A Message from the Director
2023 Another Great Year – We Thank You!
We thank you, our friends, and supporters who inspired us in 2023. The community’s invaluable support makes possible informative exhibitions, vibrant cultural events, and artistic education programs. Your contributions have allowed us to serve the growing number of students and families throughout the year. We invite you to make your end of the year donation to Mexic-Arte Museum. We truly appreciate you and your support!
A Glance at Mexic-Arte Throughout the Year!
January 2023
Continuing ELA 26: Histories of Transformation / Historias de Transformación
February 2023
Presenting the Totally Cool Totally Art Annual Exhibition
March 2023
Presenting Mix ‘n’ Mash Alimento para el Alma
April 2023
Opening of Expresiones de México, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People
May 2023
Taste of Mexico, A Cinco de Mayo Celebration
June 2023
Sharing Art with the National Museum of the American Latino
July 2023
Opening of Life and Experiences in the U.S/Mexico Borderlands at the Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Centro Cultural Casa Purcell in Saltillo, Coahuila
August 2023
Membership Appreciation Party
September 2023
Opening of 40 Years of Día de los Muertos: Tradition, Celebration & Continuation
October 2023
40th Annual Viva La Vida – Day of the Dead Fest & Parade
November 2023
Maná visits Mexic-Arte
December 2023
Opening of Nacimientos on December 15th
Executive Director
Sylvia Orozco
Exhibitions
40 Years of Día de los Muertos: Tradition, Celebration & Continuation – Highlight Emmily Arenas Installation
Mexic-Arte continues to celebrate Día de los Muertos with the exhibition 40 Years of Día de los Muertos: Tradition, Celebration & Continuation. This month Mexic-Arte highlights one of the installations that was created in conjunction with the current Día de los Muertos exhibition, an ofrenda by the Emmily Arenas family. This ofrenda was created in the style of Mexican city Huaquechula in the state of Puebla. There monumental ofrendas are created to commemorate the deceased. Contemporary altars of Puebla, inspired by the interplay of Baroque and Pueblan art, are made of entirely white fabrics, have three levels, and are adorned with angels, stars, and small cherubims. This ofrenda honored family members that passed away of COVID.
How “Catrina,” Created by Posada and Rivera, Became the Face of Day of the Dead: An Illustrated Lecture by Dr. Ruben Cordova
In this lecture, Dr. Cordova drew on his published work and added new insights on the Día de los Muertos Catrina icon and its creator, José Guadalupe Posada. articles on Glasstire.com include his 2019 José Guadalupe Posada and Diego Rivera Fashion Catrina: From Sellout To National Icon (and Back Again?), the first of five articles on the subject, examine Catrina’s creation, her transformations, and her increased visibility in popular culture. Cordova has also written on Posada and Day of the Dead in The Encyclopedia Latina (2004) and the San Antonio Report (2020). The catalogue for The Day of the Dead in Art, the exhibition he curated at Centro de Artes in San Antonio in 2019, is a comprehensive study of Day of the Dead in Mexico and the US with beginning sections on Posada and his followers.
November Changarrito Artist, Mauro Murillo
Photo Credit: Mauro Murillo
Corazon con Flechas, 24″ x 48″, acrylic on canvas, by Mauro Murillo
The Changarrito artist for November 2023, Mauro Murillo, presented his work on the Changarrito cart at Mexic-Arte Museum on November 11th ,12th, 18th, and 19th.
Isabel Servantez hosed the Changarrito virtual interview on Mexic-Arte’s Instagram at 5:00 PM on Thursday, November 30th . You can view the full interview here.
You can see and learn more about Mauro’s work on his website.
About Changarrito Program
Changarrito is an art vending cart conceptualized by artist Maximo Gonzalez as an alternative to the official gallery selection presented by the Mexican cultural authorities. True to the Mexic-Arte Museum’s mission, the Changarrito is dedicated to the presentation and promotion of contemporary Latinx and Latin American art. Artists sell their art on the Changarrito cart in front of the Museum (or an offsite location, as a representative for the Museum during various Austin festivals). It expands the reach of the artist by presenting their gallery online, while allowing the option to sell merch over Instagram and receive 100% of the sale.
December Changarrito Artist, Lisa Saldivar
About the Artist
Lisa is a visual artist and designer from Houston, Texas. In 2019, she completed her master’s in design studies from Centro de Diseño, Cine y Televisión. She has over five years experience as a Creative Director and 10 years as a designer and illustrator. As an artist, her work is based on healing the generational trauma and the cultural identity of the Chicanx community, and identifying what is lost for our culture during the process of assimilation into dominant white culture.
