Pintura Contemporanea de PfknR 2024

After a short hiatus in our exhibition program, Trailer Park Proyects organized its most ambitious exhibition up to date, Pintura Contemporanea de PfknR 2024. The metric for selection of the artists invited were

1. Living working artist

2. Exhibited a painting at a show in 2024

3. Turn in their best work at their discretion, I only asked a selected few for a bigger work but what they turned in was up to the artist.

Researching the 1960's Puerto Rico art scene I found that a lot of the exhibitions were titled Pintura Contemporanea (Contemporary Painting). It was so simple and they didn't have any pretentious titles . The works were the most important thing, no one to tell artists what or how to paint, no curators with fancy writing to defend the exhibition, it was all about the painting and not about anything else. I loved that simple idea and created this 30 man group show to honor painting over all else.

The participating artists are: Omar Velazquez, Jose Lerma, Angel Otero, Daniel Lind, Gamalier Rodriguez, Rogelio Baez, Melvin Martinez, Pedro Velez, Aby Ruiz, Bobby Cruz, Jonathan Torres, Jotham Malave, Rafael Miranda, Admin Torres, Nel Figueroa, Natalia Sanchez, Kivan Quinones, Lilliam Nieves, Angel Borroto, Dany Pabon, Javier Moreno, Roberto Silva, Alberto Zayas, Emanuel Torres, Efren Candelaria, Ada del Pilar, Javier Orfon, Carmelo Fontanez, Carmelo Sobrino, Jose Rosa, Eduardo Cabrer, Javier Moreno and Nelson Sambolin.

With limited space due to a change in the gallery showroom which left me with half the original floor plan, I had to make this show with 30 paintings of all sizes, themes, styles and other variables to work and to be shown coherently. Some deserving artists were left out because of the change of wall space it was initially thought out but I will include them in a future show.

Ron del Barrilito sponsored the events opening night as well as my second home Publica with the great Naima Rodriguez. My dearest friend Omar Velazquez was in charge of the exhibition design which ended up being a miracle on walls. Opening night on November 19, 2024. Turned out it was much more than we expected, over 500 people showed up that night and over 1,000 people in total for the whole week. 

Among the visitors we received were Art Collectors Ignacio Cortes, John Belk, Veronica Viso, Chilo Andreu, Dr. Cayo Arias, Glady Alonso and Rashid Molinary, Jose Hernandez Castrodad, Roberto Fortuno, Antonio Garcia and Mae Colon, Dr. Raul Vila, Gabriel Fuentes, Maria Emanuelli, Dr. Gilberto Arias y Dra. Lia Negron, Rafael Disdier, Javier Romero, Guillermo Gonzalez Colon, Ian Rivera Morales, Fernando De Zengotita, Dr. Carlos Torres, Erika Medina, Johan Vazquez, Christian Wolpert Gaztambide, Jaime Sanabria, Curator Juan Carlos Lopez Quintero, Curator Aisha Perez, Curator Flavia Marichal, Curator Mariel Quinones,  Curator Abdiel Segarra, Art Consultant Amanda Alonso, Art Consultant Adlin Rios, Art Critic Manuel Alvarez Lezama, Gallerist Francisco Tito Rovira, Gallerist Raquel Perez Puig, Gallerist Izam Zawahra, Filmmaker Tito Roman, Arthop creators Tony Rodriguez and Danny Baez, Musician Ile, Musician Rodrigo Cuevas, Actress Marise Tata Alvarez and many others. Thanks for coming to the show.

As part of the new initiative Arthop Week 2024 we decided to make sure to leave a dent in the local art scene history with a show that exhibited the best of the best in painting and that we accomplished. The pop-up show ran from November 18-24, 2024 at Publica Espacio in Santurce, PR

Planning the next show and getting ready for Arthop 2025

Exhibition Flyer designed by Jesus Diaz

Angel Borroto 

Emanuel Torres, Lilliam Nieves, Javier Orfon, Eduardo Cabrer, Melvin Martinez, Nelson Sambolin, Ada del Pilar, Efren Candelaria, Rafael Miranda, Jose Rosa, Jose Lerma, Carmelo Fontanez, Daniel Lind, Carmelo Sobirno

Kivan Quinones, Jose Lerma, Nel Figueroa, Admin Torres

Angel Otero, Alberto Zayas, Aby Ruiz, Pedro Velez

Natalia Sanchez, Rogelio Baez, Roberto Silva, Omar Velazquez

Bobby Cruz, Gamalier Rodriguez, Javier Moreno, Jotham Malave, Jonathan Torres, Dany Pabon

