today, it is administered by the Island Council of Tenerife.
In the 18th century, the convent became one of the most important in the province. It has beautiful facilities that are home to works of the 17th-century Canarian artist Antonio de Orbarán. In addition, the building was the site of significant educational activity, where figures such as poets Tomás de Iriarte and José de Viera y Clavijo and the engineer Agustín de Bethancourt studied and worked.
With the aim of spreading awareness of crafts, a large permanent exhibition has been created. The exhibit includes examples of all Spanish-American craft traditions, both that exist today and that have disappeared, with special emphasis on the Canary Islands. The pieces come from important collections on loan to the museum, in addition to those acquired by the centre and from private donations. Among the collections, "Popular Art in the Americas and the Philippines" and the Regional Design Awards for Canarian Crafts stand out.
