Open Doors is an outreach initiative of the Mexican Cultural Institute that aims to create alliances with community organizations, museums, and cultural institutions in New York. By bringing the Mexican community closer to the city's most emblematic cultural centers through free access to different cultural events and providing guided tours in Spanish, Open Doors builds new bridges between our communities and the cultural life of New York.

The pilot project began in 2017 with the exhibition "Cristóbal de Villalpando: Mexican painter of the Baroque" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and continued in 2018 with group visits to the display "Painted in Mexico," also at The Met, and later with the exhibition "Pacha, Llaqta, Wasichay" at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Thus far, Open Doors has approached 28 community organizations and has given access to more than 400 people, from kids to senior citizens.

With a general survey given at the beginning of each visit during the pilot project, we discovered that for 80 percent of the participants, this was their first time visiting a museum. Additionally, studies showed that only 9 percent of museum visitors in the US are of Latino heritage and that the Mexican population in New York is around one million.

A vital aspect of the program Open Doors is to reach out to the growing number of events addressing Mexican and Latino art and heritage. The content of these exhibitions resonates among the attendees, reinforcing the community's sense of belonging and allowing new paths for diversity, inclusion, education, and enjoyment.

Both museums and communities have opened their doors; we just need your help to let them in.