• Bernardo Palombo, Founder Taller Latinoamericano

Bernardo Palombo, born in Mendoza, Argentina, founded El Taller in 1979 in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, envisioning a space where Spanish and English speakers could unite through art, music, and language. His career began early with the hit song “Vendimiador,” recorded by Los Trovadores, and continued in New York, where his music was performed by legends such as Mercedes Sosa, Philip Glass, and Lucecita Benítez. Palombo also composed for film and television, contributing to projects like Powaqqatsi and Sesame Street. Drawing on over forty years of teaching, he developed El Taller’s distinctive music-based language programs. Recognized for his lasting impact on arts and education, he has received the Independent Educator’s Award from Columbia University’s Teachers College and multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Jennifer Maya Luz Pliego, Founder Taller Latinoamericano

Jennifer Maya Luz Pliego is a New York City–based artist whose photography reflects her bicultural heritage, urban roots, and fascination with the inner life as revealed through symbols and human connection. Her work has been exhibited and collected in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Notable projects include Dar a Luz / Bring to Light, selected by the Pan American Health Organization; God Space, a limited-edition book on Mexican churches; and Good Neighbors, a large-scale public installation in Manhattan. Her photographs have appeared in Women’s Wear Daily, Time, and The Guardian, among others. She currently serves as Interim Artistic Director of El Taller Latino Americano, continuing the legacy of her late husband, founder Bernardo Palombo.

• Juanra Fernández, Cultural Entrepreneur

Juan Ramón Fernández Terrasa (1969–2025) was born and raised in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. After earning dual degrees in industrial engineering and philosophy at the University of Michigan—where he met his lifelong partner, Gwen Harvey—he moved to New York City, immersing himself in its vibrant music and arts scene. Deeply connected to the Nuyorican community, he co-founded the Mo’ Guajiro Collective in the 1990s and helped nurture spaces of cultural exchange through music, dance, and poetry. In 2001, Juanra and Gwen opened the iconic Nuyorican Café in Viejo San Juan, home to their band El Comborican, which became a cornerstone of Puerto Rico’s live salsa scene for nearly two decades. Following Hurricane María, they relocated to New York, continuing their mission of bridging island and diaspora communities. Until his final days, Juanra remained devoted to music, collaboration, and community—leaving behind a living legacy of creativity, solidarity, and joy.

• Shadia Fairuz, Broadway Performer

Shadia Fairuz has dedicated her life to the performing arts, gracing renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall, Russia’s Hermitage, B.B. King’s, Repertorio Español, and Pregones/PRTT, as well as venues across Japan, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, and beyond. Classically trained with a lyrical foundation, she has mastered a wide range of styles—from jazz and musical theater to opera—seamlessly blending music and storytelling. Her career includes collaborations with Tito Nieves, Domingo Quiñones, and Danny Rivera, and acclaimed performances in I Like It Like That, the U.S. Spanish premiere of In the Heights (Helen Hayes Award nominee), and the Broadway tour of On Your Feet!. Equally passionate about teaching, Shadia has spent over 15 years mentoring students throughout New York City through programs such as the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Urban Voices and the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts. Based in East Harlem, she continues to inspire artists with her dynamic instruction and dedication to vocal excellence.

• Priscilla López, Broadway Legend

Priscilla Lopez is an American actress and singer celebrated for her iconic performances as Diana Morales in A Chorus Line and Sofia in In the Heights. Born in 1948, she won a Tony Award for A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine and has built a distinguished career spanning Broadway, film, and television. Her screen credits include Maid in Manhattan and All in the Family. Married to Vincent Fanuele since 1971, she is the mother of two actors, continuing a family legacy devoted to the performing arts.

