Miembros Newsletter: July 2026

A Message from the Director

Mexic-Arte Museum Celebrates 43 Years Serving the Austin Community

On July 18, 1984, Mexic-Arte Museum was incorporated, marking this year as the 43rd anniversary of the museum’s service to the people of Austin. Today, Mexic-Arte serves thousands of visitors annually and is one of the foremost Latino art museums in the country. Education is central to the museum’s mission through exhibitions and special programs. Thank you, Austin, for the many years of support! We are honored to be an integral part of Austin and proud of the many accomplishments:

• Beginning in 1984, at the Arts Warehouse at 300 San Antonio, Mexic-Arte Museum created the annual downtown tradition of celebrating the Día de los Muertos – Viva la Vida Festival & Parade that attracts thousands of participants each year.
• In 1988, Mexic-Arte moved to the building at 419 Congress being first museum on Congress Avenue.
• In 1993, Mexic-Arte Museum became the Official Sister Museum of the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studio Museum and presented several international exhibitions.
• In 2000, Mexic-Arte was designated the Official Archive of the Serie Project by artist and co-founder Sam Coronado.
• The year, 2001, brought Mexic-Arte Museum many honors and recognition, among them, an investment by the City of Austin for the purchase of the building at 419 Congress for the museum in exchange for services for the community.
• On June 22, 2003, the 78th Legislature of the State of Texas recognized the significant Mexic-Arte Museum’s cultural role and designated it as the Official Mexican and Mexican American Art Museum of Texas.
• Also in 2003, Mexic-Arte Museum signed an international long-term agreement with the Mexican government’s National Council of the Arts and Culture, now the Secretariat of Culture, to facilitate the loan of artworks and programs with Mexico’s national museums.
• As a cultural ambassador, the museum serves as a focal point for important bi-national gatherings, the development of cultural exchange and as the showplace of the best artistic and cultural offerings that the Mexican and Mexican American people have to offer, including various cultural exchanges and exhibitions over the years with Saltillo, Coahuila in coordination with the Ausin Saltillo Sister Cities Association.
• Mexic-Arte has provided more than 200,000 underserved Austin youth with an art education through the Screen It! program. In 2016, then First Lady Michelle Obama presented the Museum with President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Award for excellence in arts programming.
• Mexic‐Arte Museum’s Permanent Collection holds more than 7,000 works of historic and contemporary Mexican, Latino and Latin American art thanks to generous donations from artists and collectors.
• The museum also houses a special reference library of over 5,000 books on Mexican and Latino art and culture.
• In 2025, under Mexic-Arte Museum’s leadership, the 5th St. Mexican American Cultural District was designated by the State of Texas.
• The current Internship Program, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that began more than thirty years ago, today, mentors twenty-four paid interns per year in various museum fields and careers.
• In 2006 and 2018, Austin voters approved a $20 million proposal for the museum building that is now in progress.
• In 2026, Mexic-Arte Museum was granted temporary space at the Austin History Center during the construction of the building.
• This year Mexic-Arte Museum is working to be part of the City of Austin’s 2026 Bond Election to completely fund the museum building.

Mexic-Arte Museum has touched the lives of hundreds of artists of all disciplines, providing exhibit and performance opportunities and career development. It is inspiring to listen artists and individuals speak about their experience at the museum and the impact it has had on their lives. Just last week, we had a visit from Rafael Vargas Suarez, who worked at Mexic-Arte from 1992 to 1997. He is an accomplished artist, now known as Vargas-Suarez Universal, living in New York and is visiting Austin while working on a major public mural commission, Horizons Spectrum (2025), made of aluminum panels measuring 9.5 x 225 ft at Terminal E of the Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. As Rafael visited the offices, he retold stories of his work at the museum, opening art crates, framing art and even installing the Diego Rivera exhibition in 1992. The interns working that day perked up and listened attentively; a glow covered their face, showing their pride of now also working and being a part of Mexic Arte Museum. I also smiled because today—years later—our work, our mission is stronger than ever to enriching lives
through education programs, exhibitions, and the collection, preservation, and interpretation of Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art and culture.

