LIBRO CERCLE

32 foundation and the development of many municipal museums were both consequences of an initiative by the Artistic Circle, which was delegated important tasks suchas organising theFineArts sectionof the1888Universal Exhibition. Since then theprestigeof the institutionhasonlygrown, shaping itself as a reference and coordinator in official art exhibitions both within andbeyond our borders. Its current location in one of themost strategic corners of theCatalan capital’s historic and touristic centre has helped its proximity to so- ciety, which it carries on seducing with multi-disciplinary exhibitions andacts that seek to shorten thedistancebetween thepublicand the Circle. It also insists on teaching not only artistic but also cultural in general,without everdisdaining thecountlesssocial activitiesand tra- ditional celebrations that theRCABhas given life to. For example, the famous, almost legendarymasqueradeballs that hadbeenorganised since 1899 andwill now be reinstated, or the Christmas celebrations or the refined evenings and gala balls organised at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, aswell as the joyousprocessions tocelebrate the festivities of laMercè, Barcelona’s patron saint. These were very popular cele- brationswhere theCircleskilfully rolledout aspectacular artisticshow composed of floats, posters, illustrations and folk ormusicbands. Throughout the Circle’s long history it has never flagged in its efforts toopenup to thecity and tooffer it thepossibility of approachingand participating -both in theory and in practice- in its large, ever-busy agendaof cultural activities, promotingandspreadingFineArt, oneof themain aims and objectives of its very creationandexistence.