In the summer of 2019, she retraced her Grandmother’s footsteps from Mexico to the US border to paint murals in memory of the 283 people who passed away crossing the border in 2018. Her work has been inducted into the Library of Congress in Washington DC, and she has been involved in mural and design festivals around the world, including London Design Festival, Barrio Vivo in Mexico City and Futura Morelia. In 2020, she launched Reverse Assimilation, a podcast + multimedia art project examining the decolonization of Chicanx identity through dialogue and art.
Artist Statement
“Art permits me to connect paths: from setting an intention, to words forming reminiscent of bones and knives, colors emerging. I am a bridge from Texas to Ciudad de México. My long journey from graphic design to illustration to creative direction have helped me shape my work as a visual artist.
I’ve painted murals in memory to the immigrants that have lost their lives along the border, and I have devoted the practice of my work to investigating the Chicanx identity in the United States, both in oppression and through what has been lost in our forced or chosen assimilation. I believe in the transformation toward a new system that listens and preserves the voice of those who, ashamed, keep their dreams and ambitions in silence. That’s why I create: to restore dignity to my roots.”
Join us for the Changarrito cart with artist Lisa Saldivar, who will be at the museum presenting her artwork on December 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST. Come by Mexic-Arte to support Lisa and ask about her work!
Isabel Servantez will be hosting the Changarrito virtual interview on Mexic-Arte’s Instagram at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, December 19th. The interview will involve questions about her work and a Q&A session during the final 15 minutes.
You’re Invited to Participate in Mix ‘n’ Mash: Celebrating Austin! Generously Sponsored by Ampersand Art Supply
Mexic-Arte Museum is pleased to announce a call for entries for our annual Mix ‘n’ Mash Exhibition and Art Sale, which will open on Friday, February 2, 2024. Artists are able to pick up a gessobord for the exhibition and sale starting on Monday, December 4, 2023. Completed Gessobords are to be returned to Mexic-Arte Museum by Sunday, January 14th, 2024 at 5:00 PM.
This year’s theme is Celebrate Austin! Mix ‘n’ Mash is a group exhibition displaying artworks by 200+ local and regional artists created on quality panels donated by Ampersand Art Supply. Each limited edition Mix ‘n’ Mash artwork is uniquely crafted for the exhibition, and all proceeds from Mix ‘n’ Mash support the museum’s programming for children and adults.
This group exhibition explores and celebrates Austin, Texas Austin is the political and historical center of Texas. It is the home to people the world over, coming to participate in its politics, enjoy the beauty of its surrounding hill country, feast on the cuisine that abounds from it, and revel in the live music for which it is famous, among other things. This year Mexic-Arte celebrates the large and small of what makes Austin weird, interesting, timeless, and robust. Austin, home to people from all over the world and the state capital continues to inspire those that come to visit and live here. Mexic-Arte Museum, which has called Austin home for nearly 40 years invites its community to celebrate all things Austin with this year’s Mix ‘n’ Mash exhibition.
We are inviting artists to create one work of art on a 12” x 12” eco-friendly and archival quality Gessobord generously donated by Ampersand.
HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?
- Starting December 4, 2023, Artists may pick up ONE Gessobord at the Mexic-Arte Museum on Monday – Thursday 10 AM-6 PM; Friday – Saturday 10 AM-5 PM; and Sunday 12 PM-5 PM
- A credit card will be kept on file when you pick up your Gessobord. If you do not return your Gessobord, $25 will be charged to the credit card on file.
- Every artist is free to create a work of art in any style (including figurative, conceptual, abstract, surreal, popular, etc.) and media (painting, printmaking, photography, and more) that depicts their individual theme. Any theme may be used, but artists who choose the Celebrating Austin! theme*** will be featured in a special section.
- Board numbers are assigned, please check the back of your board for your number.
- Before returning your board, fill out the registration form that is attached to the back of your board and the online form. Artists must complete both digital and hardcopy forms to be compensated.
- We ask that all completed submissions be delivered to the Museum by January 14, 2024 (late submissions will be accepted, but may not be included in the opening reception).
About the Opening Reception on February 2, 2024:
- The Mix ‘n’ Mash Exhibit and Art Sale
- Cocktails, music, and great fun!
- The public is encouraged to purchase one or more panels to create their own diptychs, triptychs, and more.
WHAT DO I GET FOR PARTICIPATING?
- The boards will be sold for $150 a piece unless otherwise determined by Mexic-Arte. Artists will receive a 40% commission from each board sold, and the boards will remain available for purchase while they are on display in the Mix ‘n’ Mash exhibition. At the close of the exhibition any unsold boards and future sales will be considered donations to the Museum. These donations are tax deductible.