2026 is an important year—not only because it is the 43 rd year—but because it brings the opportunity to begin the building the new museum in downtown Austin at the corner of 5 th St. and Congress Ave. We ask that the community and the Austin City Council to continue the journey to support and fully develop the museum’s building so that Austin’s downtown offerings proudly shine as the best of their kind to visitors and community. Thank you, Austin. Thank you for four outstanding decades and contributing to building this legacy for generations of today and tomorrow.

Executive Director

Sylvia Orozco

Exhibitions

Rosas y Revelaciones: Homage to la Virgen de Guadalupe

About the Exhibit:

The image of la Virgen de Guadalupe is one of the most powerful and enduring symbols of identity in Mexico and throughout the Americas. Her image has been mobilized at different historical moments, emerging during the early colonial period following the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerica. Eventually, her figure became central to the efforts of Spanish missionaries to convert Indigenous populations to Christianity. La Virgen de Guadalupe is thought to have first appeared in 1531 on a tilma, a cloak made from coarse cactus fiber and worn by a Nahua man under the Christianized name of Juan Diego. Her image has since been reinterpreted and transformed by Indigenous and Latino/e/x communities, reflecting and embodying cultural survival, identity and collective memory.

Rosas y Revelaciones honors both the enduring presence of la Virgen de Guadalupe and the artists who reimagine her through textile practices. The works in this exhibition demonstrate how representing la Virgen has driven artistic innovation. Because textile techniques often rely on geometric structures, rendering curved forms and figurative imagery presents a challenge. In response, the artists in this exhibition experiment with structure, color and composition. They have developed inventive approaches to translate a complex figure into woven form, revealing how innovation emerges through the encounter between traditional techniques and new creative challenges.

Commissioned by Linda Hanna, textile artist and collector, who worked closely with artists across sixteen Mexican states, this collection reflects a rich diversity of materials, techniques and cultural perspectives; while many works originate from Oaxaca, diverse regions are included, highlighting the breadth of Mexico’s textile heritage. Its creation, deeply collaborative, is rooted in longstanding traditions in which weaving and embroidery take place within family workshops and community networks where knowledge is shared across generations. Techniques, patterns and creative processes are developed collectively, making each textile both an individual expression and the product of communal practice. 

Mexic-Arte Museum’s Curator, Luisa Fernanda Perez, shares that “Rosas y Revelaciones presents la Virgen de Guadalupe through the artistry of contemporary textile makers whose work demonstrates that these traditions do not exist in the past or have been created solely for tourism, but are living cultural practices woven into everyday life. The garments in this exhibition reflect devotion, creativity and identity as they continue to be experienced and embodied across diverse communities today. Complementing these works, Jesse Herrera’s photographs of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church in Austin, reveal the enduring presence of la Virgencita within a space that has served as a spiritual, cultural and social anchor for Mexican, Mexican American and Latine/x communities of Austin.”

Recording History: A History of our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish has been a spiritual and social anchor for Mexican American families in Austin since its founding in 1907. The first church was located north of Guadalupe Park, now known as Republic Square, a historic site of the 5th St. Mexican American Cultural District. As the city changed, the church and the communities it served were displaced by the 1928 Austin City Plan, a discriminatory planning ordinance that formally instituted racial segregation. Today, the parish stands at 1206 E. 9th Street in East Austin.

For many immigrants and their descendants, some arriving as early as 1907, the parish was the center of community life. At a time when Mexicans and Mexican Americans often faced economic hardship, social isolation, the effects of regional conflicts and deportations, the church offered stability, belonging and support. Yet, much of this community’s history was never formally recorded. With few written archives before 1977, the memories of parishioners themselves became vital historical sources.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, as part of his graduate thesis at The University of Texas at Austin, photo documentarian Jesse Herrera created this body of work in an effort to help bridge that historical gap. Through photography and conversations with parishioners, Herrera documented the daily life, traditions and spirit of the parish community. Over the course of a year and a half, he produced more than 1,800 images, capturing church services, neighborhood gatherings, local events, religious processions, educational programs and outreach housing efforts.

