From the Director
The Fall Season Brings A New Exhibition
Cuauhtemoc, ca. 1950
Linocut on Paper, 14 1/2” x 10 1/2”
Mexic-Arte Museum opens the fall season with the exhibition, MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience. 2021 marks an important year for Mexico and Mexican Americans remembering two historical events – the five hundred years of the taking of Mexico-Tenochtitlán and the two hundred years of the consummation of Independence of Mexico from Spain. Mexico has been organizing commemorative events throughout 2021. It is a year of reconciliation, historical memory, and vindication of identity.
As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Hispanics and Latinos were 39.7% of the Texas population. Austin’s Hispanic population in 2020 was almost 33.9%, with the majority of Mexican descent. Capitalizing on the synergy and interest generated from our neighbor country through public media, Mexic-Arte will join efforts in celebrating these important events with an exhibition and lecture series. Like the common saying in Spanish “Si sabemos de dónde venimos, sabremos hacia dónde vamos”; if we know where we come from, we will know where we are going. The objective is to recover historical memory; promote the encounter with ethnic, linguistic, geographical and cultural diversity; understand history and endorse the values and principles of hope and unity. The exhibition will draw from works in the permanent collection and new works by invited artists. The Mexic-Arte Museum exhibition will open September 17 and continue to February 27, 2022. Everyone is invited to this opening reception on September 17th.
This month we closed the exhibition, Mexico, the Border and Beyond: Selections from the Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection. On the last weekend it was open, we had the privilege of hosting members of the Sandoval family that traveled from several states to view the exhibit. As I guided the tour through the exhibition, I saw their faces filled with pride as they acknowledged the legacy Juan Sandoval created over his lifetime. They shared personal stories; his 91- year old sister Loni Hartman talked about how Juan was the ninth child of eleven – but the first eight children were girls – and that was how Juan had learned to stand up for himself. She also commented that she had once asked for one of the paintings for herself, and how Juan had refused to break up the collection saying the collection had to remain intact for a museum he was thinking about. I expressed my gratitude to the Juan Sandoval family for supporting Juan in this endeavor and assured them that Mexic-Arte Museum will continue the Sandoval legacy and ultimate goal for the artworks to be accessible, particularly to children and young people ensuring a lasting legacy for the community.
Executive Director
Sylvia Orozco
Exhibits
Opening Reception for Mexic-Arte Museum 2021 Fall Exhibits on September 17th:
- MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience
- Los Pueblos Originarios – Honoring the Dead – Continuing Traditions – Photos by Mary J. Andrade
- Nuestra and Comunidad/Our Community – Memory and Remembrance
Hueyi tepekulkan Tanqukulkan, 2019
Mixed Media, 16 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ x 11″ Courtesy of the artist
Membership Special: $25 Special Discount on Full Year Individual Memberships at the door only!
Date: Friday, September 17, 2021
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Museum Member Preview starts at 5:00pm
Drinks: Provided by Brown Distributing Co Inc
Music:Trucha Soul Records
Admission: $10 or Free for Museum Members – Become a Member!
Parking: The Frost Bank Tower provides $10 parking for visitors after 5:00pm and on weekends. Learn more about parking by visiting the Museum’s website.
Before planning your visit to the Mexic-Arte Museum, please make sure you review the Museum’s Health Protocols webpage, which outlines the Museum’s COVID-19 safety health guidelines.
Mexic-Arte Museum’s MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience, Los Pueblos Originarios – Honoring the Dead – Continuing Traditions – Photos by Mary J. Andrade and Nuestra and Comunidad/Our Community – Memory and Remembrance exhibitions will open to the public with an opening reception on Friday, September 17th starting with a Museum Member preview at 5:00 PM. Non-members are able to experience the reception at 6:00 PM and the event will go until 9:00 PM. A special discount on Individual Memberships will be available during the reception at the Museum entrance for $25, usually priced at $40. Become a Mexic-Arte Museum Member by visiting the Museum website. Admission for the evening will be $10 and or free for Museum Members. The Day of the Dead Exhibitions will stay open to the public until November 21, 2021, and the MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience Exhibition will continue until February 27, 2022.
MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience Exhibition
Sept. 17, 2021- Feb. 27, 2022
Throughout 2021, Mexico is observing and commemorating major events in history: the falling of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán, the invasion by Spain, and the Independence of Mexico. Mexic-Arte Museum will present an exhibition and programs in conjunction with Mexico’s 2021 events, and reaffirm our common cultural history.
