About El Taller
El Taller Latino Americano (The Latin American Workshop) is a 501(c)(3) community-based non-profit arts and education institution established in New York City in 1979 to bridge the gap between Latin and North Americans through the language of art, dance, and music.
El Taller provides experiences to its local and global community that serve as expressions of our shared humanity and of our shared cultural heritage. Our aim is to inspire an extended commitment to our world through ongoing exposure to each other's artistic and cultural lives in order to invigorate learning and understanding, while forming a working community with the skills to read, interpret, and respond to one another and to the world in which they live.
El Taller offers its community a varied menu of Spanish language classes, arts programming, and music. We seek not only to educate, but also to engage and gather diverse groups together culturally and linguistically on the common ground of creativity.
Over 500 people each month meet to share ideas, participate in classes, and find creative inspiration and a refuge in the middle of New York City. 1000s more meet online to view concerts online, chat, and exchange art and ideas on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
El Taller's story is a testimony to the nature of community in New York City, one assembled in the atmospheres of the home, the public plaza, the classroom, the stage, and the artist's studio.
The social impact of offering the chance to participate in cultural arts activities and education within the community of El Taller is not only evident by the numbers of all who come—visitors, participants, teachers, and students, but also by the positive effect of collective action and collaboration enabled by El Taller on individuals and groups.
OUR PARTNERS
Our partnerships include collaborations with the public school system, hospitals, and other community-based organizations. We reach:
school age children through Sesame Street
immigrant populations through Misa Campesina for Peace (?)
the medical community through our alliance with Health and Hospitals Corporation; and
art lovers city wide working with the MTA Mural Project (?), Latido Latino on HBO and Nonesuch Records.
Our Mission
To advance the development of a cohesive community by providing exposure to, understanding of and respect for diverse cultural arts through the provision of cross discipline and cross-cultural collaborations among individuals, artists and organizations.
Our Vision
One day, all people will have the opportunity to participate in the creation and continuance of our shared cultural heritage so that we may collectively recognize and respect its expression as key to human diversity, and as the ultimate, unifying expression of our humanity, capable of achieving and sustaining social cohesion and social equity.
Our Values
Everyone is Welcome
El Taller is open to all, committed to inclusiveness, representing the diversity of the people and of the communities we serve.
Academic & Artistic Integrity
El Taller provides students, audiences, artists, and visitors the freedom to explore. We deliver performances and programs that promote creativity, honest artistic expression, and excellent production values.
Community-Based, Participatory Approach
We provide a safe gathering place and supportive environment for students, audiences, artists, and visitors to engage with our community.
Life-Long Learning & Education
El Taller provides meaningful, life-long learning experiences for both children and adults. We are dedicated to innovative and active teaching and learning, through all stages of life.
Making the World a Better Place
We actively seek to better ourselves, our families, our communities, and the world.