Each visit in 2007 marked another step forward in disseminating the work of Pablo Picasso and its artistic context, the main goal of the MPM, as well as promoting various culture events through the organization of lectures, concerts, film screenings, and dance performances. The MPM sparked the interest of 340,688 visitors last year, a figure that represents a daily average of 1,092, for a grand total of 1,456,510 visitors since MPM first opened its doors in October 2003. The temporary exhibitions included Picasso: Muses and Models, inaugurated in 2006 and which ended in February after receiving 102,036 visits. At the end of March, The Pierre &amp";" Maria-Gaetana Matisse Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened";" although it was originally scheduled to end in June, its success with the public led it to be extended until September, receiving a total of 120,896 visitors. Moreover, June 2007 saw the opening of the first of the exhibitions titled The Collection in Context, which offered 71,896 visitors a chance to delve deeper into the artistic and cultural context of the sculpture Small Figure (1907), part of the museum&rsquo";“s Permanent Collection. Educational Programming Bringing all audiences into contact with art&mdash”;“and, specifically, with the work of Picasso&mdash”;“is the mandate of the MPM. In 2007 the Museum organized more than 1,400 educational activities, including guided visits, workshops, and courses, in which 26,644 persons participated. Of this total, 12,791 were schoolchildren participating in the visits From the Classroom to the Museum, and another 4,058 enjoyed a learning experience in the workshops Imaginary Characters and Invent a Costume. Moreover, nearly 400 children and their parents spent Saturday mornings in the Museum as part of the Tell Me What You See visits for families, and 146 took part in the different workshops that were held during school vacation. Around 6,000 adults attended various specially-designed guided visits: Getting to Know the Collection and Talks in the Museum, amongst others. The MPM makes every effort to bring Picasso&rsquo”;“s work closer to all publics, including disabled persons, by offering special visits for the mentally handicapped, the mentally ill, the blind, the sight-impaired, the deaf, and the physically handicapped. In all, more than 600 persons took part in these activities during 2007, and they did so free of charge, thanks to the sponsorship of Unicaja. Also noteworthy was the latest edition of the MPM&rsquo”;“s courses for teachers, as well as the valuable work carried out with the different institutions that collaborate with the Museum on these activities: Universidad de Málaga, &Aacute”;“rea de Educación de la Diputación Provincial de Málaga, Asociación de Centros de Español de Málaga, Asociación Federada de Sordos, Centro de Profesorado de Málaga , Dirección General de Personas Mayores de la Junta de Andalucía and ONCE Málaga. Conferences and Activities A large number of persons came as well to the lectures, concerts, dance performances, and film screenings included in the Museo Picasso Málaga&rsquo”;“s program. The conferences began at the end of March, with a series that examined the figure of Pierre Matisse as an art dealer, and the historical and artistic context within which he carried out this activity. Experts such as Sabine Rewald, Jonathan Pratt, Michael FitzGerald, and Pepe Karmel were invited to share their knowledge on this subject. In May, and coinciding with the publication of the book Picasso: la serie Mujer tendida en la playa (The Reclining Woman on the Beach Series), published by the MPM, Prof. Elizabeth Cowling, University of Edinburgh, gave a talk in which she presented her conclusions on this enigmatic series of works. At the end of that same month, Marilyn McCully launched the series Picasso and Africa: Convergences, coinciding with the inauguration of the show Picasso&rsquo”;“s Small Figure: The Collection in Context. Robert Lubar, Aimée Conlin-Bessire and Hél&egrave”;“ne Klein contributed their own views regarding on this theme as well. The 2007 conference program ended last autumn with talks by Tom&agrave”;“s Llorens, Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, and Félix Fanés, who explored Picasso&rsquo”;“s relationship with other artists&rsquo”;" work such as Julio González, Duchamp, Miró and Dalí. The MPM Auditorium also served as a venue for screening the documentaries The Spanish Boxes and The Rape of Europa, both films delve into the conservation of artworks during wartime&mdash";“the Spanish Civil War in the former, and the nazi occupation of Europe and World II in the latter. Likewise, the MPM Auditorium stage served as the venue for a concert by Jordi Savall, playing his 17th-century viola de gamba”;" a production by the marvellous dancers of the Ballet de l&rsquo";“Opéra de Paris, titled Dance Pieces, qith five especially choreographed for the Museum”;" and a performance by the flamenco singer Estrella Morente. Every one of these shows was sold out. Other initiatives that were hits with the Malaga public were Nights with Picasso and Night of the Museums, during which the Museum opened its doors, for a reduced price of 2 euros, until midnight. Guided tours, live music, and the special charm of Palacio de Buenavista all contributed to creating a different, special atmosphere for enjoying art. Sponsors The organization of MPM&rsquo";“s exhibitions and activities depended on the valuable support of the institutions and companies that sponsored the Museum. Their commitment to art and culture was key to bringing the public into contact with the Museum&rsquo”;“s activities. They included: RTVA, Unicaja, San Miguel Fábricas de Cerveza y Malta (which recently renovated its support), Diputación Provincial de Málaga, Fundación AENA, Grupo Joly, and Vocento. In December, the Malaga-based company Novasoft joined the Museum&rsquo”;"s sponsors.