The exhibition MX 21 ̶ Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience is divided into three sections: Resistance, Reaffirmation, and Resilience. Resistance refers to the Original Peoples resisting the Spanish invasion and occupation of Mexico, which was really not “conquered.” Reaffirmation speaks to affirming the unique history and cultural diversity of our shared heritage. Resilience represents the on-going evolution of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and other Latinx peoples, despite and because of struggles to achieve liberty, social justice, and plurality. Invited artists respond to these themes to help the public better understand and appreciate how Mexico’s history has impacted and inspired our shared U.S.- Mexico cultural history in the Americas and call attention to the ongoing struggle in pursuit of social justice today. Artworks and materials from the Museum permanent collection are added enhancing the content and context. With this exhibition, we reflect on history and current reality here in the U.S., reclaiming and reaffirming shared heritage and experiences.
Participating artists include Santa Barraza, Cande Aguilar, Angel Cabrales, Tomas Filsinger, Eduardo Garcia, Tita Griesbach, Mari Hernandez, Michael Menchaca, Delilah Montoya, Juan Navarrete, Yelaine Rodriguez, Sergio Sanchez Santamaria, Andy Villarreal, “Kill Joy”, and artwork from the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection.
The goal is to participate in Mexico’s remembrance, and at the same time, reflect on history and current reality here in the U.S., reclaiming and reaffirming shared heritage and experiences through the work of contemporary artists. Public programming includes lectures sponsored by Humanities Tx.
Los Pueblos Originarios – Honoring the Dead – Continuing Traditions – Photos by Mary J. Andrade
Sept. 17, 2021- Nov. 22, 2021
The Mexic-Arte Museum is beyond proud to announce the recent acquisition of the The Mary J. Andrade Passion for Life, Day of the Dead in Mexico Photography Collection. Mary J. Andrade is a prominent figure in the study of Day of the Dead and has documented the celebration in different states of the Mexican Republic from 1987 to 2016. Mary J. Andrade, Cultural Advisor for the Disney Pixar Oscar Winning Movie “Coco,” began researching Day of the Dead in 1987 in Janitzio, Michoacan. Since then, Mary has covered a different state of the Mexican Republic each year, gathering information and taking photographs of the celebration of this pre-Hispanic tradition known as Day of the Dead, a tradition that has evolved through the centuries and has become an integral part of the Mexican spirit and culture. The exhibit features photographs of various areas of Mexico and how this age-old tradition is celebrated in distinct communities.
Nuestra Comunidad/Our Community – Memory and Remembrance
Sept. 17, 2021- Nov. 22, 2021.
The 38th Annual Dia de los Muertos exhibition and celebration at the Mexic-Arte Museum, since 1984. The exhibition, as always, will pay tribute to the tradition that celebrates the return of the dead to their families and friends on November 1st and November 2nd. Ofrendas, recuerdos, memorias, photos and offerings will be assembled and shared in a room by community members to remember loved ones who passed away. Mexic-Arte Museum is inviting the public to contribute a photo of a loved one or someone you admire who has passed away.
The gathering of recuerdos includes an installation by (Re)claiming Memories organization focusing on Indigenous community and significance of plantings the San Jose Cemetery by Marika Alvarado, a Lipan Mescalero Apache medicine woman and photographer Margaret Gallagher.
Commemorate Your Passed Loved Ones at the Mexic-Arte Museum this Fall
The Mexic-Arte Museum invites you to participate in our upcoming Day of the Dead/Dia de Los Muertos ofrenda. By contributing a photo of a loved one or someone you admire who has passed away, you will help transform our gallery into a communal space where we can commemorate the lives of our family and friends.
GUIDELINES:
Each participant will be allotted a 12” x 12” space on our gallery wall. This space will include your framed photo as well as a small plaque (provided by the Museum) where you will include your loved ones name and a personal message. We encourage participants to decorate or personalize their frames but frames should be no larger than 10” x 10” to ensure room for a plaque. Click on the following button to learn how you can participate.
DEADLINE TO DROP OFF: September 13th, 2021, 5 pm.
Life and Experiences in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands Virtual Exhibition
Air, Earth, Fire, Water, 1989
Color Lithograph on Paper, 42″ x 57 1/8″
Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection
Mexic-Arte Museum will continue to feature the virtual exhibition Life and Experiences in the U.S/Mexico Borderlands, on view now through the Museum’s website and the Museum’s CultureConnect portal.