- As a participating artist, you will receive a one-year Individual Level Membership to Mexic-Arte Museum. Membership benefits include free admission to all exhibitions and select events, invitations to Member Preview opening receptions, subscription to the Museum E-Newsletter, and 10% off Museum Store purchases.
- You will also receive two complimentary tickets for you and a guest to attend the opening night party on Friday, February 2, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. There will be a $10 admission fee for the public, and the event will be free for members.
Thank you for considering this unique collaborative opportunity, we hope that you will join us!
Collections
40 Years of Día de los Muertos – La Catrina con Murciélagos by Santiago Montanes
Mexic-Arte Museum’s current exhibition, 40 Years of Día de los Muertos: Tradition, Celebration & Continuation, celebrates our institution’s past and present participation and guiding hand in Central Texas Día de los Muertos festivities. The exhibition highlights the traditional and contemporary interpretations of the celebrations and iconography of Día de los Muertos. Such expressions of Día de los Muertos customs as Calaveras and Catrinas, greatly popularized by printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, are a perpetual source of inspiration for artists, tying them to their artistic and ancestral past. Since the late 19th century artists have applied their individual styles, stories, and perspectives to these icons, keeping them fresh and classic.
A great example of La Cartina is the Mexic-Arte Museum’s newest sculpture, La Catrina con Murciélagos. This piece was commissioned specifically for the Mexic-Arte by Santiago Montanes of Capula, Michoacán. Montanes added a special touch of bats to the Catrina to represent the Mexic-Arte’s home of Austin. The town of Capula, in the state of Michoacán, became the birthplace of the clay Catrina. Juan Torres, a painter and sculptor , arrived in Capula sometime in the 1980’s. He was the pioneer who first created a Catrina out of clay. Juan Torres still lives in Capula today, and has an art gallery. He’s primarily a painter, but his footprint in Capula is seen in every corner of the small town today.
You may view La Catrina con Murciélagos and so much more at Mexic-Arte Museum’s current exhibition, 40 Years of Día de los Muertos: Tradition, Celebration & Continuation, now until January 7th, 2024.
Nacimientos
To celebrate the holidays, the Mexic-Arte Museum is pleased to present a variety of nacimientos, or nativity scenes, from the Permanent Collection, with assistance of the generous donations of Edwin R. Jordan. The nacimientos on display features Mexico City, Tzintzunztan, and Michoacan.
Christmas in Mexico is a vibrant and festive holiday season with a unique set of traditions that were formed by the blending of Spanish Colonial and indigenous Mexican cultures. The Aztec people of pre-Columbian Mexico paid homage to the birth of the god Huitzilopochtli during this time of year, with celebrations that began at midnight and continued throughout the following day. When Spanish colonists brought the Christian faith to the Americas in the 16th century, missionaries noticed similarities between the Christian celebration of Christmas and the Aztec celebrations, facilitating the integration of Christianity into the lives of the indigenous people.
The tradition of setting up nacimiento can be traced back to St. Francis of Assisi. In 1223 A.D. It is said he journeyed to the Convent of Monte Colombo where he told an acquaintance that he wanted to celebrate Christmas by creating a nativity scene as a reminder of the birth of Christ using a live donkey and ox. When nacimentos were first introduced in Mexico, they were only set up in churches and other public places of worship. It was not until decades later when it became more common to build them in covenants and private homes. Today, the Mexican tradition of setting up a nativity scene retains its religious and spiritual significance. Each year on December 16th, nacimientos are set up in homes throughout the country.
As with many other art forms in Mexico, nativity scenes demonstrate the diversity and richness of its cultural ancestry. Perhaps more importantly, nacimientos capture the imagination and spirit of the people of this great country.
Nacimientos will be on view from December 15th to January 7th, 2024.
Education
Education Outreach Accomplishments of Fiscal Year 2023
In Fiscal Year 2023 (October 2022-September 2023), the Mexic-Arte Museum Education team served over 2,000 students in the screen printing outreach program, Screen It!. The outreach program reached over 30 schools in Austin, Manor and Del Valle ISD. All participants learned about design, stencils and screen printing from teaching artists and printed a t-shirt at the end of the program. In the amArte Education program, nine master artists led nine specialized workshops in new media, contemporary sculpture, indigenous textiles and more. These artists, who have active practices in Austin, led these workshops in nine different schools in Austin and Del Valle ISD.
The department would like to thank our partners at Austin Public Health Community Youth Development, Austin Public Health Office of Violence Prevention, Applied Materials, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 3M-Austin, the Brown Foundation the Texas Commission on the Arts, and our friends at the Austin Public Library and Dove Springs Recreation Center.
