Arts & Culture

CENTRO’s Arts & Culture Hub supports both the research process of artistic creators and the production of scholarly research focused on Puerto Rican artistic expression. We partner with Puerto Rican cultural institutions in the archipelago and the diaspora to support the work of Puerto Rican artists through free public programming, artistic residencies, exhibitions, partnerships with other cultural institutions, and artist talks.

We believe that by supporting and promoting the arts, we can not only enrich the lives of individuals within our communities but also contribute to the larger cultural landscape in New York City and beyond.

Photo: Feria de Expresión Puertorriqueña by José Rubén Gaztambide, 1975. Center for Puerto Rican Studies Records

Diasporican Art in Motion
Artistic Research Residency
CENTRO Gallery
Partnerships

DAM is a digital archive and community mapping project seeking to document the impact of migration on Puerto Rican visual culture and community-building through in-depth profiles of contemporary diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists. This community of artists is understudied and as a result, they are underrepresented in the Arts field. Their underrepresentation stems from the fact that diasporic Puerto Rican visual artists often fall outside the boundaries of American, Latin American, and Caribbean art. Moreover, their uniqueness and singular contributions to the arts are overshadowed and diluted by their lack of exposure in sanctioning academic fields and institutions.

Artwork: Libre, Monument Art festival in El Barrio NYC, Adrian Viajero Román Learn more

What's New

Opportunity

Summer 2025 Artistic Research Residency Program Open Call

January 28, 2025

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is calling on artists to present research proposals for the Summer 2025 Artistic Research Residency Program. Artists have been instrumental … Continued

Event

Opening Night of Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico & the Survival of a People

March 13, 2025

Join CENTRO on the opening night of Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and the Survival of a People, on view at the CENTRO Gallery in El Barrio from March 13th, 2025 … Continued

Event

Cafecito con... Glorimar Garcia: En tus manos/ En mi nombre

May 07, 2025

The tradition of lacemaking in Puerto Rico spans many generations. Brought to the island by Spanish settlers, the Puerto Rican bobbin lacemaking tradition, called mundillo (which translates to “little world”) … Continued

Exhibitions

On Both Sides of the Lens

November 21, 2024

ON VIEW NOW Inspired by the legacy of Frank Espada, Hiram Maristany, Sophie Rivera, Charles Biasiny-Rivera, Roger Cabán, Felipe Dante, and many more, CENTRO had the goal of having a visual record that communicated the last five years of the Puerto Rican diasporic experience. Through an open call, the work of 33 photographers was selected for this first iteration of On Both Sides of the Lens: Documenting the Puerto Rican Diaspora.

Art and Culture

CENTRO Announces Selected Photographers For Digital Exhibition and Photobook, "On Both Sides of the Lens: Documenting the Puerto Rican Diaspora"

November 21, 2024

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College has announced the selected photographers for the first edition of “On Both Sides of the Lens: Documenting the Puerto Rican … Continued

Our virtual store honors one of the most iconic Puerto Rican institutions in New York, la bodega. Here you can purchase artwork by Puerto Rican artists like Adrian “Viajero” Roman, Lorenzo Homar, and more. Your purchase supports our mission of strengthening, reimagining, and diversifying the field of Puerto Rican Studies.

Explore Artwork