In early 2020, Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. (1946 – 2021), a former reference librarian and subject specialist for art and Chicanx studies at The University of Texas at El Paso, donated his vast collection to Mexic-Arte Museum, which he had amassed over 30 years. The Sandoval Collection is comprised of over 1,500 artworks, many of them created by Mexican and Latinx artists. It includes prints, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and popular art from the El Paso region, as well as Mexico. The Collection also contains hundreds of publications and ephemerae. Juan Sandoval’s dedicated patronage to the arts is a monumental achievement, and his legacy will allow countless generations to engage with these important works. Mexic-Arte is grateful that Juan Sandoval chose to donate his work to the Museum.
In addition, a large part of the full exhibition focuses on artworks on the Life and Experiences in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands, and features a unique virtual component. Life and Experiences in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands examines the cultural history and social issues of the border as portrayed by artists in the El Paso/Juárez and the U.S. Mexico border region.
This part of the exhibition is enhanced with a web page, an online exhibition and a virtual lecture series, all established in order to better reach a broader audience. The exhibition is made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Life and Experiences in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands is divided into five themes: Creating a Border; Land, Fauna, and Allegories; I am Immigrant You Are; Immigrant Dream and Nightmare; and The Culture Continues/La Cultura Sigue. The Sandoval Collection represents the unique distinct history and culture of the borderlands or la frontera. In keeping with our mission, the Museum’s Collection is a vehicle whereby the public can gain access to valuable information on cultural heritage. Humanities programs encourage an understanding of humanity in the broader culture of Texas, and in the global community.
Changarreando with Luke Cisneros: Instagram Takeover
Living and Dying, Mural, 2020
5′ x 7′
Support our September 2021 Changarreando Artist, Luke Cisneros, as we adapt the program to an exciting feature: “Changarreando”. In the spirit of Changarrito, the pop-up mobile art gallery where artists can sell their work to the public, Changarreando with Luke Cisneros allows the artist to bring their work to you. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on original work available for purchase as well as behind the scenes of the artist’s work, space, and creative process.
Luke Cisneros will be at the Mexic-Arte Museum during two weekends featuring his artwork on the Changarrito cart right outside the Museum’s entrance from 12pm – 3pm. Come out to buy his artwork and get to know him in person!
- Saturday, September 18th & Sunday, September 19th
- Saturday, September 25th & Sunday, September 26th
About the Artist:
Luke Cisneros, began his journey after high school which led him to then obtain a Master’s Degree. After teaching undergraduate students and continuously learning, Cisneros eventually got the opportunity to travel to India and gain some new knowledge. Eventually, he made his way back to the U.S.; traveled to Chicago and New York which led him back to Austin where he gave back to the community in the form of art.
Artist Statement
“I remember my grandmother going to church at St. Julia’s on Lyons Road in Austin. I remember not understanding why she did it every week. It wasn’t until I got older I started to understand. The building was old and sometimes falling apart. It consists of ordinary materials like cement, wood, and plaster. However with faith that old building became the house of god to my grandmother. It gave her hope when she didn’t have it. It gave her community when she needed it. I see art as a way for myself to find that type of peace.”
Changarreando Artist Angel Ortega Instagram Live Interview
Respect Street Vendors, 2020
Digital, 10” x 10″
The Mexic-Arte Museum featured Changarreando Artist, Angel Ortega, for the month of July where the artist showcased her work via the Museum’s Instagram account. On Tuesday, August 10th Mexic-Arte Museum Marketing & Events Associate, Mario Villanueva interviewed Angel Ortega. You can watch the recorded live interview by clicking on the link below!
A New El Mero Muro by Artist Alonso Estrada
Artist Alonso Estrada aka The Death Head finished his El Mero Muro, Equidad. Come see the finished mural on the Museum’s north facing wall on Congress Ave. and 5th Street corner! You can view more of Alonso Estrada’s work by visiting his website www.thedeathhead.com. And don’t forget to use #ElMeroMuro on all your El Mero Muro social media posts for a chance to be featured on the Museum’s social media!
Artist Statement
“This mural has the purpose of showcasing and representing equity. In education, the term equity refers to the principle of fairness. For years people have been discussing the ways equity can provide our society a way of getting an essential benefit in life, which means everyone can get the same resources. As a dyslexic person myself, I understand the importance of giving someone with a disability a fair and just opportunity. The mural is inspired by equity charts. I decided to put a twist on it, making it look like a kindergarten style art. I was also inspired by old school cartoon backgrounds and animations to create a cartoon-core aesthetic.”