Thank you to all artists who shared their practices with the youth through workshops. The Mexic-Arte Museum is very grateful for the teaching artists and partners who helped make this fiscal year a success!
Come Join the Mexic-Arte Museum Team Through Our Internship Program!
Mexic-Arte Museum has served as a pipeline for the professional development of emerging Latinx artists and arts administrators as well as given a spotlight to established Latinx artists. It is the objective of the Museum to train the next generation of museum professionals by offering career opportunities that equip individuals with the necessary skills to thrive as members of the arts professional workforce, creating a new generation of Latinx leadership in Central Texas and beyond.
We are thrilled to receive major support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services in order to expand and strengthen our internship program. We are now offering paid internships for current university students! The program is part of the American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative. The Latino Museum Internship Expansion Project will support museum-based undergraduate internship programs designed to advance careers of individuals in the study of American Latino life, art, history and culture.
We are accepting applications for Spring 2024, the deadline to apply is January 10, 2024.
- Rate: $20/hr
- You must complete 10 hours weekly
- The Internship period is 10 weeks
Join the Mexic-Arte Museum!
To apply please go to our Internships page on our website or email your resume and cover letter to
Unity Mural at Blackshear Elementary School
This fall, Mural Artist, Stacy Silva, worked with Ms. Raina’s 5th graders at Blackshear Elementary School to paint the Unity mural inside the school. Silva and the students created a mural that represents the diverse community of the school and surrounding area, and asks the viewers to reflect on the word, “unity.” Students were gathered in groups of four to discuss what unity looks like, feels like and why it is important before beginning to paint the mural. Students also helped curate the palette of colors and created mini murals on paper to accompany the mural on the side of the stairs. The whole group participated in creating art for their school and community.
Gracias to Stacy Silva, our sponsors from the Office of Violence Prevention City of Austin, Blackshear Principal, Tiona Bell, and Blackshear Art Teacher, Raina Michalovic for helping us provide this program!
View more of Stacy’s work here.
Development
Special Thank You to 2023 Sponsors
To our 2022-2023 sponsors, we have one thing to say – THANK YOU! You have made possible a wonderful year of exhibitions, events, and educational programming. We are honored to receive the level of community support that we do, and we are so thankful to the foundations, businesses, and individuals who choose to invest in their community institutions. Every dollar that comes into Mexic-Arte goes towards our mission – enriching the community for visitors of all ages.
To those sponsors who have returned, welcome back! To those who gave for the first time this year, we’re glad to have you! To those who will join the Mexic-Arte family as a 2023-2024 sponsor, we can’t wait to meet you!
Store
Shop the Mexic-Arte Museum Store!
Shop our Holiday Collection! Browse through greeting cards, socks, ornaments and more!
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Learn more about the Mexic-Arte Museum
Operations, Exhibition and Art Education Programs Support: Ampersand Art Supply, Applied Materials, Austin Convention Center, Austin Independent School District Creative Classrooms, Austin Lowriding, Michael Best, the Brown Foundation, Brown Distributing Company, Capital Printing, City of Austin Departments: Cultural Arts Division; Economic Development; Health Department; Community Youth Development Program; Parks & Recreation; Public Works; and Special Events, Clay Imports, Consulate General of Mexico in Austin, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Erwin Cuellar, Libby & Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Downtown Austin Alliance, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Fenix Post Tension, Inc., Fonda San Miguel, Ford Foundation, Tom Gilliland, GoDaddy, GTOPs Capacity, Juan J Gutierrez, Charlotter Hage Dalbey, Jennifer Hage Bond, Patricia Hage Hirsh, Robin Suzanne Hage, H-E-B, H-E-B Tournament of Champions, Hendler Flores Law, Humanities Texas, IBC Bank, IBM, Institute of Museum & Library Services, JP’s Peace Love & Happiness Foundation, La Voz, Linbeck, LMN/Page, Ann McEldowney, Bettina & Travis Mathis, Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for The Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Nettie & M.K. Hage Family, Laurel Prats, Elizabeth Rogers, Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr., Rosa Santis & Pedro SS Services, Serie Print Project, Siete, Delia Sifuentes, Silcone Labs, Spurs, State Farm – Alejandra de la Torre, Susto Mezcal, Ingrid and James Taylor, Texas Commission of the Arts, Texas Gas Service, Thompson Austin, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Univision 62, Univision Radio, Warfield Center, Waterloo Greenway, Lola Wright Foundation, Jane & Manuel Zuniga, and Mark Zuniga, 3M – Austin.