José Guirao
José Guirao Cabrera is a Spanish cultural manager and art expert who served as Minister of Culture and Sport in the government of Pedro Sánchez between 2018 and 2020. He was also Member of the Congress of Deputies.
Previously, he was director of the Reina Sofía Museum between 1994 and 2001 and director of the La Casa Encendida from 2002 and 2014. He was also Director-General of the Montemadrid Foundation until his appointment as minister, a private non-profit organization that works in favor of inclusion and equal opportunities, promotes a participatory citizenship with access to education, employment and culture and favors the conservation of the environment.Biography
Guirao is the son of Lucas Guirao Valverde and Mercedes Cabrera Rodríguez. He is the youngest of four brothers; Bernardino, Beatriz and Ana Isabel. Guirao graduated in Spanish Philology from the University of Murcia, although he studied one of the grades in the University of Granada. His deskmate was Luis García Montero, current Director of Cervantes Institute. Guirao was the manager of the Cultural Department of the Provincial Council of Almería from 1983 to 1987.
From 1988 to 1993, Guirao occupied the position of Chief Manager of Cultural Assets at the Regional Government of Andalusia.
In 1993, Guirao was appointed to the position of Manager of Fine Arts and Archives at the Ministry of Culture. In 1994, he was appointed Director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. During his tenure, the project of the expansion of the museum was awarded to architect Jean Nouvel.
From 2001 to 2014, Guirao was the director of the cultural centre La Casa Encendida in Madrid. In 2013, the centre became part of the Fundación Montemadrid, and he was appointed Chief Manager of this foundation.
José Guirao is a member of the Federico García Lorca Foundation, of the Antonio Gala Fundation and of the Museum of Contemporary Spanish Engraving Foundation. In addition, he is a guest professor of the Master's Degree in Cultural Management at the Carlos III University of Madrid.
In June 2018, Guirao was chosen to succeed Màxim Huerta as Minister of Culture and Sport, after Huerta's resignation. In March 2019, the Provincial Committee of the PSOE chose him to be first in the electoral list to the Congress of Deputies for the constituency of Almería. He was elected MP in the general election of April.
