On Sept. 22, a community forum was held at Galeria de la Raza in order to find a new direction in its mission.
After more than four decades as a benchmark of Latino art in the city of San Francisco, Galeria de la Raza wants to continue the important social and cultural work it has been doing all these years.
“The main idea of this forum is to get different proposals coming from the community that allow us to establish the use and eventual role of the gallery,” said Ani Rivera, the new director of the center.
Led by Rivera, and in collaboration with outgoing director Carolina Ponce de León, the forum was held under a festive, dynamic and well structured environment.
About 60 people–artists and people from different organizations rooted in the Mission–contributed with ideas for the construction of the new future for the center.
Attendees were given the task of exchanging ideas and visions for use in the development of the new guidelines that will guide the gallery.
Galeria de la Raza, the result of the labor of Mission Chicano artists who were seeking a vehicle for exploration and expression of Chicano/Latino art, began operations in 1970 in front of a store located on 14th Street. Two years after its opening, the gallery moved to its current location on the corner of 24th and Bryant streets.
Among the founding artists include Rupert García, Peter Rodríguez, Francisco X. Camplis, Graciela Carrillo, Jerry Concha, Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Carlos Loarca, Manuel Villamor, Robert González, Luis Cervantes, Chuy Campusano, Rolando Castellón, Ralph Maradiaga y René Yañez.
—Translation Alfonso Aguirre
You have awesome work. I also had a few pieecs at this exhibicion unfortunately i was unable to attend the reception. Im out in Georgia struggleing with some school issues. But anyway I was wondering about who did the painting on the flyer, i did a google search and your website popped up. Great work homes.