Winning entries in Cuzco’s annual Popular Art Competition are displayed in this engaging museum. This is where the artisans and artists of San Blas showcase their talents in styles ranging from high art to cheeky, offering a fascinating, humorous take on ordinary life amid the pomp and circumstance of a once-grandiose culture. Admission is with the boleto turístico tourist card only, which is valid for 10 days and covers 16 other sites.
Small-scale ceramic models depict drunken debauchery in the picantería (local restaurant), torture in the dentist’s chair, carnage in the butcher shop, and even a caesarean section. There’s also a display of photographs, many by renowned local photographer Martín Chambi, of Cuzco from the 1900s to the 1950s, including striking images of the aftermath of the 1950 earthquake in familiar streets.