About the Artist
Alonso Estrada is a self taught artist. At age 16 he took his first art class at United High School in Laredo, TX wining awards like “best in state” for graphic design in The Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. He attended the AI of Houston and LCC but he dropped out to find his unique art style. He is best known under his pseudonym “The Death Head”. In 2007, he started to use the power of social networking by showing his art, allowing him to be reached and contacted to create collaborations with Upper Play Ground, Girls From OMSK, Deathwish and Famous Stars and Straps. At that time he was also was leaving his mark in the cities of Houston and Austin by dropping art in the streets of the cities where he got the attention of local and international art blogs and magazines like Graffiti All Stars, Blink 182’s blog, and La Spirale. This allowed him to integrate into the local Houston Art scene and gave him the opportunity to participate in art shows like Platano Rock in Spain, MF Gallery NY / Italy, and Coagula Curatorial, LA.
Museum of Pocket Art at the Mexic-Arte Museum presents artist Pete Hoffecker, Tmesis Pieces Exhibition
The Museum of Pocket Art (MoPA) will be on exhibit at the Mexic-Arte Museum in conjunction with its participation in ESTAMOS BIEN: LA TRIENAL 20/21 at El Museo del Barrio in New York. Curated by Elia Alba, Rodrigo Moura, and Susanna Temkin, this is the Museo del Barrio’s first national large-scale survey of Latinx contemporary art featuring more than 40 artists from across the United States and Puerto Rico. The Museum of Pocket Art will display a selection of artwork from over 200 artists spanning its 16 year history. As an addition to the curated retrospective, three new pocket exhibitions will rotate every two months on view at El Museo’s gallery spaces as well as at Mexic-Arte Museum.
Founded in 2004 by artist Robert Jackson Harrington, the Museum of Pocket Art (MoPA) began with an idea that everyone should carry with them a small artwork in a pocket to enrich their day and share with others. MoPA developed this idea and organized it into a formal venue for contemporary artists and patrons. MoPA introduces artwork from contemporary artists in an intimate and personal way. The Museum displays works of art created to fit in the pocket, usually around the size of a business card, in galleries selected to best frame the work.
MoPA shows at the opening of other art exhibits, or “leeches” the reception. At the reception, a MoPA representative approaches people individually and asks if they would like to visit the Museum, and then shares the works on display. Featured artists representing the Museum of Pocket Art at Mexic-Arte Museum will include Peter Hoffecker Mejia, Tammie Rubin, and Michelle Ellsworth. Be sure to ask for the Museum of Pocket Art when you visit the Mexic-Arte Museum – for sure – it’s absolutely in a pocket! The current artist is Peter Hoffecker Mejia with Tmesis Pieces.
Tmesis, meaning to cut, is a device used in informal language where one word, or phrase is separated into parts, by another word being interjected between them. In much of my work, I am exploring a compressed space and a thinking of how rupture, overlay, and interjection, often remove, reveal, and alter. Here, I am fragment dealer, splicing family photos, translucent vinyl, acrylic sheet, and thread, to create a composite, alluding to a blurred record, and a fractured narrative.
Peter Hoffecker Mejia’s work is engaged in the exploration and mediation of intersectional cultural identity, hierarchies of representation, and the politics of abstraction. His structures investigate the blurred points of contact resulting from estrangement, while also looking at the continuing impacts of colonialism. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in the United States, Hoffecker Mejía received his BFA from the University of Memphis and an MFA from Indiana University. His work has appeared in print and online magazines including New American Paintings, Create! Magazine and others. He has been an artist-in-residence at the Ox-Bow School of Art, the Studios at MASS MoCA, the Vermont Studio Center, and others. He is currently Assistant Professor at Western Oregon University.
Collections
Los Pueblos Originarios – Honoring the Dead – Continuing Traditions – Photos by Mary J. Andrade
The Mexic-Arte Museum is beyond proud to announce the recent acquisition of the The Mary J. Andrade Passion for Life, Day of the Dead in Mexico Photography Collection. Mary J. Andrade is a prominent figure in the study of Day of the Dead and has documented the celebration in different states of the Mexican Republic from 1987 to 2016. Mary J. Andrade, Cultural Advisor for the Disney Pixar Oscar Winning Movie “Coco,” began researching Day of the Dead in 1987 in Janitzio, Michoacan. Since then, Mary has covered a different state of the Mexican Republic each year, gathering information and taking photographs of the celebration of this pre-Hispanic tradition known as Day of the Dead, a tradition that has evolved through the centuries and has become an integral part of the Mexican spirit and culture. The exhibit features photographs of various areas of Mexico and how this age-old tradition is celebrated in distinct communities. Exhibit dates are
Sept. 17, 2021- Nov. 22, 2021.
Untitled, 1987
Photograph, 20″ x 16″
Education
Nuestra Lucha/Our Struggle Art Justice Summer Camp Update!
