The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center is a 35-year-old multidisciplinary arts and cultural organization, built around a vision of social justice and cross-cultural understanding. We are committed to serving low-income and marginalized communities, preserving San Antonio’s unique cultural heritage, and nurturing local and emerging artists.

Esperanza produces and presents programs that provoke dialogue, honor traditional cultures, nurture new aesthetics, renew the soul, break stereotypes, build communities, emancipate people, and educate about the critical importance of art and expression. Esperanza preserves and promotes artistic/cultural expression of and among diverse communities. We believe that to create positive social change, individuals must be culturally grounded, confident in their voices, and certain of the value of their contributions. Art and culture connect us to our histories and plant the seeds for our self-worth. We seek to increase access of marginalized groups to artistic expression and bridge communities through accurate and respectful cultural understanding. From our MujerArtes Clay Cooperative to year-round exhibits, our annual Mercado de Paz and Paseo por El Westside festivals, to the gathering of oral histories of our elders, Esperanza celebrates the power of art to transform lives.

ARTISTS

• Azul Barrientos

• Mary Agnes Rodriguez

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