In this award-winning, live-recorded conversation from San Juan, Puerto Rico, we speak with María Cristina Gaztambide, Director of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, and Raquel Vázquez Varela, Executive Director of Teatro Público. Both guests share their distinct paths into arts management—María’s journey from a career in finance to museum leadership after three decades on the U.S. mainland, and Raquel’s evolution from theater artist to cultural administrator dedicated to supporting artists through production processes that are too often undervalued or unsupported.
The conversation reveals significant challenges facing Puerto Rico’s cultural sector, particularly around institutional resistance to change and inadequate support for the creative process. Raquel highlights how artists, especially actors, work unpaid during rehearsal periods and face limited access to proper creative spaces, while María discusses implementing inclusive strategic planning to drive institutional transformation. Both guests emphasize the importance of collaboration between visual and performing arts organizations to strengthen the cultural ecosystem.
Throughout the discussion, systemic issues emerge around gender equity and sustainability in cultural work. The guests talk about how women in arts leadership often take on extra burdens when advocating for change, and Raquel emphasizes the importance of education reform, especially around gender perspectives, as a foundation for lasting social transformation. The episode captures the intersection of artistic vision, institutional management, and social advocacy in contemporary Puerto Rican cultural leadership.
Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, and join us as we begin Season 3 of Gestoras, exploring the stories, practices, and voices shaping arts leadership today.
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