The Sagrado Galleria is a non-profit organization established in 2016 in response to the city’s lack of commitment to South Phoenix arts. 

Their mission is “to provide tools and opportunities that empowers the community through art culture and design,” and they do this by creating a community space where local artists can share their work not only with the public, but with each other.

“It’s really like building a community and giving opportunity for multi-generational artists–so from the ones who just started to the ones that have been painting for 40 years,” Samuel Gomez, founder of The Sagrado Galleria, told Northeast Valley News. 

Contributing to the flourishing of Phoenix arts, The Sagrado hosts year-round events around the Valley featuring local artists and performers.

Recently, the Nina Manson Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center partnered with The Sagrado for the 8th Annual Ancestral Art Exhibition. Artists gathered in celebration to share their culture and heritage in their own unique ways through art and performance. 

“For us it’s been eight years of having an art show that really makes artists kinda dig deep into their roots and try to ask more questions about what their identity is like and what their identity comes from,” Gomez said.  “That’s why we call it a gathering.”

Many artists featured in this free exhibit were friends of Gomez who share the same values, which is to preserve rich cultures, deeply rooted in the state of Arizona while striving to form a stronger community of people who can continuously share and pass down these values. 

Cathy Cano-Murillo, widely known as craftychica online, attended the Audubon Center. With her daughter Maya Murillo by her side, Cathy had a table set up for “Storytelling Stamping”, where visitors choose from more than 70 stamps to create a collage on cards made available. From there she would tell your story based on the particular stamps chosen.

“I have known Sam for a very long time, and I’ve always been an admirer of the events he puts together and what he does for our community,” Murillo said. 

“It’s very important for us to continue the cultivation of these practices by honoring our elders who came before us because we are gonna be the ancestors of tomorrow,” Gomez told Northeast Valley News.