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CLEMENTE SOTO VELEZ CULTURAL AND EDUCATION CENTER
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133735337 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE A60Z · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · theclementecenter.org
revenue
$1.5M
expenses
$1.9M
net assets
$5.2M
employees
17
volunteers
9
program ratio
70%
mission · from form 990

WHILE THE CLEMENTES MISSION IS FOCUSED ON THE CULTIVATION , PRESENTATION, AND PRESERVATION OF PUERTO RICAN AND LATINO CULTURE, IT IS EQUALLY DETERMINED TO OPERATE IN A MULTICULTURAL AND INCLUSIVE MANNER, HOUSING AND PROMOTING ARTISTS AND PERFORMANCE EVENTS THAT FULLY REFLECT THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF LOWER EAST SIDE AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center is a multidisciplinary arts organization based in Manhattan's Lower East Side, founded in 1993 by Puerto Rican and Latinx artists and community leaders. It stewards a historic 100,000-square-foot public facility, providing affordable workspace, technical support, and programming for artists and cultural organizations. The Clemente produces and presents original artistic work while preserving Puerto Rican and Latino cultural heritage within a diverse, inclusive urban context.

named programs · 8 · from sources

What they call their work

BORIMIX
Annual exhibition and performance series highlighting connections between Puerto Rican and Uruguayan artists and cultural traditions.
Building Community Through the Arts
Program integrating arts education and civic engagement to strengthen neighborhood ties and cultural participation.
Día de Reyes
Cultural celebration honoring the Feast of the Epiphany with performances, processions, and community participation.
HISTORIAS
Long-term platform documenting Latinx and immigrant contributions to New York City through oral history, archival research, and public programming.
International Puppet Fringe Festival
Annual festival showcasing innovative puppetry and mask performance by local and international artists.
Intra-Diasporic Curators Program
Initiative supporting curators of Latinx and diasporic heritage through professional development, exhibitions, and collaborative projects.
Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LxNY)
Citywide network co-founded and co-convened by The Clemente to strengthen collaboration, advocacy, and resource sharing among Latinx arts organizations.
Open Studios
Annual event providing public access to artist studios and creative spaces within The Clemente facility.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Community Festival & Event Production 2 activities
    • Hosts Open Studios and other artist showcase events
      Hosts an annual Open Studios event that provides a free platform for local artists to present new work, supporting visibility and community engagement for visual artists in residence.
    • Hosts annual and biennial cultural festivals and community events
      Co-produces and presents free or deeply accessible festivals and community events including the International Puppet Fringe Festival (biennial), BORIMIX (annual Puerto Rican heritage festival), Día de Reyes (annual family celebration), Arte Pa’ Mi Gente (summer festival), and eMeLe-K (annual MLK Jr. cultural forum), serving multi-generational audiences.
  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
    • Commissions and produces multidisciplinary artistic works and exhibitions
      Commissions new artistic works and produces exhibitions, performances, and public humanities projects annually, with a focus on Puerto Rican, Latinx, and artists of color. Includes collaborative development of original choral compositions and experimental vocal projects through initiatives like Historias.
  • Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
    • Develops public humanities projects on Latinx history and culture
      Creates and shares the history of Hispanic culture in New York through initiatives such as the Nueva York Chronicles map and planned walking tours under Historias in Motion, alongside building-wide exhibitions and a public listening archive of Latin music.
  • Volunteer-Supported Arts & Cultural Operations 1 activity
    • Engages volunteers in program support
      Recruits and utilizes volunteers to assist with guest services, special events, art workshops, and administrative tasks in support of its programming.
  • Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
    • Provides capacity-building support and internships for artists and students
      Offers affordable commercial workspace, technical assistance, production support, and professional services to resident cultural producers and organizations. Also provides high-impact internships in collaboration with schools for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.
  • Subsidized Rehearsal and Performance Space 1 activity
    • Provides subsidized rehearsal and venue spaces for artists and arts organizations
      Offers discounted rental programs for rehearsal space and venue spaces to performing artists, independent producers, small arts organizations, and community groups in New York City, supporting thousands of artists and tens of thousands of audience members annually. The center stewards a historic building containing theaters, studios, and performance spaces.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Supports emerging Latino artists through the Van Lier Fellowship
      Provides studio space and a $20,000 stipend to two New York-based Latino artists aged 18–30 each year through the Van Lier Fellowship, fostering early-career development in the arts.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$1.53M
Contributions & grants$864K57%
