El Museo is a 501(c)3 nonprofit visual arts organization dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary work by underserved artists as well as cultural programming that engages diverse communities through the arts and humanities.
In the 1970s, following the civil rights movement, cultural organizations proliferated working to represent minority groups and recognize their contributions to our common heritage. It was in this spirit that a group of young Latino artists associated with the University at Buffalo formed the Latino Artists Collective in 1977 to promote Latino/a, Latin American, and Caribbean art in Western New York.
Without a permanent home, the collective became known for street corner drama, poetry, and literary readings. Visual artists in the group staged exhibitions in various locations on Buffalo’s West Side. In 1981, this program formalized to become El Museo Francisco Oller y Diego Rivera, honoring two of the most esteemed Puerto Rican and Mexican artists, respectively. Since then, we have expanded our mission to encompass people of color, women and LGBTQ people, and Western New York’s growing immigrant and refugee communities.
In 1997 we moved into our current space on Allen Street, and today we present an ongoing schedule of exhibitions, artist talks, lectures, discussions, workshops, screenings, and performances. We are proud to have been a lasting presence in our community, as a space where one may encounter the other through art, where artists can interface with the public and challenge us to widen our horizons.
El Museo’s activities are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the County of Erie and County Executive Mark Poloncarz, the City of Buffalo and Mayor Byron Brown, Give for Greatness, The Collective Buffalo, and the continued generosity of our Members and donors.