• Sully Díaz, Actress, Singer and TV Star

Sully Díaz is a Puerto Rican actress and singer whose career began with her breakout role as Coralito in the beloved telenovela Coralito. Her success led to starring roles in soap operas across Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Argentina. Afterward, she returned to New York to refine her craft at the Actors Studio, HB Studio, and Ann Reinking’s Steps Studio. In 2012, she starred in the Spanish-language production of The Vagina Monologues alongside Ivy Queen and others, bringing attention to global issues of gender violence. Throughout her career, Díaz has remained a celebrated figure in Latin American television and theater, known for her versatility and enduring presence on stage and screen.

• Arnaldo Cruz-Malave, a Scholar and Educator

Dr. Arnaldo Cruz-Malavé is a distinguished scholar and educator, Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, and Director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Institute. A Yale University graduate with a Ph.D. from Stanford, his research explores Hispanic Caribbean literature, the presence of New York in Latino writing, and the intersections of gender and sexuality in Latin American and U.S. Latin literatures. His work also delves into the richness and complexity of the Latin American Neobaroque, making him a leading voice in contemporary Latinx and Caribbean cultural studies.

• Café Colmado (1st Anniversary)

Café Colmado is a vibrant Latino coffee shop located in New York’s Lower East Side, celebrating the flavors and warmth of the Caribbean and Latin America. Known for its carefully curated selection of regional coffees and pastries, it offers both cozy indoor seating and a welcoming outdoor patio. More than just a café, Café Colmado serves as a community hub—a place to gather, connect, and savor culture over a perfect cup of coffee.

• Alvan Colón, (Pregones/PRTT) director, actor, producer and community advocate

Alvan Colón Lespier is a director, actor, producer, and community advocate whose career has been central to the development of Latino theater in the United States. As Associate Artistic Director of Pregones Theater and the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre (PRTT), he has helped build a powerful network of artistic collaboration, leading over 75 premieres of Latino musical theater and expanding the company’s global touring reach. Born in Virginia and raised in Coamo, Puerto Rico, Alvan began his artistic journey with Anamú Experimental Theater and the Colectivo de Teatro Nacional de Puerto Rico before directing the Raúl Juliá Training Unit at PRTT. Deeply committed to social responsibility through the arts, he integrates theatrical, musical, and curatorial work to inspire curiosity and community engagement. His international credits span the Americas and Europe, and his contributions have earned him numerous honors, including the Ford Foundation Visionaries Fellowship and the LP21 Maestro Award. A lifelong advocate for arts-driven community development, Alvan continues to champion the transformative power of theater from his base in the Bronx.

• Devon Rodríguez, a New York City-based painter and influencer

Devon Rodriguez (born April 8, 1996) is an American artist from the South Bronx, known for his hyperrealistic portraits of New York City subway commuters. Of Puerto Rican and Honduran descent, he began as a graffiti artist before turning to portraiture at age 13. A graduate of the High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Rodriguez gained early recognition when sculptor John Ahearn’s busts of him were featured at the National Portrait Gallery. His own portrait of Ahearn later became a finalist for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition in 2019. In 2020, Rodriguez rose to global prominence on TikTok, where his quick-sketch videos of unsuspecting subway riders went viral, making him the most-followed visual artist on the platform. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Style Magazine, and Southwest Art, and he continues to bridge fine art and popular culture through his deeply human depictions of everyday New Yorkers.

• Alex Sanchez, director and choreographer

Alex Sanchez is a New York City–based director and choreographer, celebrated for his dynamic and expressive storytelling through movement. A 2025 SDC Callaway Award finalist for choreography and a 2024 Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominee for The Gardens of Anuncia at Lincoln Center, Sanchez has also received the SDC Joe A. Calloway Award and the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Choreography. Named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” his work spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, and international stages, marking him as one of the most versatile and innovative choreographers of his generation.