Program service revenue$615K40%
Investment income$44K3%
Other revenue$4K
expenses
Total expenses$1.85M
Program expenses70%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$868K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.43M
Cash$3.90M
Investments$0
Liabilities$205K
Net assets$5.23M
Liquid reserves25.3 mo
6 years on record · 2018–2023 · YoY revenue -70.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LIBERTAD GUERRA EXECUTIVE DI 40 $124K
board members · 9
  • ANA CHIRENO — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANNYA RAMIREZ-JIMENEZ — TREASURER
  • BEATRIZ DE LA TORRE — BOARD MEMBER
  • GUIDO HARTRAY — BOARD MEMBER
  • JORGE VASQUEZ — BOARD MEMBER
  • KARINA AGUILERA SKVIRSKY — BOARD MEMBER
  • RICHARD MORALES — SECRETARY
  • URAYOAN NOEL — VICE CHAIR
  • VERNICA RELEA — CHAIR
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • City Council Government — Receives public funding through the City Council, in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
  • City Councilmember Christopher Marte Government — Receives public funding support from City Councilmember Christopher Marte.
  • City of New York Government — Stewards a city-owned historic building.
  • Cooper Union Partner — Collaborates on exhibitions, including hosting the Cooper Union Architecture class of 2024 thesis exhibition.
  • Councilmember Carlina Rivera Government — Secured support for the renovation project.
  • Councilmember Christopher Marte Government — Secured support for the renovation project.
  • Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provided funding support for the building renovation project.
  • F, M, J, Z trains Government — Public transit lines providing access to the organization's location.
  • Historias NYC Partner — Collaborative relationship indicated through shared programming or content, as shown by embedded links to Historias NYC.
  • Latinx Arts Consortium of New York (LxNY) Coalition — Co-founder and co-convener of the Latinx Arts Consortium of New York, working with a steering committee and over fifty member organizations to strengthen collaboration, advocacy, and resource sharing in the city's cultural sector.
  • Lower Manhattan Development Corporation Funder — Provided additional support for the renovation project.
  • Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine Government — Secured support for the renovation project.
  • Natalia Lassalle-Morillo Partner — Directs a multidisciplinary project on the sugar industry in Puerto Rico and New York, commissioned through The Clemente's Historias initiative.
  • New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Receives public funding and partners with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in stewarding and rehabilitating the Clemente building as a public cultural asset.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Government — Receives public funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
  • Pablo Helguera Partner — Collaborating artist who conceived Fonoteca as an anchor commission for a building-wide exhibition at The Clemente.
  • Queens College Partner — Partner institution for internships
  • Skidmore College Partner — Partner institution for internships
  • Teatro LATEA Partner — Co-curates the eMeLe-K festival.
  • Teatro Latea Partner — Hosts exhibitions such as Lanzo / Luna: Connections within the annual eMeLe-K celebration.
  • Teatro SEA Partner — Co-produces the International Puppet Fringe Festival and Día de Reyes.
  • Van Lier Partner — Funding and naming partner for the Van Lier Fellowship supporting young Latino artists.
  • Williamsburg High School of Arts and Technology Partner — Partner institution for internships
  • Xenia Rubinos Partner — Collaborates as co-leader of an experimental vocal chorus workshop exploring Puerto Rico and New York's sugar industry histories.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Artistic Experimentation as Civic and Spiritual Practice
    methodology: artistic_experimentation
    By supporting rigorous artistic experimentation and intra-diasporic exchange, the organization challenges political and artistic norms and addresses spiritual hunger for new expression because creative risk-taking fosters civic dialogue and cultural transformation.
  • Culturally Rooted Co-Creation
    methodology: co_creation
    By centering Puerto Rican and Latino cultural expressions and using collaborative co-creation with artists and communities, the organization fosters inclusive programming and artistic production because shared authorship rooted in heritage strengthens cultural equity and community ownership.
  • Equity-Driven Access to Cultural Infrastructure
    methodology: cultural_infrastructure_stewardship
    By repurposing historic public infrastructure into affordable, subsidized artistic space with priority for BIPOC and under-resourced artists, the organization advances cultural equity because removing financial and spatial barriers enables participation and production by those historically excluded.
  • Open and Collaborative Artistic Development
    methodology: open_call_curation
    By using open-call curation and collaborative learning models, the organization elevates emerging and mid-career artists because inclusive, transparent pathways to visibility and mentorship strengthen artistic ecosystems and career sustainability.
  • Participatory Cultural Memory and Historical Preservation
    methodology: participatory_cultural_archive
    By transforming personal collections into public archives and using embodied practices to explore intergenerational memory, the organization sustains cultural continuity because community-led preservation counters institutional erasure and strengthens collective identity.