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From its inception in 1953, the Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva Foundation (FRESS) has been, both in Portugal and abroad, a consummate point in Decorative Arts.

We can thus say that the Foundation did not betray the aims of its founder, whose love for art and cult for beauty are still today the hallmark of this house.

If houses and institutions have highs and lows in their paths, and it is normal that such would be the case in a route that has seen a half century go past, I believe the intentions of Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva continue unblemished with the much that has been done by the Foundation that carries his name.

We have long known that his name was intimately connected with the Decorative Arts, which I do not consider a minor form of art, since interior decoration provides us with daily joy and good taste.

More, the fact that the Foundation has since the very beginning been associated with the handling of skilled crafts, has given it an added value that cannot be ignored.

In its permanent unfolding to society, the Foundation presents us today with a project that will certainly become a reference to all those who appreciate Decorative Arts: the area/shop where we can find models of all the artistic pieces that are produced in the Foundation’s Workshops.

This permanent exhibition hall is a eulogy to the artists who daily carry out rigorous and detailed work the results of which we can more closely enjoy from now on.

Authentic works of art, the furniture, the textiles, the screens, the decorative painting, the book bindings, all of these, show not just each one’s personal artistic effort but also centuries of tradition.

It pleases me to notice that the interest shown by the young people who annually register in the courses taught here, allows them to face their future optimistically.

The work of the Foundation invites us to learn respect for the past, and to pass on to the new generations, the traditions and techniques developed by so many masters who, during centuries, built our identity.

I have severally repeated that there is no future without the past, and I am certain that it is our duty to bequeath to the new generations the memories of that past, with its secrets and grandeurs.

In its search for Portuguese handicrafts, the Foundation has known how to project a Future for the arts and crafts that modern age tends to ignore.

I wish to voice my sincere thanks to all those who work here – teachers, students and staff – personally to Dr. Luis Ferreira Calado, Chairman of the Management Committee, and to all the Committee’s members.

It is due to the efforts of all the above personages that the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation is nowadays the institution that the Portuguese so respect and admire.

I wish you the greatest success and progress in all your new and ongoing projects.