ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The Visitors Information Center in St. Augustine is slowly transforming to resemble a bull-fighting arena to showcase some of artist Pablo Picasso's famous depictions of bulls.
From ceramic art to works on paper, Picasso created one-of-a-kind masterpieces some of which are recognizable all over the world.
In just a few days, about 39 of those masterpieces will be on display in the nation's oldest city.
"We are celebrating it in our 450th commemoration of Spanish cultural and artistic tradition so what better way to celebrate that than to bring Pablo Picasso to St. Augustine for the first time," said Dana Ste. Claire, Director of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Department.
This afternoon, Dana Ste. Claire and Associate Curator Nikole Alvarez went over the finishing touches.
According to Ste. Claire, crews worked around the clock to upgrade the visitors center to meet Picasso exhibit standards.
"We had to upgrade everything from the air conditioning, relative humidity, the temperature, we had to control the moisture in the air," said Ste. Claire.
The exhibit is not only expected to generate excitement but it will be a great economic impact for the city of St. Augustine.
"We know we're going to attract additional audiences that will come to St. Augustine, not only to see the show but to spend time here: eat dinner, lunch, buy gifts and see the attractions," said Ste. Claire.
It's the first time this exhibit will be shown in the United States.
The pieces are set to arrive on Thursday and will go on display from Feb. 1 to May 11.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, call (904) 825-1000.
