A new art gallery in Hunting Park welcomes the next generation of Latino artists

When artist and muralist Danny Torres first came to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico in 1988, he struggled to find stability in the city’s arts scene.

“I went through hell to put my name in the art community,” Torres, now 63, said. Other than Taller Puertorriqueño, a community-based cultural organization celebrating Puerto Rican and Latino culture, Torres explained that at the time, there were few places in the city for Latino artists to show their work and find support. They had to work underground; galleries in Center City weren’t very interested in artwork that explored Latino culture and themes.

Torres marked a low point one winter, when he was homeless and had chicken pox at the same time. He worked on his craft inside a tight basement and gradually built his name and a renowned career in Philly. Having now painted dozens of murals across the city over the years, he is thrilled that the next generation of Latino artists in Philadelphia might now have an easier path.

Earlier this month, the Esperanza Arts Center, a Latino community arts and culture organization in Hunting Park, opened a new art gallery, Galería Esperanza. Esperanza intends for its gallery to be a place for both celebrated artists and newcomers alike to hone and display their work, and to further highlight the Hunting Park neighborhood as an artistic, cultural hub. The gallery’s inaugural exhibit is “Sueño de Reyes,” or Dream of Kings, by Puerto Rican artist Tato González.

“People in our community, young people who are creating works of art, [this] will give them the opportunity to show off their skills and be able to bring their family and friends in to see the work they’re doing,” said Bill Rhoads, senior vice president of Esperanza Arts Center.

“Part of our mission at [Esperanza] is to increase awareness and appreciation of the rich diversity of both local and internationally celebrated Latino artists among residents of the Philadelphia region,” he said later in an email to The Inquirer. He added that Esperanza plans for the gallery to open with a full, public schedule in the spring.

Those working at Esperanza have heard some express concern that adding another gallery space near Taller Puertorriqueño might put the two in competition with each other for attention and visits. But Rhoads is confident that won’t be the case, and explained that Esperanza’s gallery plans to collaborate with Taller going forward.

“When an additional art gallery opens up in any city, nobody complains ... ‘Oh my goodness, here comes another white, Western European art gallery,’” he said.

“How are we ever going to handle two [galleries] in a region that has a population of close to 20% Latino? I think we can handle two art galleries.”

Torres attended the official opening event for Galería Esperanza and “Sueño de Reyes” on Dec. 8. He’s been closely involved with Esperanza since it opened over 30 years ago, and remembers when Esperanza’s founder and president Luis Cortés Jr. first told him about his plan to open a community art gallery.

Now that it’s finally here, Torres hopes that the gallery gives people more reason and opportunity to travel from Center City and elsewhere around the city to Hunting Park to see Latino art and culture.

“We create art for the people to enjoy [it]. We create art for the people to live through [it],” he said.

“To remember from where we came from, so they can know where we [should] go in the future.”