About the artist: 

Jesse Herrera, born in Monterrey, México, is a photographer known for documenting cultural and religious traditions. He earned a BA in art design from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1975 and later completed an MA in photojournalism at The University of Texas at Austin in 1990. Herrera began his career in Chicago as a corporate photographer for People’s Gas Company before relocating to Austin in 1978. There, he worked with several Texas state agencies, including the Texas Department of Agriculture, the State Preservation Board and the Texas House of Representatives, retiring in 2004.

Herrera’s personal work centers on religious ceremonies in México, Spain and Guatemala. His photographs have been widely exhibited across Texas and the Midwest in solo and juried shows, including The Seventh Annual New American Talent Exhibit, The Magic Silver Show and Arte Sagrado. His work has also appeared in publications such as Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, Chicago Magazine, Texas Highways, The Texas Observer and Art and Ritual in Golden-Age Spain.

Learn More about the Exhibit

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July Changarrito, Citlali Delgado 

About the Artist

Citlali Delgado is a Chicana visual artist from El Paso, Texas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New Mexico State University. Based in the borderlands, her paintings function to understand how she and her communities can live with, against and past the border. She attended the Yale Norfolk School of Art residency program and has work in the Eastern New Mexico University and the New Mexico State University Museum permanent collections. She has exhibited at the El Paso Museum of Art Border Biennial, Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez Bienal Fronteriza and the Ecos del Sol exhibition at the Museum of the Big Bend.

Artist Statement

“My figurative paintings are ever reframing my testimonies as a Chicana in search of grieving and growth. Always concerned with the United States and Mexico borderlands as I grew up in El Paso, Texas, my understanding of regional complexity is always in orbit. When I create, I am reevaluating the many nuances and fantasies others have of the desert, of Mexico and of the border but sometimes, I find certain fantasies to be of my own emergence. The land I belong to is to be respected for its history and then critically maintained through decolonizing, grieving and healing. I think about my site-specific presence as a maker, exhibitor and institutional participant on top of my brownness through themes of politics of representation, tokenization and erasure. Trying to take care of the people I paint knowing the artistic agency my work does and does not have, I am to uncover ways in which my communities and I can live with, against and past the border.”

Citlali will be at Mexic-Arte Museum on July 18, 19, 24 and 25.

View Citlali’s Work

June Changarrito, Lianna Villarreal

About the Artist

Lianna Villarreal is a jewelry artist based in San Antonio, Texas whose work exists at the intersection of art and science. Through her handmade jewelry brand Villa Atelier, she creates adornments using genuine gemstones, freshwater pearls and 14k gold-filled and sterling silver findings. Each collection draws its name and inspiration from scientific concepts. Her most popular collections, Synergism, Visible Light and Photosynthesis, explore how scientific concepts can be transformed into wearable art.

In December 2024, Villarreal graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Biology and a minor in Sociology. She is currently pursuing formal jewelry training at Austin Community College to advance her artistic ability with an Associate of Applied Science in Jewelry. Her work is available at several Austin locations including Dear Diary Coffee, The Plant Society, The Herb Bar and THOSE Vending Machines-Austin Beerworks. She has been featured in VoyageAustin (2025), the Biocreative Index (2025) and participated in NYC Jewelry Week’s USA Tour (2024). Beyond her jewelry practice, Villarreal is drawn to work that centers care, empathy and human connection. She will be applying to medical school this cycle and is excited to benefit the most vulnerable members of our society, including people who are enduring substance use disorders and people who are unhoused.

Artist Statement

“Medicine is a realm where science and art intertwine. The art of jewelry making and the practice of medicine are both acts of creation– each imbued with a sense of purpose and meaning. The parallels between the two disciplines emphasize the artistry and humanity inherent in both practices. Whether I am crafting a delicate pair of earrings or investigating a complex physiological condition, I am driven by a shared passion for creativity, compassion, innovation and the transformative power of human connection.”

Lianna was at Mexic-Arte Museum on June 13, 14, 20 and 21.

View Lianna’s Work

Apply to be the Fall 2026 Mero Muro Muralist

The Mexic-Arte Museum is looking for Latino/a/e/x artists who have experience creating large scale murals for the Museum’s El Mero Muro, a mural program located on the exterior wall of the building on 5th St. and Congress Avenue.

