Galería Esperanza, a space for both celebrated artists and newcomers to display their work, opened its doors earlier this month.
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. Continue reading here…