Rhode Island Latino Arts' La Galería del Pueblo Reopens - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Rhode Island Latino Arts' La Galería del Pueblo Reopens - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA) is an arts organization that defies categorization. The non-profit, founded in 1988, uses a variety of programs to bring to light a spectrum of art, culture, and history of Latino communities in the state. In recent years, RILA’s move to an historic home in Central Falls has given the group a unique space to exhibit work by contemporary Latino artists. As the pandemic continues to recede, RILA’s La Galería del Pueblo is reopening to the public as an inventive cultural center with a bright future ahead.

The venue will welcome visitors on weekdays from 10am - 5pm throughout July. In August, these hours may be amended based on which hours are most popular. RILA also intends to offer forthcoming sketching classes, with registration planned for July. Beyond the visual arts, drumming classes will also be on offer and will run for eight weeks from July 11-August 29, every Sunday from 2:00-3:30pm.

Led since its founding by Marta V. Martínez, one of the region’s most versatile non-profit leaders, RILA has expanded its programs and diversified its activities over the years. La Galería is a relatively recent addition, but it is a valuable one that provides a unique venue for sharing work produced by Latino visual artists with visitors from around Southern New England. The gallery is located in a repurposed domestic space at 209 Central Street in Central Falls, adjacent to the city’s public library.

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Built around 1900, the former home that is now RILA’s one-of-a-kind headquarters is a welcome change from typically gallery space. In rooms on the first floor, vibrant works of art are displayed within a home-like setting. Within such a venue, visitors and potential collectors can easily imagine how artwork could sit on their own walls. Rather than a white cube, La Galería provides an unusually warm and familiar exhibition space, removing some of the traditional boundaries between viewers and artworks.

Of the space, RILA’s Martínez says that conversion to use for exhibitions was a bit tricky due to the historic nature of the building. As one example, lack of electrical outlets made proper lighting somewhat difficult. The organization creatively repurposed the space though, and the result is a great resource for the whole community. Martínez notes that both she and the artists she exhibits enjoy the house, stating, “I do like the funky feel of this setup and it never feels like you’re in a traditional art gallery, yet the artists love having their work on the walls.”

On view now, one can find vibrant paintings by Tamara Díaz, a Cuban-American painter who creates Pop Art imbued with symbolism and spirituality. Her artworks invite viewers to explore and decode stories which are often deeply personal. They have a wonderful graphic and narrative quality and draw visitors through space.

Emerging artist Pablo Youngs works in spray paint and uses stencils to create figurative motifs. The effect is that his two-tone characters seem to move and sway, bringing exciting activity to static objects. Youngs’ work is included in RILA’s Traveling Puertas project, which saw four artists commissioned to paint sets of doors during the pandemic. These are on view at La Galería now and will travel around the state in the fall.

While part of the building at 209 Central Street features rotating exhibitions, it also boasts a recording studio for oral histories, space for dummers to gather, and even features a blackbox theatre in a converted carriage house. Alongside the extensive programming at their space in Central Falls, Martinez says she’s excited about the group’s upcoming Museo del Barrio program which she describes as “a sort of museum without walls”. The project will include walking tours and a street mural in South Providence.

In addition to their physical space, RILA also hosts numerous resources on their website including an extensive database of Latino artists. It includes profiles of talented creatives who come from a variety of backgrounds, work in an array of media, and who live throughout the state. A new online shop, La Tiendita, also makes handmade arts and crafts by RILA affiliated artisans available to buy from anywhere.

RILA bills La Galería as the state’s “only Latino gallery and cultural hub” and the space lives out that purpose well. It serves as exhibition and education space, as a gathering spot, and as an anchor for this important local organization. It is also a showplace for the remarkable slate of programs mounted by RILA. As the organization picks up steam, it will be exciting to follow how they activate this creative home to continue their important work sharing Latino art in Rhode Island and beyond.

Learn more about Rhode Island Latino Arts at www.rilatinoarts.org.