Since the 1920’s, the City of Philadelphia has been an enclave for Latino immigrant workers in the manufacturing sector, giving rise to a vibrant Latino– still predominantly Puerto Rican– community. The largest wave of Puerto Ricans to Philadelphia was in the decades of the 50’s and 60’s when they arrived, from the island of Puerto Rico, mainly via the farms of New Jersey, or the cities of New York and Chicago. During those years, a vibrant manufacturing industry in North Philadelphia and near the piers, especially the sector of Northern Liberties, provided the conditions for work, housing and community.

In the 1950’s major Puerto Rican neighborhoods evolved around jobs, civic centers, small businesses and church in the sectors of Kensington, Northern Liberties, Spring Garden and Southwark. Similar to other communities, the drain of manufacturing jobs in the late 60’s and 70's, and the return of veterans from the Korean War, displaced many wage earners forcing many into welfare or to engage in informal economies to sustain their families. During the late 60’s and early 70’s a small group of Puerto Rican artists realized the need and importance of creating a gathering space to promote and practice Puerto Rican arts and culture. It was also an effort to teach youth, especially Puerto Rican youth about their culture through the rich tradition of Puerto Rican arts.  That was the beginning of Taller Puertorriqueño (Taller).

<strong>Founded in 1974, Taller has been “Building Community through Art Since 1974”.</strong>

Taller's work fills the gap of cultural programming on a community-wide basis.  Through our primarily free events, performances and gallery exhibitions, we strive to provide quality Latino arts and cultural programming to those who have little access. Taller has thrived in a community struggling with high unemployment and dropout rates, drugs, prejudice, and violence. This stands as a testament to the role Taller plays in celebrating this community’s strength, resilience, diversity and cultural richness. Taller brings Philadelphians together, locally and city wide, to experience the magical and transformational power of the arts.

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<strong>Taller's Main Programs at a glance include:</strong>

<!--?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?--><strong>-Cultural Exploration Program (CEP)</strong> offering children and youth after school opportunities to explore Latino culture, learn skills in many arts disciplines, participate in a Homework Club, tutoring support and an all-day summer camp.

<strong>-Youth Artist Program (YAP)</strong> is a two-year program for high school students to develop artistic skills and produce a portfolio of work used to apply to arts colleges.

<strong>- Visítenos (Visit Us)</strong> occurs both on- and off-site and offers K-12 grade students and teachers exploration of Latino cultures that meet the criteria of Philadelphia School District Arts Standards and Multicultural Competencies.

<strong>-Memories in the Making (MIM),</strong> a collaboration with The Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, is an innovative art therapy program that enables Latino persons with dementia to express themselves through art.

<strong>-Eugenio Maria de Hostos Archives (The Archives)</strong> for students and scholars includes a varied collection of books, periodicals, articles, oral histories and research focusing on Latino culture and history.

<strong>-Visual Arts Program (VAP)</strong> manages the galleries at Taller as the region's only art galleries dedicated to Latino art. Off-site exhibits provide additional access and audiences.

<strong>-Julia de Burgos Gift Shop</strong>, a destination for original Latino artwork, crafts, jewelry and collectibles, serves as the only bilingual bookstore in the tri-state area. Augmenting the store are book readings and author presentations as part of its Meet the Author Series.

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<strong>Other annual ongoing Events and Outreach efforts:</strong>
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	<li><strong>Arturo A. Schomburg Symposium (Schomburg Symposium) </strong> brings scholars from around the globe for talks, lectures and panel discussions about the relationship between the African Diaspora and Latin American culture.</li>
	<li><strong>Feria del Barrio (Feria)</strong> street festival, a collaborative event among partners that include Congreso de Latinos Unidos, HACE, and Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas, brings more than 10,000 participants from Philadelphia and the region, to Taller and its community, supporting local businesses as well as a diversity of artists and vendors.</li>
	<li><strong>Three Kings Day Celebration</strong> attracts hundreds of children and their parents from the neighboring community as well as other Philadelphia residents. With music by local musicians, the Three Wise Men (members of the community dressed up as the Three Kings) march down 5<sup>th</sup> St, from our bookstore building at 2721 Nth 5<sup>th</sup> Street to meet the children at the Educational Building at 2557 Nth 5th St., were they distribute toys, maintaining this tradition in Philadelphia.</li>
	<li>Taller participates in and produces multiple other events from time to time such as the Café Under the Star Series, and others.</li>
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