The Story Behind PRAA

In 1998, the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) was founded in the basement of Carlos Hernandez-Falcon’s home located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, with the help of other Puerto Rican leaders who did not see their heritage, culture, and experiences represented by existing arts institutions. These founding board members included educators, musicians, visual artists and other community leaders. They all had something in common – they were of Puerto Rican decent and wanted to elevate their culture in Chicago, IL and the United States.

Over the years, PRAA has worked to forge a creative pathways that bring new awareness, understanding, and appreciation to the artistic expressions of Puerto Rico. This has leveraged PRAA as a leading national arts institution exhibiting artistic excellence. From the development of the nation’s first pre-conservatory Latin music and a cutting-edge studio arts programs, PRAA has challenged the status quo and continues to breakdown barriers for artists of color.    

As community arts institution we raise awareness of the lack of equity and inclusion in the arts while also serving as advocates for future generations to have access to affordable music and arts programs. Paramount to our creative artistic journey is presenting educational programs, events, performances, and exhibitions that galvanize a community beyond its traditional borders.

Our quest continues to connect to the Puerto Rican diaspora while also leveraging ALAANA artists and musicians through collaborations with organizations representing other ethnic backgrounds. Audiences near and far provide a global platform to showcase and strengthen our mission. Please make an investment in PRAA and help us make artistic dreams come true for our children and youth while we also uniting people through arts and culture!

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