The Nuestra Lucha/Our Struggle Art Justice Summer Camp will be exhibiting the youth’s personal statement posters at the Austin Central Library’s Teen Section. This is the first partnership with Mexic-Arte Museum’s education outreach programming and the Austin Public Library in an effort to showcase the rarely seen gems that youth created with the help of our talented Teaching Artists. This exhibit in particular will show each youth piece alongside a social justice artwork from Mexic-Arte Museum’s permanent collection starting September 9th , and exhibiting for an entire year!
Thank you Blue Star Museums!
As Blue Star Sundays have come to an end, we want to extend a thank you to all who attended. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America offering free admission to the nations active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve and sponsored by the Texas Commission on the Arts. We hope people enjoyed learning from our exhibit during the time we held Blue Star Sundays. Mexico, the Border and Beyond: Selections from the Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection was the inspiration for our activities each Sunday. We are happy to offer free admission to service members, and we look forward to next summer to continue offering the arts to our military personnel. The Mexic-Arte is proud to be a member of Blue Star Museums, bringing forward inclusivity and bringing the community together.
Development
Thank you to GTOPs for the Capacity Building Grant
Mexic-Arte Museum is excited to announce that we have received a Capacity Building Grant from GTOPs, or the Grant for Technology Opportunities Program. Funds have been needed to upgrade technology in order to expand both the virtual and digital capabilities of the Museum’s education department. Through the support of GTOPs, the Mexic-Arte Museum will have the opportunity to expand our online and in person learning initiatives, bringing arts and cultural learning to a wider audience of students in title one schools.
Thank you to Texas Mutual for the Workplace Safety Grant
We would like to extend a special thank you to Texas Mutual for the Workplace Safety grant we have received. Recipients are awarded $1,500 for the purchase of approved safety equipment to help reduce or eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses. Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the leading workers’ compensation insurance provider in Texas.
News
Welcome Todd Rychener!
Todd Rychener studied art in undergrad before beginning his M.S. in Library Science. He has studied book arts and crafts at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and the Austin Book Arts Center. In June, 2021, he joined Mexic-Arte Museum as a Collections Department student intern. Todd has worked in a team throughout the summer to assist with policy, preservation projects, and accessioning artworks. After graduating from the University of North Texas in August 2021, he joined Mexic-Arte Museum’s installation staff. We are excited to have you on the team for this exhibition, Todd!
Welcome Elyse Garcia!
Elyse Garcia (she/her) is an artist from Austin, Texas who creates work in many mediums, with her true love in painting and social practice.
She is currently in her senior year of college studying Studio Art at The University of Texas at Austin. Her work has been exhibited at the Parson’s School of Design in New York, and she has upcoming exhibitions at The University of Texas at Austin and the Dell Seton Medical Center at UT Austin. Elyse is excited to connect with fellow artists and discover art that comes from a similar cultural background as she does. She is so grateful to be at her internship, and is eager to take away as much knowledge as she can from her experience.
You can find her work on instagram: @elysenicoleart
Store
New merchandise!
Shop our Mexic-Arte Museum merchandise including new patches and magnets! #ElMeroMuro T-Shirts have also been fully restocked including our Animo! and Las Seis Fridas. Shop in-store or online!
Thank you to Our Sponsors
The Life and Experiences in the U.S./Mexico Borderlands
An online exhibition and lecture series are made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Learn more about the Mexic-Arte Museum
Exhibition and Art Education Programs Support: 3M, AeroMexico, Ampersand Art Supply, Trey Andrade, Applied Materials, Austin Community Foundation/Stand with Austin, Austin Convention Center, Austin Independent School District Creative Classrooms, Austin Latino Coalition, Charles Beckman, Michael Best, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Brown Foundation, Brown Distributing Company, Dr. Frank Cardenas, City of Austin Community Youth Development Program, Clay Imports, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Fonda San Miguel, Tom Gilliland, Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, Juan J Gutierrez and Rosa K Gutierrez, H-E-B, H-E-B Tournament of Champions, GTOPS, Hendler Flores Law, Humanities Texas, Junior League of Austin, JP Peace Love & Happiness Foundation, Mickey and Jeanne Klein, Ann McEldowney, Mindpop, National Endowment for the Arts, Ingrid and James Taylor, Mike Taylor, Michael Torres, Serie Print Project, Morgan Stanley, Efficient Steel, Bettina & Travis Mathis, Elizabeth Rogers, Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr., Rosa Santis & Pedro SS Services, Marina Sifuentes, Susto Mezcal, Texas Mutual, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Delia Sifuentes, Texas Gas Service, Texas Commission on the Arts, Tribeza, Univision 62, Univision Radio, Lola Wright Foundation, and Jane & Manuel Zuniga.