Puerto Rico’s artistic setting continues to grow exponentially. Through its diverse forms, artists are finding new ways to portray expression and cultural awareness. While Puerto Rico has a wide range of museums throughout the island, independent art galleries are growing in popularity.
Conceived by local creatives, these new spaces offer emerging artists an opportunity to present their work in a more casual setting. Vibrant and lively neighborhoods such as Santurce and Miramar have become a hotspot for contemporary and urban art.
Miramar’s Calle Cerra, for example, is blooming with street art after last year’s event Santurce es Ley. This public art event welcomes local and international artists to showcase their work across buildings and local shops bringing a vibrant and colorful look to the area. Those who visit Miramar are encouraged to look across this muralist strip.
The area has traditionally been art-driven whether in music or art. Angel Alexis Bousquet, the artistic curator and orchestrator of Santurce es Ley, has seen firsthand the evolution of the area and the blooming of local art galleries, including his own Instituto de Subcultura formerly known as Gallery C787 located in the bohemian corner of Santurce on Calle Cerra.
The Institute founded in 2009 was conceived as a contemporary art gallery focused on emergent, plastic, and urban artists as well as muralists. It also serves as an artistic residency where creatives can live and exhibit their work. Additionally, the gallery serves as a workshop for Bousquet and other artists.
Over 50 artists have showcased their works at the Institute including local and international talent. To increase attendance the gallery has been alternating between showcasing individual artist’s works and those from collectives.
The most popular are interactive exhibitions, those containing sound or 3D sculpture elements that transform into experiences for the spectators. Bousquet explained that they try to find young artists who have innovative ways of using space and creative ideas on how to interact with the public. “We focus on starting from the ground up with these new artists and work with them and see their progress,” said Bousquet.
He added that this surge in artistic spaces has been positive. For example, artists who have never dared to come to the area are changing their views and are open to doing work in the region. While he recognizes that the number of galleries has decreased, the cultural exchanges between local and international artists as a result from Santurce es Ley, has produced networking and collaboration opportunities including hosting international artists as well as showcasing Puerto Rican artists across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Over the years, other galleries began to emerge including Recinto Cerra, Publica Espacio, and El Kilometro. Founded in December 2015 by local artists Karlo Andrei Ibarra and Yiyo Tirado Rivera both of whom graduated from Puerto Rico’s School of Plastic Arts and Design, El Kilometro was conceived as a discussion and investigation platform related to contemporary artistic practices in Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Since its inception, they have showcased over 100 exhibits and collaborated with more than 100 artists from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Latin America. The El Kilometro is now located at Stop 18 in Santurce. One of its particularities is that it offers a cultural calendar and a cocktail bar allowing for entertainment while supporting emerging artists.
“Each space that opens to exhibit art is an opportunity for the artistic guild to grow and be known. These spaces bring opportunities to other groups, people, and younger artists,” concluded Yiyo Tirado Rivera.
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