En Foco’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Danny R. Peralta on Tuesday, January 17, as the new Executive Director of En Foco. Peralta is En Foco’s former managing director and a former En Foco Photo Fellow. 

Bill Aguado will become President of the organization and facilitate the transition in leadership while assuring En Foco’s continuity in leadership and commitment to artist constituency.

Seven years ago, Aguado volunteered, a respected leader in arts management, to manage En Foco during a difficult fiscal period. With a core staff of part-timers, En Foco emerged with new initiatives, such as the Photography Fellowship, exhibition opportunities, and utilizing its Archives as a resource for program development and community purpose. 

Aguado’s effort reflected his commitment to the importance of En Foco‘s legacy to its community and the public at large. Peralta’s choice was easy. He has shown a commitment to building community through the arts and establishing programs that benefit a broad range of individuals. He will ensure the En Foco team will sustain its history and growth. 

“Based on a strong tradition of offering opportunities for artists to unlock and become their most authentic selves, I see this as a continuation of that artist/community-centered approach to our mission,” said Peralta, who is a recipient of En Foco’s 2016 Photo Fellowship (See the original announcement on Peralta’s appointment here).

“By speaking to the current context, we are living through, En Foco will refocus its efforts on meeting audiences where they are while being mindful to the evolving needs of artists,” he said. “I'm particularly interested in working with our talented staff and partners who share a common interest in supporting artistic excellence and preserving cultural legacies.”

As En Foco evolves into the next phase of its development as a premier advocate and supporter of underserved artists of color, a highlight is making En Foco’s rich historical archives more publicly accessible, continuing Bill Aguado’s commitment to its preservation and acknowledging its important contribution to New York City’s diversity.

The Archives, which include En Foco’s signature Nueva Luz publications, provide an essential resource for understanding the rich legacy, history, and culture from En Foco’s roots as a socially conscious collective of Puerto Rican photographers in the 1970s to the increasingly diverse art organization En Foco is today.  The future will be more than adequately sustained and vital with Danny Peralta’s leadership.