Our next mural will be scheduled for Fall 2026. 

About Mero Muro:

Conveying powerful messages of relevant social issues, the outdoor murals of the Museum are in a unique and highly visible area of downtown Austin. Hundreds of vehicles pass by this busy corner of downtown Austin per day, including high volumes of pedestrians who walk past the Museum and its murals. The Museum commissions artists to create impactful murals using striking images and bilingual messaging. The murals “speak” in words and visual imagery to provoke ideas, address contemporary issues, generate interest in the community and also welcome the public to visit the Museum.

About the application and process: 

• Please submit samples of your mural artwork for review. 
• If you are selected you will create two proposals for the mural design. The mural must include bilingual messaging conceived by the artist and should have a connection to Mexic-Arte’s current exhibits. 

Honorarium:

• $1,000.00 
• Mexic-Arte will provide materials.

Keep in mind this is a continuing initiative – if you don’t hear from us right away- we may get in touch with you for later projects.

*Applicants must be local.

Collections

Mexic-Arte Museum is pleased to announce the art donations from the Nettie and M.K. Hage Family. This set of donations vary from the personal art collection of M.K. Hage and various archives of the commission of the beloved The Origins of Medicine murals. One of the pieces is a special silverpoint portrait of M.K. Hage himself. Silverpoint on clay paper is a traditional Renaissance drawing technique. The matte clay coating acts as a “tooth,” allowing a metal stylus to shave microscopic amounts of silver off the tool. This results in marks that are delicate and permanent, naturally tarnishing to warmer tones over time.

The Origins of Medicine, by Mexican artist Rafael Navarro Barajas, is composed of two 9’ x 29’ oil painted murals, originally created in 1967 for the Medical Park Tower in Austin. Since their creation nearly 60 years ago, the murals have stood as a monumental ode to those that dedicate their lives to caring for others as well as a contemplation on the balance people seek with the universe.The daughters of Nettie and M.K. Hage, the patrons that originally commissioned the artwork, worked side by side with conservationists and advocates to ensure that The Origins of Medicine would be preserved and have a new home. In the summer of 2022 the Rafael Navarro Barajas murals were proudly donated to Mexic-Arte Museum by the Nettie and M.K. Hage Family. The archives that have been donated give greater perspective and context to the murals, which is an essential addition to the Mexic-Arte Museum.

Mexic-Arte Museum wholeheartedly thanks Jennifer Hage Bond, Patricia Hage Hirsh, Charlotte Hage Dalbey and Robin Suzanne Hage for their generous contributions in restoring The Origins of Medicine murals, the archives that contextualize the creation of the murals and other vital artworks donated to the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection.

Education

Summer 2026 Intern Spotlights

This program is made possible by the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) initiative: Latino Museum Initiative Expansion Project, which is designed to provide opportunities for internships and fellowships at American Latino museums for students enrolled in Institutions of Higher Education, including Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Meet Anna Gutierrez, Development Intern, The University of Texas at Austin

“My name is Anna Gutierrez, and I attend The University of Texas at Austin. I am a double major in Government and Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, with a plan to minor in Public Policy. 

I applied to deepen my understanding of my own heritage and the history of the Chicano movement. To me, being Chicano represents pride in our culture, resilience and the generations who fought for opportunities that students like me have today. This internship allows me to learn from those stories while contributing to an institution that preserves and celebrates our community.

My favorite project has been collaborating with the development coordinator, Mindy, on strengthening the museum’s membership program. It has been exciting to help modernize and digitize the membership process while learning how thoughtful fundraising and member engagement support the museum’s mission.

This internship has given me invaluable mentorship and hands-on experience in museum development, nonprofit fundraising and community engagement. As my first internship, I am incredibly grateful to be learning in an organization that reflects my values and cultural heritage while preparing me for a future in advocacy and public service for Latino communities.

I am excited to enter my junior year and continue to grow as an advocate for my community. Outside the museum, I serve as a Campus Fellow with The Texas Project, organizing students to increase civic engagement and support State Representative James Talarico’s United States Senate campaign. I look forward to continuing to build meaningful connections between civic engagement, cultural preservation and community advocacy.”

