Cayman Gallery was founded in 1975 by the nonprofit Friends of Puerto Rico, as well as Puerto Rican activists Jack Agüeros, Luis Cancel, and Nilda Peraza. Agüeros, Cancel, and Peraza each served as director of the Cayman Gallery. Agüeros went on to become director of El Museo del Barrio, and Cancel later became the executive director of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The goal of the Cayman Gallery, which operated from 1975-1984 at 381 West Broadway, was to give Latin American and Caribbean-born artists a space for representation in the mainstream art world of New York City.
During its nine years, the Cayman Gallery aided the careers of many artists who are well-known today including Freddy Rodríguez, Fanny Sanín, Liliana Porter, Antonio Henrique Amaral, Papo Colo, Juan Downey, Lydia Okumura, Catalina Parra, Alfredo Jaar, and Félix González-Torres.
During its nine years, the Cayman Gallery aided the careers of many artists who are well-known today including Freddy Rodríguez, Fanny Sanín, Liliana Porter, Antonio Henrique Amaral, Papo Colo, Juan Downey, Lydia Okumura, Catalina Parra, Alfredo Jaar, and Félix González-Torres.
