Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca, IAGO.

The Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (IAGO) was the first cultural space in the city founded by the renowned Oaxacan painter Francisco Toledo, in November 1988. This institution houses one of the most important graphic arts collections in Latin America. IAGO has two locations within Oaxaca’s historic downtown, both open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The first location, which hosts the main institute, is an 18th-century building located at Macedonio Alcalá Street No. 507, nearly across from the Church of Santo Domingo. This site offers books on topics such as graphic arts, architecture, photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, and art theory. It also features three exhibition halls, two courtyards, and the workshop “El Alacrán.” The second location, inaugurated in 2010, is situated at Avenida Juárez No. 203. It specializes in books on poetry, fiction, essays, philosophy, psychology, and music. This site also houses the Eduardo Mata Sound Library and a corridor dedicated to exhibitions. Together, both venues offer access to more than 50,000 books. Regular activities include reading workshops, Q&A sessions, artistic and cultural exhibitions, as well as film and music screenings.

Freedom is a core value at IAGO—it is one of the few open-shelf libraries where visitors can freely browse and select materials for consultation. Admission to exhibitions is free of charge, allowing the public to experience the graphic works of artists such as Erasto Cortés, Piranesi, Jan Hendrix, Leopoldo Méndez, Marc Chagall, Pierre Alechinsky, Rufino Tamayo, Fernando Aceves Humana, Picasso, Giorgio de Chirico, Goya, and Posada, among others. Currently, the institution collaborates with the National Institute of Fine Arts and the civil association “Friends of IAGO and CFMAB.”