Meet Sofia Hernandez, Special Events & Marketing Intern, The University of Texas at Austin

“My name is Sofia Hernandez, and I attend The University of Texas at Austin, where I study advertising!

I decided to apply to the Mexic-Arte Museum Latino Museum Internship Expansion Project because of what I had heard from my friends about the museum. Some of my friends visited the museum as a trip with an organization I’m in, so I decided to follow the social media to look at the museum’s mission. I felt that the mission aligned with my values of uplifting Hispanic and Latinx voices, and I decided to apply. I’ve loved being able to see and participate in the process of advertising Viva la Vida. From researching spots to advertise to helping create the ads themselves, I’ve loved being able to learn more about such a wonderful event that highlights the Latinx community.

This internship is benefiting my career by showing me the ins and outs of building a marketing campaign for an event. As someone who interned at my city’s chamber of commerce last summer, I got to see a glimpse of how those events are held and how word is spread from there, but being able to have hands-on experience with an event like Viva has definitely developed my marketing knowledge. Plus, I’m receiving more generalized experience of working in a field I’m interested in. As someone who is also the PR Director for my school’s radio station, KVRX 91.7, I can use the skills I learned at the museum and continue practicing into the school year.”

Meet Lizeth Moctezuma, Education Intern, Washington and Lee University

“My name is Lizeth Moctezuma, and I am a Studio Art and English double major at Washington and Lee University.

I applied for this internship because I took a Mexican Muralism course at my university and fell in love with Latin, Mexican and Chicane artistic works. Given my cultural heritage as Mexican American, I wanted to become involved with sharing education about the rich history and experiences from Hispanic culture at the local level, starting from my hometown.

My favorite activities so far have been working with students during family and summer camp days. I love engaging with the local community, conversing with kids about their interests and how they overlap with activities, all while sharing the excitement of learning outside the typical classroom environment.

As someone who is pursuing a postgraduate career in public service, this internship is an opportunity for me to gain exposure and experience working in the museum sector. I see my time at Mexic-Arte as a way to refine my logistical planning skills as I develop more accessible educational art material for the public community.

I am really looking forward to helping lead the Nuestro Estilo summer camps! My undergraduate passion for art began because of sewing workshops I attended; I would love to be on the instructor’s end to help students find their interests in creating art.”

Meet Mayahuel Crane, Education Intern, The University of Texas at Austin

My name is Mayahuel Crane and I recently graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in May. I graduated as a double major in Government and Mexican American + Latino Studies, graduating in the 31st and final undergraduate cohort of the UT Austin Latino Studies department. I also graduated with a double minor in Sociology and African + African Diaspora Studies, also graduating with the final undergraduate cohort of the UT Austin Black Studies department. 

I applied to the Mexic-Arte Museum Latino Museum Internship Expansion Project because I am passionate about education and accessibility. Museums and archives act as knowledge keepers for our communities, and it is very important to me that our histories are preserved and shared so we can continue to learn from them. 

My favorite activity has been interpreting our exhibit documents from English into Spanish, it feels good to know I can be a part of making Mexic-Arte a space where anyone can learn. I have also loved creating activities to correspond with upcoming exhibits! It’s very exciting to work in a space where different kinds of learning are encouraged and accommodated, where we can be challenged to come up with activities that are engaging for visual, tactile and auditory learners alike.

In the fall I will be moving to Boston to begin my first year of law school with a focus on public interest law. I am largely pursuing law because of the love I feel for my community and culture. My experience at Mexic-Arte, as do all the experiences of my life, informs the way I show up for my community and the way I will continue to show up for the systematically marginalized throughout my career. Additionally, research, communication, translation, interpretation and advocacy are all skills I strengthen while here, skills I will surely continue to use when practicing law.

Mexic-Arte Museum at Summer Programs Around Austin

Mexic-Arte Museum teaching artists have the privilege of being guest artists at ACE Austin (Afterschool Centers on Education) Summer Programs at Allison Elementary, Govalle Elementary and Paredes Middle School and at George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center. Students 1st-8th grade are creating art projects including screen printing shirts and bags for their student groups, muralism, fiber art, community art, creative practices that originate from indigenous cultures and more. Thank you to artists Meredith Agerton-Diebold, Monica Bushong, Kaelyn Huang and Alé Moreno for sharing their practice with young artists at ACE Austin and Austin Parks and Recreation this summer!

