The community of San Vicente de Nicoya, on the Pacific coast, plans to inaugurate its new museum tomorrow after 15 years of trying to get this project off the ground, according to a statement from the Culture Ministry.

The museum will showcase the ceramics characteristic to the area through temporary exhibits. More than half of San Vicente's 600 to 650 inhabitants work crafting the town's traditional pottery, which has pre-Columbian origins, the statement said.

The first exhibit, which opens Saturday and runs through November, is called “Heritage of Clay: Great Artists of San Vicente.” It “tells us through images... the work of seven of the greatest artists in San Vicente and how they have carried on a rich tradition that has lived though innovations, talent, style, dreams and passion for their work,” the statement said.

Several groups including the Museum Association of Chorotega Art of San Vicente de Nicoya, the National Museum's Program for Regional Museums and the Inter-American Foundation, helped gather funds to buy a plot of land and build the museum.

The association is now out to seek funds for a second phase of the building to house workshops.