From the Director
Taste of Mexico is Back!
Photos by Chris Casselli
Please join us for Taste of Mexico on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 to celebrate the artistry and culinary innovation of Austin and Mexico. This cultural celebration of Cinco de Mayo invites guests to generously sample creative cuisines Austin’s most eclectic and exciting restaurants, food trucks, and beverage purveyors. This year’s Taste of Mexico will explore the influence of chiles; the vast variety of tastes, colors, and shapes that make up the dishes of Mexico. Guests will also get to enjoy food demos, music by DJ uLOVEi, Mariachi Chavez Inspiration and more!
This year’s line up includes add all the restaurants Artemisa’s Tacos, Cruzteca Mexican Kitchen, La Cantina Truck, Qué Sazón, Comedor, Mour Cafe, SRSLY Chocolate, Asador Tacos, La Santa Barbacha, Mellizoz Tacos, Tacos Guerrero, El Dorado Cafe, Las Lomas Tex-Mex Cantina, ¡Hola Aloha!, Dulce Vida Tequila, Austin Aguas Frescas (Austin AF), Proeza Tequila, Paco Jones, SEXTO Tequila, SUSTO Tequila, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Ensenada, Curra’s Grill, Cabonero Tequila, Licha’s Cantina, Chula’s Salsas, Gabriela’s Downtown, Austin Churro Co., Maudies Tex Mex, Simar Seafood Cocina, Pera, H-E-B, Llama Kid, and La Costeñita Distributors.
Taste of Mexico serves to support Mexic-Arte Museum’s art education programs. Over the past thirty-eight years, the Museum has empowered Austin youth through its exemplary art education programs, family days, internships, tours, and the Screen It! Program, which introduces youth to basic screen printing techniques and careers in the art field. Screen It! received the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, a project of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities presented by Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama.
Since 1998, Mexic-Arte Museum’s Taste of Mexico has become one of the leading Mexican-inspired culinary events of the year. Check out Taste of Mexico 2019
Thank you to all the restaurants, beverage vendors and our sponsors!
Executive Director
Sylvia Orozco
Exhibits
Chicana/o Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s
Exhibition dates: April 8 – June 19, 2022
Mexic-Arte Museum presents Chicana/o Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s-1980s. This exhibition features artwork from Mexic-Arte’s permanent collection and loans highlighting the rich and under told history of the Chicano Art movement in Austin from the 1960s to the 1980s. See original artwork, exhibition notices, films that document the movement, murals, performances, scholarly presentations, and photographs of notable events documenting the push for civil rights in Austin, Texas, and across this country.
Prominent visual artists in the exhibition include Tito Aguirre, M.A. Ambray Gonzales, Alicia Arredondo, Alicia Barraza, Santa Barraza, Sam Coronado, Nancy de los Santos, Nora González Dodson, Carolina Flores, Rey Gaytan, Carmen Lomas Garza, Mary Jane Garza, Marsha Gomez, Luis Guerra, Juan Pablo Gutierrez, Luis Gutierrez, Bruce Harnett, Bill Leissner, Pedro Meyer, Sylvia Orozco, Janis Palma, Amado Peña, Yolanda Petrocelli, Alan Pogue, Pio Pulido, Manuel “Chaca” Ramirez, Carmen Rodriguez, Pedro Rodriguez, Vicente “Chente” Rodriguez, Marta Sanchez, José Treviño, Modesta Treviño, and Raul Valdez, and murals by the next generation Master Muralist Amado Castillo III with Amado Castillo IV, and student assistants.
Changarrito with Rudy Diaz
Support our April 2022 Changarrito Artist, Rudy Diaz! In the spirit of Changarrito, the pop-up mobile art gallery where artists can sell their work to the public, Changarrito with Rudy Diaz 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.
Changarrito Interview Listen to the Interview
Mexic-Arte Museum’s Changarrito Instagram Live event took place virtually with Artist Rudy Diaz on Thursday, May 29th through the Museum’s Instagram account @mexic_arte, Isabel Servantez, Mexic-Arte Museum’s Curator Of Exhibitions and Director Of Programs, facilitated the virtual event with a series of questions directed at the artist including a Q&A.
About the Artist: Rudy Diaz was born in the borderlands of El Paso, and moved there permanently with his parents at the age of four. He attended art school and makes video games for a living. Diaz enjoys drawing and sculpture.
Artist Statement: “I enjoy creating things that make people laugh. Also, why not make them a little scared while I am at it? I try to bring a smile to my own face when drawing or sculpting the things I enjoy. Hopefully, the viewer will see a little bit of themselves in my art.”
Collections
Selections from the Permanent Collection
The Center of the Universe, n.d.
Oil on canvas, 51″ x 42 1/2″
Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection
Gift of Jill Ramirez. Photo by Kenzie Grogan
The Center of the Universe, by Reynaldo “Rey” Gaytan, is part of Mexic-Arte Museum’s Permanent Collection, and is a featured piece in Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s.
Rey Gaytan was born in Seguin, Texas in 1947. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and Art History at The University of Texas at Austin, as well as two Master of Art degrees in Anthropology, after serving in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam conflict. Throughout his professional career, Rey taught in local and regional museums, school districts, housing and community centers, and universities. Contrary to other works in the exhibition, which explicitly bring light to social causes and a pursuit of justice, Gaytan’s The Center of The Universe relies heavily on abstraction. This, as well as a push for artists to pursue “Universal” themes, subjects, and visual representations (aspects that apply to everyone), were common ideas practiced by artists in Austin from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Education
amArte Workshop 4
amArte held its 4th workshop in March with master artists father-son duo Amado Castillo III and Amado Castillo IV. Together with Mexic-Arte Museum’s Education Associate José Martinez, they designed and coordinated collaborative participation from local Del Valle advanced high school art students. The Castillos are 5th generation Austinites and local artists from the east side.
