Santurce Revives “Gallery Tuesday” – A Hub for Local Artโ and culture
for years,”Galleryโค Tuesday” was a cornerstone of Sanโ Juan’sโ artistic and cultural scene,blending traditional art with Puerto Rico’s vibrant โsocial spirit. Now, artist Javier Olmeda โข and cultural manager Alexis Figueroa are working to rekindle this tradition, launching a new iteration in the heartโฃ of santurce.
The first event, held last week, reportedly exceeded expectations, drawing over 250 people โwith โminimal promotion โin its first week.the organizers are establishing a modelโ ofโ exhibitions held every three โmonths at Olmeda’s workshop, with the first Tuesday of each month dedicated to activities related to the current exhibition.
Thisโค initiative isn’t operating in isolation. Nearby cultural spaces, including the water, sun and serene theater collectiveโค and the KM 0.2 gallery, are joining the effort. Olmeda andโ Figueroa are creating bothโ printed and digital maps to guide visitors to these locations โand encourage support for local businesses,with โsome shops donating gift certificates and products for distribution among attendees.
Olmeda, a former student at the School of Plastic Arts, fondly โremembers the original “Gallery Tuesday” in Old โขSan Juan as a crucial space for learning, inspiration, and networking. “It was a super enriching experience โฃbecause one as an applicant was already establishing some โgoals of saying ‘I want this too andโ I want to โฃbe part of this,'”โฃ he explained.
He believesโข Santurce is the natural location for the revival. “Every time one โsaysโค now, ‘Gallery Tuesday’, but in santurce, people cacha โขhim quickly,” Olmeda stated, acknowledging the area’s established role as aโฃ center for artistic โproduction, housing museums โคandโฃ many of theโค island’s artists.
Looking ahead, Olmeda and Figueroa hope to expand the initiative to other urban centers across Puerto โขRico. This resurgence of “Gallery Tuesday” positions Santurce as a growing epicenter for local art and culture, offering the public a renewed opportunity to engage with the city and its creators.
Theโ next event is scheduled forโ October 7th at 6:30 pm.