• Gerardo Gudiño, actor

Gerardo E. Gudiño is an Argentine-born, New York–based actor and director. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, and studied acting for two years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. A member of Repertorio Español’s resident company since 2001, he has performed in acclaimed productions such as Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Blood Wedding, Life Is a Dream, Yerma, Doña Flor and Her Two Husbands, and Don Quixote, among many others. At IATI Theater, he appeared in The Guest and the Void, The Dinner, and Lirio’s Flower, and directed Hard to Believe and Face the Music. His additional directing credits include My Last Night with Rubén Blades, The Therapy, Tic-Tac-Toe, and Masks Off. Gudiño’s work has been recognized with six ACE Awards, four HOLA Awards, and one ATI Award, solidifying his place as a leading figure in Hispanic theater in New York.

• Ed Trucco, Actor

Eduardo “Ed” Trucco (born June 3, 1963, in Queens, New York City) is a Puerto Rican–American actor, producer, and former sportscaster of Argentine descent. He began his career as a child actor in Argentina, later gaining teen idol status in Puerto Rico through films like Una Aventura Llamada Menudo and Conexión Caribe. Trucco transitioned to international film and television, appearing in Highlander II: The Quickening, Maria Full of Grace, and Kiss of Death, as well as recurring roles in Law & Order, Mr. Robot, Limitless, and Telemundo’s Al Otro Lado del Muro and La Reina del Sur III. A versatile performer fluent in both English and Spanish, he has also hosted television programs, including BMX race coverage and WWE events. The son of Argentine filmmaker Orestes Trucco and a Puerto Rican mother, Ed has built a multifaceted career spanning film, television, and broadcasting, marked by his ability to navigate diverse cultures and audiences with authenticity and charisma.

• Jose Morales, Painter, draftsman, installation artist, and teacher

José Morales (born 1947, New York, USA) is a painter, draftsman, installation artist, and educator whose work explores the complexities of Puerto Rican identity and the human condition. He studied at the Art Students League of New York under Ethel Katz, later continuing his artistic education at the Academia Peña and Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. A Ford Foundation grant allowed him to return to the Art Students League, where he studied sculpture with José DeCreeft and painting with Julian Levi. Morales has taught at the Art School of El Museo del Barrio and served as artist-in-residence at Boricua College in 1985. His compositions—marked by technical precision and conceptual depth—often address social isolation, failed communication, and violence, reflecting both irony and empathy toward the struggles and syncretism within Puerto Rican society.

• Alejandro Epifanio, Executive and Artistic Director of Loisaida

Alejandro Epifanio Torres, Executive and Artistic Director, is a Puerto Rican leader and cultural advocate based in Lower Manhattan. Originally from Borikén (Puerto Rico), he has become a key figure in the neighborhood, blending his heritage with a deep commitment to the arts and social justice. As Executive Director of Loisaida, Inc., Alejandro has championed community development through creativity, spearheading programs that promote artistic expression, innovation, and civic engagement. Under his leadership, Loisaida, Inc. has evolved into a dynamic cultural hub and a beacon for empowerment and collaboration within New York’s Latinx community.

• Dr. Tony Tian-Ren Lin, Cultural Sociologist

Rev. Dr. Tony Tian-Ren Lin is a Research Professor at New York Theological Seminary and a cultural sociologist whose work explores the intersections of religion, immigration, race, and ethnicity. He is the author of Prosperity Gospel Latinos and Their American Dream (University of North Carolina Press, 2020), praised by Publisher’s Weekly as a “well-reasoned” and “evocative debut.” Born in Taiwan and raised in Argentina, Dr. Lin holds degrees from Boston University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and the University of Virginia, where he also served as a Research Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he has led congregations in New Jersey and Virginia. His research and commentary have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, LatinoUSA, and WNYC, among others.