The Mural “Lead to Live” depicts a tri-colored background reminiscent of the Mexican flag. On the left green section an ever-growing Austin skyline is shown with prominent construction cranes that take up as much space as each iconic building. Under the skyline a group of mustangs gallop freely representing the animalistic nature of freedom and liberation from a city that never ceases to demand more for its growth. In the middle white portion of the flag is the main subject largely illustrated from a bold black and white photo from local public historic archives. Influential East Austin Chicano activist, a major figure in Austin politics, and a founder of the local Brown Berets; Paul Hernandez holds a megaphone with a statement taken from signs held by the youth during the police brutality and murder of José “Joe” Campos Torres marches in downtown Austin of 1977 that reads “Los muertos no hablan it is up to us”. This statement comes out of Paul’s megaphone and simultaneously is carried by becoming the statement of a protest sign held by current marginalized people like the elderly and androgynous indigenous faces. Holding a starkly lit monochromatic American flag, this group together with the sound waves and text coming out of Paul’s megaphone are breaking a large chain that comes from the background and into the bottom right corner of the foreground. Lastly on the top right corner is a contemporary interpretation of the United Farm Workers logo originally created by Cesar Chavez and his cousin Manuel. This new take is less obvious but still has a now realistic black eagle spreading its wings over and out of the bounds of a white circular shape like a worm’s eye view of an eagle flying under the sun.
This mural coincides with the current exhibition “Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s” focusing on the Chicano artists from the past and uses present local Chicano artists like Amado Castillo III and his 19 year old son Amado Castillo IV. Amado IV is part of the future generation of local Chicano artists. The mural makes a statement that the future relies on the past just as much as the past relies on the present to carry on the message and work that can never yield against never ending oppressive forces.
amARTE 5
The amArte workshops series continued in April with master artist Santa Barraza leading a mini mural workshop on large 7’ x 4’ amate (bark) paper sheets. The workshop titles Iconography: A sense of Home focused on how Santa has used iconography throughout her entire career; art students at Del Valle High School explored and reflected on how to collaboratively depict a sense of home using iconography and symbolism mentored by master artists Santa Barraza and Education Associate José Martinez. Each class created one large mini mural on amate paper as well as created milagros out of embossing foil for prayers and manifestations that are unique and personal to them; these will be weaved into the amate murals.
Raul Valdez “Muralist at Work”
As part of the current Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s exhibition, Mexic-Arte Museum is hosting live painting of a mural progression from local Chicano Muralist Raul Valdez. Raul Valdez is one of the featured artists in the exhibit; he is one of the original Austin muralists during the Chicano movement’s peak in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.The next live painting date will be on Sunday May 1st. Sundays are free admission.
Screen It! Partners with Harmony High School
In April and May Mexic-Arte Museum’s Screen It program is partnering with Harmony School of Excellence. Harmony High School students are working with Mexic-Arte education staff to create a t-shirt design with a unique personalized statement. Students are reflecting on causes that matter to them to create personalized designs with a message. Designs vary from statements about students’ identity, politics, the environment, and more. Screen It teachers will help Harmony students with elements of design and creating handmade stencils to print their own apparel.
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Marketing/Design
Taste of Mexico, A Cinco de Mayo Celebration
In Support of Mexic-Arte Museum’s Art Education Programs
Mexic-Arte Museum invites you to Taste of Mexico 2022 taking place on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at Fair Market. This year’s Taste of Mexico looks at chiles; the vast variety of tastes, colors, and shapes that makeup the dishes of Mexico. Ever-present in Mexican cuisine, traditional to modern, the gastronomical properties of chiles creates an unyielding plethora of flavor and spice. Rich, earthy, hot, mild – there is no end to the possibilities of this unique food, highlighted by its importance in the cultural practices of the peppers homeland. Proceeds from the event benefit the Museum’s arts education program. We also thank Jane and Manuel Zuniga.
Development
Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Innovation and Management Seminar
The Mexic-Arte Museum was excited to take part in the Bloomberg Philanthropies AIM or Arts Innovation and Management seminar on April 5th. The program is designed to aid nonprofits in their work by teaming them up with a knowledgeable advisor, bringing a new perspective to the organization in a meaningful way. Presenters included: Brett Egan, President of Devos Institute of Arts Management; Rebecca Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Austin Film Society; Chris Cowden, Executive Director of Women & Their Work; and Jennifer Dugas, Executive Director of the Austin Music Foundation. The Museum had the opportunity to learn about all the work these presenters had been involved in during and after the Covid crises, and to meet other organizations who had been enrolled in the AIM program. Thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies for making this learning and capacity building program possible for Mexic-Arte Museum.
Store
New in the Mexic-Arte Museum Store: Chicano/a Merch!
Check out new merch from our current exhibit Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s; choose from baseball caps, t-shirts, notebooks and more!
Thank you to Our Sponsors
Learn more about the Mexic-Arte Museum
Exhibition and Art Education Programs Support: 3M, AeroMexico, Ampersand Art Supply, Applied Materials, Austin Convention Center, Austin Independent School District Creative Classrooms, 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, 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.