Group of artists Juan Climent, Angel Borroto and Jotham Malave

Group photo artists with me

Group Photo

Bea Echevarria and Ada del Pilar

Aby Ruiz, Maria Calbeto, Pedro Velez

A few friend including Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, Hector Gonzalez

Group photo (L toR): Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR) curator Juan Carlos Lopez Quintero, Omar Velazquez, Jotham Malave, Aby Ruiz, Angel Borroto, Nel Figueroa, Roberto Silva, Admin Torres, Dany Pabon, Ada del Pilar, Javier Orfon, Pedro Velez, Emanuel Torres

Lifetime friends Jose del Rio and Marise Tata Alvarez

Juan Carlos Lopez Quintero and Marianelly

Maria Calbeto, Jose Lerma and Io Carrion

Javier Moreno - Comision Estatal de Elecciones silkscreen limited edition

 For our newest silkscreen limited edition print, Javier Moreno one of Puerto Rico's top woodblock printmakers has designed this new exclusive print as satire to the Puerto Rican political race and elections where we get 2 bad candidates from 2 bad parties as our choices, both corrupt, both inept and both destroying our Island since democracy was implemented in this territory of the USA which has basically the same "democratic" alternatives.

Moreno presents his take with this image that carries a lot of history as Edwin Rosskam created a print titled VOTE for the Taller de Cinema y Grafica de Parques y Recreo Publico to promote and educate the people on how to vote back in 1949 for the Island's first elections.

Later Antonio Martorell released a print for Taller Alacran (Barajas Series) in 1968 to make a comment on our political situation (which is still the exact same in 2024) where he designed a cartel with the word vote on the water tank of a vintage toilet with the letter T falling into the bowl as to say that we are voting for shitty candidates or that no matter what how we vote its still going to be the same shit selected to run the country all with red and blue colors which are the colors of the 2 main parties as well as the color of the American and Puerto Rican Flag.

Today we introduce Javier Moreno's newest interpretation of this iconic image hoping to let all generations to cone that we have always been in the same boat and nothing has changed in 80 years.

The print is 18"x22", 3 color silkscreen, signed and numbered to 60. 

Cost is $100 plus shipping.

To acquire yours contact me at 787-409-6983 or via email at scarface_76@yahoo.com

Get your print today, enjoy and thanks for the support

New TPP Limited Edition Print by Emanuel Torres

We are proud to announce our newest print release from artist Emanuel Torres titled Animazul. Emanuel is known for his abstracts works with sometimes opaque and sometimes bright vivid colors, he has clearly been influenced by Puerto rico's top abstract painters such as Olga Albizu, Luis Hernandez Cruz, Carmelo Fontanez and Julio rosado del Valle amongst others. His work is the continuation of a long standing tradition of great abstract painters.

He presented an amazing solo exhibition at el MadMi museum in Miramar and a dual show with Edra Soto at Latchkey Gallery in NY and simultaneously a solo show at the Clemente Soto Center. In 2018 he was the recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and is currently part of the Las Casitas de los Artistas community project in Bayamon, PR.

For more information please contact us

Emanuel Torres

Animazul

19"x26"

2023

Silkscreen on Paper 

Limited Edition #/50

TPP will be participating at La Cartelera 2 @ Publica Espacio on December 8-9-10, 2023

As part of our on-going mission to promote prints and keep adding to the rich tradition of poster history in Puerto Rico and Latin America, we produce prints from contemporary artists and sell them at affordable prices. We are committed to producing the print on the Island amid rising costs of production it is imperative we do everything in PuertoRico and have it be a 100% Puerto Rican product. Although prices have almost doubled after hurricane Maria devastating path, we are trying to adjust and keep the project going. 

La Cartelera is a super cool event in a flea market sale vibe that allows all the artist that work prints and on paper can just set a table and put their works to sell. No fancy set up, no costly booths, none of that crap, just a good old table with amazing art with a set up that permits lower prices for everyone. 

This year on Friday December 8, the event will be hosting 3 conferences FREE of charge for everyone. Starting at 4pm Gilberto Arias will be talking about Revolutionary Carteles de Izquierda and their historical context. Following will be a presentation of the new documentary by Amanda Alonso where she interviews print master Luis Alonso to who the event is dedicated (Luis Alonso will be at the event) and to close the conference cycle the headliner Dra. Teresa Tio the author of the book we call the bible of the industry El Cartel will be giving a lecture on the Cartel and the influence and importance of Luis Alonso in the history of the Cartel. This is a must attend event for anyone who likes carteles.