Thank you to Austin Public Health and Texas Commission on the Arts for sponsoring these summer programs. 

El Mero Muro Murals in Schools at Paredes Middle School

Students at Paredes Middle School have been creating a community mural this summer with teaching artist, Monica Bushong. These students participate in the Band program at Paredes Middle School and have worked together during their summer camp to create a mural for the band as a whole. The students have included instruments and musical imagery woven together harmoniously with vibrant colors celebrating the contributions of each student musician. Great work, students!

Thank you to Austin Public Health Office of Violence Prevention for supporting this program.

Recap: Sculpting the Zanate Family Day in conjunction with AIPP

Thank you so much to all who came out to family day on June 28 and helped inform Saya Woolfalk’s future Art in Public Places (AIPP) piece for Austin Bergstrom International Airport! Artists Allison Lash and Chance Ramirez led an urban and nature walk to start the workshop informing the participants of Austin’s histories and ecological landscape. Participants collected natural materials and then used them to create terracotta sculptures of guardians upon returning to the museum after receiving a tour of the current exhibition: Rosas y Revelaciones. Thank you to Alliison Lash and Chance Ramirez for leading this workshop and to Saya Woolfalk’s team for including the Museum in their project planning. 

Family Day on July 12th – Weaving with Awesome Art! 

Thank you to all participants for joining Mexic-Arte Museum for Family Day on Sunday, July 12th. Artist Allison Lash of Awesome Art! demonstrated techniques for weaving bookmarks and bracelets. Participants also created their own God’s Eyes (or Ojo de Dios) using yarn and sticks, which originate from the Huichol or Wixaria indigenous people. 

Participants were eager to engage with textile art processes after viewing the intricately embroidered and woven clothing in the Rosas y Revelaciones exhibition. They experienced a little bit of what it may be like to create a textile art piece and gained an appreciation for the work of the artists in the exhibition. 

Thank you to Awesome Art! for leading this workshop. Thank you to the volunteers and staff for assisting with the workshop this Sunday.

Admission is free every Sunday thanks to H-E-B & Downtown Austin Alliance

Sign Up for Nuestro Mundo Summer Camp

Date: July 28 to 31

When: Daily, from noon to 4 p.m.

Where: Austin Public Library Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd Austin, TX 78744

Admission: FREE TO PARTICIPATE!

Ages: 9 to 17

In Nuestro Mundo (Our World), youth will focus on building and strengthening our communities through art and education. Led by museum art educators, participants will identify a change they wish to see in the world. Each student will create an infographic poster using silkscreen and linoleum printmaking technology, accessible processes used by artists and activists to quickly reproduce images and information. The purpose of these posters is to communicate to the public the necessity of social change in an area of importance to the participants.

Partnering with the Austin Public Library, the posters created during the camp will be exhibited at the Southeast Austin Public Library to further amplify the reach of each youth’s message. We will close camp with an art show reception on Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Southeast Library. All are welcome to join for refreshments, music, art activities and more!

Mexic-Arte Museum will provide snacks.

For ADA accommodations call 512-974-7400. Free and open to all.

Thank you to Austin Public Health, Austin Public Library and Texas Commission on the Arts for supporting these programs!

Questions about summer programs? Contact Jasmine Chock: Art Education Program Coordinator, 512-480-9373

Sign Up for Nuestro Estilo Summer Camp

Date: August 3 to 7

When: Daily, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Austin Central Library, 6th Floor, 710 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701

Admission: FREE TO PARTICIPATE!

Ages: 11+

Attention youth and parents! Mexic-Arte Museum will host summer camps for printmaking and fashion design in 2026! Are you looking for something interesting to do this summer? Do you want to learn a new skill? Are you interested in art, community and fashion? The Mexic-Arte Museum in partnership with Austin Central Library will offer the camp: Nuestro Estilo/Our Style.

