After hosting many anime events and pop-up shops, pop culture enthusiasts Samantha Orozco and Eddy Rios are finally opening an art gallery to showcase the talents and creations of local artists. The new space, called the Purrsona Gallery, will be ready for the San Antonio public starting this weekend.
“We wanted to do something that we could bring the community together and showcase their artwork,” said Rios, co-owner of Purrsona Gallery. “It’s a place where your artwork can have a home, especially those who love pop culture stuff and love it as much as we do.”
The couple will hold their grand opening from noon to 6 pm on Saturday, April 9, at their store at 1621 Blanco Road. There will be free pizza and drinks, as well as the Dewdrop Bakeshop vendor. Orozco said the store will also have a live art element where artists will make their masterpieces during the event.
The new gallery will feature artwork and creations from various local artists.
Abigail Im
It will be open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Abigail ImOver the years, the couple has hosted some pop culture shows in San Antonio like Ghibli (a Studio Ghibli/Anime inspired art show) at Blue Star and their Kaiju show (an immersive event showcasing over 40 artists) at the Vibes Event Center. At the shows, Ríos said the community always asked if they had a physical space, which led to the idea for the gallery.
“We wanted to do something that was year-round,” Orozco said. “And, you know, sometimes you hear, ‘Oh, anime isn’t really art,’ but I feel like I really want people to see its beauty. There’s so much more out there than Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. It’s really beautiful, especially seeing what people can do with it.”
In the store, they will not be just works of art. There will also be jewelry, bookmarks, candles, mugs and other handmade items for sale.
On opening day, there will be free food and opportunities to watch artists create their work in real time.
Abigail Im
Samantha Orozco and Eddy Rios have always wanted to open an anime gallery, they told MySA.
Abigail ImThe couple called their gallery Purrsona after seeing a show together where he explained the definition of a person and had a vision of what you want to become. The purr comes from its purple cat logo. After finding a name, the rest fell into place, especially after local multimedia artist Paul Garson finished artwork of him on the exterior walls of the store.
The pair say there is now an anime community in San Antonio after hosting their shows over the years. Orozco said he hopes it will become a space where everyone can come together and talk about their passions and artwork.
“I remember liking anime when I was in high school and being very quiet because everyone thought it was kind of weird to talk about it,” Orozco said. “But now it’s celebrated more and that’s amazing. It’s not just for kids. It’s for everyone.”
After opening day, the gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit their Facebook page at Purrsona Gallery.