José Gómez Sicre's 1960s Documentary Films on Peruvian Art and Heritage for Pan American Union

From 1964 to 1968, José Gómez Sicre, a curator and critic, produced three documentary films about Peru for the Visual Arts Department of the Pan American Union, which was the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. These 16mm films, funded by an international branch of Esso Standard Oil, were shot on-site in Peru. They examined the relationships between contemporary art movements, heritage areas, and site museums within a framework that viewed art and heritage as catalysts for regional growth. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Visual Arts Department created nearly fifty documentaries on various subjects, including contemporary art and heritage sites in OAS member nations. Gómez Sicre's films specifically looked at how antiquities and modern art markets could align to influence generational preferences, showcasing affordable artifacts that impacted postwar Peruvian artists. This collection of work uncovers previously uncharted connections among art production, cultural policy, and heritage conservation that still influence American regions today.