In this camp, participants will learn about indigenous garment and textile-making traditions from Mexico while exploring identity. They will learn techniques of embroidery, natural dyes, sewing, printmaking and more to work in teams to create their own clothing. The camp will conclude with a fashion showcase hosted at Mexic-Arte Museum on August 9th from 2 – 3 pm. This program is free with registration.

Thank you to Austin Public Health Office of Violence Prevention, Texas Commission on the Arts, Austin Public Library for supporting these programs!

Free Summer Tours

Tours for City of Austin Parks and Recreation Groups + Title 1 Schools- FREE Admission 

This summer Mexic-Arte Museum invites City of Austin Parks and Recreation Groups (youth, adult, senior) and Title 1 Austin Schools to visit the Museum for a tour of Rosas y Revalaciones: Homage to la Virgen de Guadalupe. Tours for these groups are free of charge admission thanks to the City of Austin. 

A guided tour of Mexic–Arte Museum exhibitions provides students and adults with a unique cultural experience. Tours are an engaging way to expose all age groups to current exhibitions and a fun opportunity to learn about traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latinx and Chicanx art from the Museum’s knowledgeable docents of art, art history and cultural studies.

Tours this summer will focus on the current Rosas y Revalaciones textile art and garments collection featuring over 65 artists from several regions of Oaxaca and Mexico, Jesse Herrera’s photographs of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Austin and The Origins of Medicine mural by Rafael Navarro Barajas. Through attending a tour, participants will learn about Austin history, methods of making textiles, the role of art making in communities and more. Tours may be tailored to focus on K-12 education or certain aspects of the exhibition, and tours in English and Spanish are available for museum guests.

Please visit https://mexic-artemuseum.org/learn/tours/ to learn more and book a tour this summer. The last day of the Rosas y Revalaciones exhibition is Sunday, August 9, 2026, so be sure to book your tour.

We are able to reimburse transportation costs for tours for these groups on a case by case basis. Please contact us for more information.

Questions about tours? Contact Richard Greene: Art Education Program Coordinator 512-480-9373

Community Events y Más

Follow @mexic_arte_edu on Instagram to hear about community art and cultural events for families in Austin. You may be able to screen print with us at some of them! Make sure to check Mexic-Arte Museum Instagram stories.

Development

Bring Your Business to the Viva la Vida Festival & Parade

Connect with over 2,000 participants and 20,000 spectators as a sponsor. Your business will enjoy all of the promotional perks that come with sponsorship. View our sponsorship packet and contact the development coordinator, Mindy Radike, to explore partnership options. 

Be a Vendor in the Viva la Vida Muertos Mercado

Participate in the Muertos Mercado! Viva la Vida features over 20 Día de los Muertos inspired artists, artisans, vendors and makers! Mexic-Arte Museum is thrilled to invite vendors to take part in the annual Vida la Vida on Saturday, October 24!

Mexic-Arte Museum’s 43rd Annual Viva La Vida Festival and Parade is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event. The festivities begin with a Grand Procession at noon. Festival activities run until 6 p.m.

• All merchandise must be Día de los Muertos themed and artist made.
• Imported goods are not accepted. 

*Acceptance into the Muertos Mercado is contingent upon review by Mexic-Arte. Mexic-Arte Museum reserves the right to make final determination of vendors.

If selected, fees to participate are: 

• $120 – Artisan Vendor
• $200 – Small Food Vendor
• $500 – Food Truck/ Large Scale Food Vendor

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS AUGUST 28, 2026

Participate in the Viva la Vida Parade

Register for Mexic-Arte Museum’s Viva la Vida Parade on October 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.! Viva la Vida is Austin’s largest and longest-standing celebration of the Day of the Dead every year!

Parade participation is free for community members, non-profits and the general public. Corporations and businesses are asked to give a $500 donation that can vary depending on self advertisement, including banners with company names.

*Acceptance into the parade is contingent. Mexic-Arte Museum reserves the right to make the final determination of parade participants. The participants who are accepted into the parade will receive a confirmation email.

If you have any questions please email Amy Anderson at .

Volunteer for the Viva la Vida Festival & Parade– Get a Free T-Shirt!

