Samuel (Sam) Kanig leans back from his colorfully cluttered desk into a colorful background of paintings and curtains. “We’re doing a lot of things here,” he says with brightness in his face and voice. “It’s very colorful. It’s poetic, almost romantic.”
Here is Galeria Casa Cultura, the region’s first and only Latino gallery, located on the second floor of 222 South Broad Street. It is located directly over the Bandit Bail Bonds and across the street from the Mercer County Court House.
Kanig, 36, is one of its founders — along with Josue Lora, Dave Palacios, and Peter Rodriguez.
“The gallery is ‘Latino,’ meaning we want to use the place for two purposes,” says Kanig, the son of a Filipino-American of German heritage and a Puerto Rican mother. “One (reason) is to empower Latino artists and have a gallery space to showcase their talents. And two is to have a place for Latinos to be able to tell their stories — cultural and personal.
“We feel that in our Latino community — especially in Trenton and Mercer County — we don’t have a lot of avenues to express ourselves. It’s a way of developing (community) in a different way — in the art and music.”
He says that while the center is new — it opened in November — “Casa Cultura has been a few years in the making. We’ve done musical events, like in the Mill Hill Playhouse. And we’ve accomplished two things. We were able to expose the Latino community to the playhouse — we’re hungry for that kind of entertainment — and made connections to the people at the playhouse.”
He says that while Casa Cultura — “House of Culture” in English — exhibits painting and photography in two small rooms, it also has a growing interest in video and music, with a recording booth and engineering room in the rear of the space.
Organizers, who are paying out of pocket as they develop a business plan, look to other Trenton artists and events for creation. “When the SAGE Coalition (the name is an acronym for Stylez Advancing Graffiti’s Evolution, which built a reputation for their street art events) created the Roberto Clemente mural for its annual Windows of Soul, we made a video that started off with a few conga drums and ended up with a band. That was a little example of what had happened in the Latino community in the 1970s. We were able to document that moment — I wish there were other moments like that.
“We are also producing galeria music sessions. We have a little stage in the gallery where musicians have sets and have a crowd of 30 or 40 people. It’s like a private event and we’re using it to promote our artists,” he says.
Promotion and marketing reflect their core. “A lot of the people we work with are in their 20s and use social media. We use Facebook and Instagram. We work with promoters to get their music out in New York and Philadelphia. We believe in the power of networking.”
Kanig, a filmmaker, says he was on a journey to create such a space when he met his partners. “Originally, Josue and I decided to find a space to join forces, put our equipment together. We were looking to keep up with filming. We found a place in Hamilton and found a loft. We signed a lease and stayed there for a year. It got too small for us right away. Plus we weren’t getting foot traffic. It was hard for people to find us. So Josue says we have to move into Trenton. This time we wanted to be picky — it was either too big or two small. Josue called and said I needed to come see (this space). I loved it.”
Yet, he says, the space wasn’t lovable in the normal terms. “It was very rough, no rugs. I would bring people in and say, ‘Use your imagination.’ But we were happy because we could see the potential.”
Kanig says the move was “a blessing. We’re in a main district near Mill Hill, footsteps away from the Mill Hill Saloon, and near Trenton Social. It’s small, but it hasn’t been overwhelming. It’s a good spot.”
He then smiles and says, “But we’re on the second floor of a bail bonds office, yet we’re breaking the stereotype — people are coming here to do positive things.”
Casa Cultura made its Trenton debut in November, 2015, when Artworks Trenton’s executive director Lauren Otis invited the group to participate in annual “Art All Day” tour of Trenton galleries and studios. “I made a call for artist and we called it ‘Nuestra Historia’ (Our History),” say Kanig. “What I did was challenge our artist to try to show how our story looks like in Trenton. The requirement was to be a Latino in the city and have something that told something about our experience. We had photographers take photos. We had music. We had video and live painting. (The community) came in and saw our stories.”
Since then Kanig, who serves as gallery curator, is finding his way. “It is very informal right now. We meet artists and network. I invite them to come over, see the space, and see if they get inspired.”
A recent show of new paintings and photographs by Trenton-based artist Tamara Ramos Torres provided a new direction. “(It) was the first exhibition working on a commission base, the first solo exhibition, and the first (business) model we’re following: 15 percent (commission). We have to keep the lights on.”
Born in the small town of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Kunig says he first started coming to Trenton after his father, who had been in the U.S. Navy, came to the New Jersey to find work. Initially his mother came too, but she missed Puerto Rico and returned. When his father became ill, Kanig — who had been a student at University of Puerto Rico and nearly completed his BA degree in 2006 — came for an extended time.
“I found myself falling in love,” he says, mentioning his wife, Alba Hernandez, and son, Angel. “I needed to be more grounded here. I started getting inspired with what I was seeing here.”
He continued taking video and television production classes at Mercer County Community College, where he currently works as lead security officer for the Trenton downtown campus. “I have been there six years, started part-time, and went through the ranks. I love working in the college environment,” he says.
If that wasn’t grounding enough, he is also president of the Puerto Rican Civic Association of Trenton. “It’s new association, a year old in March. Last year we had an aggressive agenda, cultural series, clean up, and members of the community — the association has been very busy.”
Yet with this Casa Cultura, Kanig is thinking of the diversity of the Latino community in Trenton. “I think it is important to recognize that we are taking about a number of different cultures. And every country has its identity. That is very important and has to remain that way. What we want to celebrate is our common roots and history, especially the language.”
There is also music. “We have music genres that are globally known in the Latino community. Like salsa or tango, all Latinos live with them. There is also a big Spanish rock (sound).”
Another commonality, he says, is the strong Latino identity. “It dictates how you dress, the food you eat, and how you decorate your house. If you come to my house, you’ll find a flag and a colorful kitchen. We also identify as Latino immigrants coming into the country and leaving our footprint here.”
Yet there are obstacles. “There are two types of Latino — one is first or second or third generation. They’re part of the American culture because they were born and raised here. They may have a bit of trouble identifying with their culture. Then you have people migrating here who are very attached to their culture. We can’t let new Latinos lose their identity. And we want the second or third generations here to know about their culture. It is a fusion of the two.”
To keep building the projects, Kanig says he is looking at different business models, including a nonprofit structure. Yet he is cautious. “We’re talking with some groups about partnering. We’re taking baby steps.”
He says he knows that the organization has “long road ahead,” but he is seeing benefits. “We discovered plenty of other artists. They never had the opportunity to be exposed. I want to start challenging (artists). Think of a concept that our community has a voice but it is not saying: Immigration and social justice. This is something different in the area — something we needed. There is no turning back.”
Galeria Casa Cultura, 222 South Broad Street, Trenton, 609-468-4231 or www.facebook.com/gallerycasacultura for more information.
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