• Graciela Cassel, multidisciplinary artist

Graciela Cassel, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. She holds degrees from the University of Buenos Aires, Yeshiva University, New York University, and the School of Visual Arts. Her work—featured in collections such as Citibank NY, Museo del Grabado (Buenos Aires), and the Lilac Museum (New York)—explores themes of movement, borders, and transformation through immersive installations and video art. Cassel has received numerous honors, including the 2022 NYFA Work Award, the Altamira Museum Fellowship, and multiple grants from the Queens Council on the Arts. Her work has been exhibited internationally, from Museo del Barrio and the Hall of Science in New York to the Venice Biennial (2024) and Nuit Blanche Paris (2023). As founder and director of Transborder Art, a television series dedicated to conversations with contemporary artists, Cassel continues to bridge art and public dialogue. Recent and upcoming exhibitions include Oceans at Vital Art Studios, Romance in the Garden at West Harlem Sculpture Garden, and Unknown Worlds/Natural Forces at Art on Paper NYC 2025.

• Susan Rybin, Agent and Actress

Rybin Talent Management, LLC, based in New York City, has been discovering and representing emerging talent for nearly four decades. Founded by Susan Rybin—actress, teacher, and talent manager—the agency grew out of her dedication to nurturing new generations of performers through the Rybin Studio of Drama. A graduate of The New School for Social Research, Susan began her artistic journey at age six at Miriam Colón’s Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. She made history as the youngest recipient of France’s Arts-Sciences-Lettres Award for her portrayal of Anne Frank and has earned numerous honors, including H.O.L.A., ACE, and El Diario’s Woman of the Year Awards. Her acclaimed portrayal of Frida Kahlo in Frida Kahlo: Viva la Vida and Frida Kahlo: Long Live Life garnered her additional ACE, H.O.L.A., and United Solo Festival Awards, reaffirming her lifelong commitment to excellence in performance and artistic mentorship.

• INTAR Theater

Founded in 1966 in New York City, INTAR Theatre is one of the oldest and most influential Latino theaters in the United States. Dedicated to commissioning, developing, and producing innovative works by Latine artists, INTAR has long served as a creative home for playwrights, directors, and performers seeking to push artistic boundaries. Originally founded as the Asociación de Arte Latinoamericano, INTAR evolved to embrace English-language productions and became a vital platform for Latinx voices in American theater. Its historic Hispanic Playwrights-in-Residence Laboratory, led by María Irene Fornés, helped shape generations of writers. Today, INTAR continues to nurture early-career and established artists alike, fostering bold storytelling that reflects the diversity and vitality of the Latine experience.

• Pedro Giraudo, Latin GRAMMY-Winning Artist

Pedro Giraudo is a Latin GRAMMY Award–winning bassist, composer, and bandleader recognized as one of today’s foremost tango innovators. A native of Argentina, he has performed with major figures including Rubén Blades, Pablo Ziegler, Paquito D’Rivera, and Branford Marsalis, and has appeared at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. His 2018 album Vigor Tanguero won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Tango Album, and his work spans collaborations with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, and international jazz orchestras. As a composer and arranger, Giraudo masterfully fuses tango, Argentine folk, classical music, and jazz improvisation. His acclaimed discography includes Córdoba, El Viaje, Cuentos, and Impulso Tanguero. In addition to leading his tango and jazz ensembles worldwide, Giraudo continues to expand the genre through commissions such as Sin Palabras (2023), celebrating Afro-Argentine culture, confirming his place as a vibrant ambassador of contemporary tango.

• Andre Baruffi, Associate Artistic Director of IATI Theater

Andre Baruffi is the Associate Artistic Director of IATI Theater. He began his career in 1994 in Argentina, performing in musical theater with the Estudios de Comedias Musicales. Since 2000, he has been an integral part of IATI Theater, where he has directed and produced acclaimed works such as Homo-Dramaticus. A recipient of the HOLA Award, Baruffi’s artistic range extends beyond theater—he has performed as a singer at the Walt Disney concert honoring Chita Rivera and recorded a national children’s audiobook. Since 2003, he has also been a member of the United Nations Choir, reflecting his dedication to both the performing arts and global cultural collaboration.

• SEAnos
  • Victoria Raigo
  • Eliana González
  • Aksel Tang
  • Paloma Muñoz
  • Carla Costabile
  • Facundo Agustín
  • Elias Viñoles
  • Martin Chamorro
  • Valeria Llaneza