For 42 years, this event has been made possible with the tremendous help from volunteers just like you! The volunteer team is made up of local organizations, businesses and families. There’s a spot for everyone to get involved. Fill out the form below to sign up for your shift. 

Mexic-Arte Museum Receives Forever Austin Fund Award from Austin Community Foundation

Mexic-Arte Museum is ecstatic to announce that it is the recipient of a $20,000 grant from Austin Community Foundation’s Forever Austin Fund. The museum is one of just 23 organizations to receive support in the Health and Humanities: Arts & Culture category. We are truly grateful to Austin Community Foundation’s generous donors for making this opportunity available. 

The award is a foundational gift for the temporary relocation to the interim museum at the Austin History Center. Rather than suspending programs while the original building on Congress Ave. is rebuilt, the Forever Austin Fund will support costs incurred to maintain and continue programming and ensure a smooth transition for the community. 

Visit Mexic-Arte Museum on Free Sundays!

Thanks to the generous support of H-E-B and the Downtown Austin Alliance, Mexic-Arte Museum is thrilled to offer free admission and public tours every Sunday! 

Tours on Sundays provides a unique opportunity to connect with the rich history and vibrant art of the Mexican, Latinx and Chicanx communities. Join us for guided tours in English at 2 p.m. and in Spanish at 3 p.m., where you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the art on display. This is a great way for visitors of all ages to engage with both traditional and contemporary art forms.

Mexic-Arte Museum Store

Purchase Special Virgen de Guadalupe Products When You Visit Rosas y Revelaciones!

Apply to Sell Your Art in the Mexic-Arte Museum Store!

The Mexic-Arte Museum Store is excited to invite local artists to apply to our Artists in the Store Project to have their work featured in our gift shop! We’re looking for products created by artists in Austin and the surrounding area. Selected artists will have their products purchased at wholesale value and showcased in the museum store, helping us support local artists while sharing their work with our visitors. 

From art prints and jewelry to stickers, apparel, home goods, and more, we’d love to see what you create. We look forward to discovering new artists and celebrating our local art community! 

Past Featured Artists:

• Bieke Campos – @Artbybieke
• Tressa Gonzalez – @smittenkittentx
• Laura Clay – @lauraclayart
• Marlene Macias – @shopmootmagoo
• Nydia Salinas – @clayvalleystudio
• Sofia Villanueva – @mavah_designs
• Lindsay Gabriel – @firedartsbylindsay

Mexic-Arte Museum Store at Calle Espolòn

Last month, the Mexic-Arte Museum Store participated in Calle Espolòn, a celebration of soccer put together by Espolòn Tequila in East Austin. It was a great opportunity to connect with the community and share a selection of unique gifts and artwork.

Thank You Sponsors

A+ Federal Credit Union, Alliance Française d’Austin, Austin Independent School District Creative Classrooms, Austin Lowriding, Austin Saltillo Sister Cities Association, Bettina & Travis Mathis, Bob & Marisa O’Dell, Capital Printing, Chase Bank, Charlotte Hage Dalbey, City of Austin Capital Services, City of Austin Community Youth Development Program, City of Austin Economic Development, City of Austin Parks & Recreation, City of Austin Public Health Department, City of Austin Special Events, Consulate General of Mexico in Austin, Dulce Vida, Ed Jordan, Elizabeth Rogers, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Erwin Cuellar, Fenix Post Tension, Inc., Frost Bank, Gloria Moore, Gloria Reyna, Hendler Flores Law, H-E-B, IBC Bank, IBM, Jennifer Hage Bond, Jennifer & Joseph Gatti, JP’s Peace Love & Happiness Foundation, Juan & Martha Cotera, Juan J. Gutierrez, La Voz, Lola Wright Foundation, Ann McEldowney, Madelline Mathis, Mark Zuniga, Mellon Foundation, Nettie & M.K. Hage Family, Oncor Global, Patricia Hage Hirsh, Paul Saldaña, Peter M. Baez, Pronto Insurance, Robin Suzanne Hage, Rocheli Patisserie, Saldaña Public Relations, Serie Print Project, Silcone Labs, Spurs, Thompson Austin, UFCU