Centro Colombo Americano

60 years of memories and a job well done
"This is a fortified city, surrounded by mountains; upon lifting one’s head and looking around, one sees only the blue mountain line and far away peaks, on the brim of a broken wineglass …  and at the bottom of the wine glass the tough enclosed city,”.

José Manuel Arango

A Legacy of Friendship

60 years of history of the Centro Colombo Americano-Medellín
(1947 – 2007)

By: Rodrigo de J. García Estrada[i]

The relationship between the United States and our country goes back to the times of Independence; nearly 200 years ago in which both countries shared a common history. We Colombians have sold gold, oil, tagua nuts, coffee, and flowers to the Americans. They, on the other hand, have brought to us resources, technology, science, and culture. In this context, and in the one of political and diplomatic relations between both countries, cultural exchange programs were created just as the Second World War was taking place. Some of these programs were the Committees for Inter-American Affairs (CIAA), which are the immediate precedent for the bi-national centers founded in several Colombian cities; the first one in Bogotá in 1943, followed by the one in Medellín in 1947.

From the moment it was founded, apart from being a renowned English teaching institution, this center became a sort of social club where the middle and upper classes of Medellín got together to dance, watch American films, practice a sport; attend the Open House, Halloween, Saint Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving celebrations or simply to read –in their original language– the newspapers of greatest circulation in the United States, as well as books from renowned American and Anglo-Saxon writers such as William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Orson Welles or Ernest Hemingway. Also, from its beginning, this institution served as a consulate and helped Antioquians interested in doing their graduate studies in North American universities.

Certainly from that time, the Medellín Colombo started to have its own dynamics and became a point of reference in the city’s cultural scene. Through its mediation and with the funding from both nations, the institution brought writers, artists, scientists, and classical music and jazz bands to the city, thus contributing to the spread of cultural expressions little or unknown to the people of Medellín. The Colombo also worked hand in hand with several universities and organizations such as the Universidad de Antioquia, the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, the Universidad Nacional, the Biblioteca Publica Piloto, and the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín. It also negotiated with and got resources from foreign foundations and Colombian companies in order to carry out events or programs to support the training process of English teachers in high schools and universities.

Up until 1982, the Colombo had directors who were American citizens appointed by the State Department of the United States. They decided the institution’s path together with a board of directors in which the Antioquians participated. This cultural project has been supported by a group of people with a sincere sense of belonging and interest in fostering friendship and cultural exchange between both nations. In fact, they are “bi-national” and bilingual citizens, who by means of the current programs and the ones that they created thanks to their creativity and commitment, got closer to a multicultural, civil, and social - inclusion mission. For this reason, the bomb attacks that tried to destroy this project failed because of the strength of the institution’s social foundations.

This change and ethical proposal were personified by Paul Bardwell. He was one of the institution’s most beloved directors who left his mark and working style not only to the institution, but also with the people who work in it. Under his direction, several programs were strengthened and have become cultural vanguard in Medellín and the country. This is the case of the Art Gallery that was named after him and is directed by Juan A. Gaviria. The gallery is renowned for its social and contemporary approach committed to the daily transformation of people from all social classes, as well as to the exchange of knowledge between national and international artists. Something similar can be said about the cinema program. It was created hand in hand with film lovers such as Luís Alberto Álvarez, Alberto Aguirre, and Orlando Mora among others. Its modern theaters, its well-known magazine, Kinetoscopio, and its international connections allow film-lovers in Medellín to take a journey around the world of different cinematography year round.

These programs become the most favorable conditions to study English. Because of this, during its 60 years of existence, the Colombo has gained social recognition as the most serious, rigorous, and efficient program to learn English in the Antioquian capital. Teaching at the Colombo is complemented with the most complete collection of books in English that are available in its library, which under the direction of Lai Yin Shem, starts to shape multiculturalism by including books in German and French. Students also have access to the other areas of the Colombo such as the bookstore, café, movie theaters, and art gallery. In conclusion, they can begin to explore the world just by visiting this cultural center.