We will have a table selling our TPP Limited Edition Prints and we will be presenting a new release for the event. We will also be selling the La Cartelera 2 and La Cartelera 1 original posters. The event poster was designed by graphic artists Jesus Diaz, he is my favorite graphic artist and is responsible for all my logos including Trailer Park Proyects, Mi Primera Tacita de Cafe, Second Hand Gallery, La Cartelera 1 Poster in collaboration with Garvin Sierra, etc... The posters will be printed in limited quantities and we will have different color variations of the same design. You can also see the poster in the streets as part of the traditional wheat paste on the walls Santurce, San Juan and Rio Piedras.

Make sure to mark the date and come see us and all 40 tables of artists, dealers, galleries and affiliated colleagues from the art scene. 

See you there.

TPP photos of our booth at Arte BA 2014

 I never got to posting the photos of our booth at the Arte BA Art Fair in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in 2014. I had just moved to Chicago and as a small alternative gallery I had to do the impossible to make it happen. So much that I couldn't even make it there but was sure to send all the exhibiting artists and the show curator to make the trip so they could work on their careers and expanding their work beyond our Island. The team was curator Bianca Ortiz-Declet and artists Omar Velazquez, Karlo Ibarra, Sebastian Vallejo (did't make the trip) and Bobby Cruz.

I'm posting now cause I found the email with the pics they sent....today 9 years after the fair but as this website is to document the gallery's journey, it is important to post it and as they say better late than never. 

Here are a few pics of the exhibited works and some pics of the booth the day of the opening before doors opened. Thanks to all that helped and the artists for representing the gallery and Puerto Rico's art scene down in Argentina.

Booth Overall View

Omar Velazquez

Sebastian Vallejo

Karlo Ibarra

Bobby Cruz

TPP Bichota Limited Edition Print by Chu

 As our print project goes forward in full throttle, we are trying to produce at least 1 print a month. As the project continues to evolve we are introducing designers, not exclusive fine artists, so we can also include some pop art artworks that react to our everyday cultural phenomena and situations we encounter in the newspapers and social media while having fun with not-so-serious art along the way. 

Our first designer Chu is a seasoned well-respected designer and a dear friend also known as my brother from another mother. He designs all my project logos including my Cabra Tours and the others which you can check out on my Instagram pages 

@Trailerparkproyects

@Chicago_Fat_Food_Critic

@miprimeratacitadecafe

@Second_Hand_Gallery_PR

Bichota pint has been in the making way before the Barbie. Movie craze, It was thought after reggaeton artist Karol G introduced her worldwide hit song titled Bichota. Chu and I sit down or talk over the phone constantly thinking of cool designs to create and this one was a top priority yet because of budget restrictions I could not produce it before but with the announcement of the film premiere, I made a few moves to make it possible and get it out there as soon as possible to launch along with the movie's premiere all across the USA. 

This artwork is a homage to the feminist and woman empowerment movement that is heading in the right direction and we are happy to create this piece that shows support to this very needed and important movement that helps shape our society way better than the way it is set up.

It's a 3 color silkscreen printed by Laura, Oscar, and Steven at La Serigrafica print shop in Rio Piedras. 

The price for this print is $50 each or $65 shipped. This specific series of pop art designs we will try to keep at a price under $75. @laserigraficapr

TPP Jotham Malave - Limited Edition Silkscreen

Last summer we restarted our limited edition silkscreen project to keep the print alive as part of our long tradition of Carteles in the Island’s art history.

Our new silkscreen print is titled “No mas espera” and it depicts some figures struggling to survive as part of Malave’s ongoing series of Puerto Rico’s condition and how we as a country have to hustle every day to survive and as every day passes we encounter new problems being by forces of nature or by the corruption of the system but it never ceases to end. We go from survival mode to survival mode and have been living in these conditions for the past 75 years. 

Malave is a figurative art professor in Pennsylvania that has little by little at such a young age exhibited his works in solo exhibitions at some of Puerto Rico’s major museums and has had his works become part of some of the Island’s most important private collections.

Jotham Malave who just this past month moved back to Puerto Rico to become full-time resident of the Casita de los Artistas in Bayamon, Puerto Rico where the mayor has built a community for artists in residence where they select a handful of artists to have a studio and an apartment for a couple of years helping the artists develop and produce concentrating in their work and not having to worry about housing or studio rent. This is the most coverted residency program in Puerto Rico and one of the best programs I’ve ever seen helping struggling artists become focused and working on their careers and next moves and has proven to work perfectly as some of them have gained critical acclaim and pushed them to higher and better career moves in the international art world. 

We are very happy and proud of the result as this is a reminder we are survivors and is a way to commemorate our people's resilience every day.

The silkscreen was produced by La Serigrafica by printers Oscar, Steven, and Laura in their Rio Piedras Location. They have done a great job capturing Malave’s work with a single color. Amazing job.