About | ArtLabbé

Our History

Art is a powerful vehicle for communicating ideas past the physical and into the spiritual, and must be used to unite us in a world that has, in a metaphorical sense, reached the darkest hour in many aspects of life.

2005

The first ArtLabbé gallery opens in Santiago, Chile

Founders Néstor Soto and Maria José Fuentes opened the doors to the first ArtLabbé gallery in Santiago, Chile with the purpose of creating dialogues that center around the importance of art in our modern day. Over the years ArtLabbé has had the privilege of working with multiple influential artists including Mario Toral, Fernando Cifuentes Soro, Isabel Margarita Heussler, and Eva Holz. As their gallery has expanded so has their reach, having exhibited at shows such as Art Wynwood, Art Palm Beach, and Context Art Miami.

2016

ArtLabbé begins it's nonprofit initiative and opens ArtLabbé Foundation

During their experience working in the art world, Nestor and Maria José realized the strong potential for art to be used as therapy to help individuals with disabilities. As a result they created Fundación ArtLabbé, a non-profit arm of the gallery that supports special needs youth and adults by providing free art classes and workshops. This charity now offers 14 weekly classes and has directly impacted 1,200 families throughout Chile.

2018

Coral Gables gallery opens

In the natural progression of ArtLabbé’s expansion into the Miami area through shows such as Context Art Miami, the decision was made in 2018 to open a new branch of ArtLabbé in the art-center of Coral Gables. As the bridge between the United States and Latin America, the gallery has exhibited many international artists in both countries.

2024

Coral Gables begins their nonprofit initiatives

Seeing the positive impact of Fundacion ArtLabbé upon Chilean individuals with disabilities and their families, Maria José and Néstor looked to replicate their vision in the United States. In 2024 they officially opened the non-profit branch of Coral Gables with the vision to bring the same programs, workshops, resources, and services lifting up those in need within the general Miami area.

Coming soon in 2025

Santa Barbara to become the first ArtLabbé location to open as a full nonprofit entity

2024 was a big year for ArtLabbé and also included the expansion of their gallery and charitable programing to beautiful Santa Barbara, California, becoming the first ArtLabbé location to open as a full nonprofit entity with all the proceeds going to their mission of supporting their special needs community through the arts. ArtLabbé Santa Barbara is expected to open its doors to the public in early 2025.

Vision Statement

To serve as mediators within the art world for its universal dissemination.

Mission Statement

1. To create opportunities for engagement that foster an exchange of viewpoints, perspectives, and paradigms among the various stakeholders in the art world—particularly regarding the challenges we face as a society in this field—with the aim of developing innovative and comprehensive projects that contribute to their resolution.

2. To encourage, through the execution of cultural projects, societal participation in the art world, thereby establishing an open circuit accessible to anyone wishing to become a part of it.

Furthermore, we promote:

The formation of robust and effective networks for the transmission of culture.
The integration of new—and non-traditional—stakeholders into the art circuit, in order to position it as a key topic on the international agenda.
Projects designed with a focus on continuity—and developed in partnership with other organizations—so that participants may derive tangible, real-world benefits for their lives.

Our Values