From the Director

Excitement Fills Mexic-Arte Museum at the Architect Meet & Greet Reception

We thank everyone for coming to the Mexic-Arte Museum’s Meet and Greet Reception for Architects, Exigo, El Paso, and Cotera + Reed. The reception was a total success, with over ninety attendees! It was a wonderful and joyous occasion – celebrating one of our most significant accomplishments and milestones! Excitement, laughter, and anticipation filled the galleries.

At the reception, we welcomed our guests, followed by introductions of the dignitaries and City of Austin Officials, recognition of the Board of Directors, the Museum Team, and artists in the current exhibition, Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Mas en Austen, Tejas. We introduced the Architects from Exigo and Cotera + Reed; Eugenio Mesta, Paulina Lagos, and Juan Cotera spoke about the building project. We are excited to work with such talented professionals!

We acknowledged and thanked the City of Austin for supporting the building project through the 2018 Bond Funds. Everyone is excited about the building project as we now wait for the plans and design to be presented in September.

My comments included, “Today marks a monumental achievement. We are on our path to having a first-class museum building to present programs for today and preserve history for the future. Mexic-Arte Museum is located on the 5th St. Mexican American Heritage Corridor. Our history has always been here, and we will always be here. All of you here tonight have contributed, supported, and participated in getting us to where we are today. Today – the Museum thanks you. This is a glorious achievement. Only a handful of institutions like the Mexic-Arte Museum exist in the country; this is possible because we have made this a reality. A dream is a dream of one person, just like when one dreams at night… making a dream a reality – only comes with a community working together. You have helped to bring Mexic-Arte to where we are tonight. We sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And now, we invite you to join us on the final lap to finalize the dream of building a first-class museum for the community. Thank you!”

Guests included Exigo Architects, El Paso – Eugenio Pacelli Mesta, Paulina Lagos; Cotera + Reed Architects – Juan and Martha Cotera, Phil Reed; Cónsul General Pablo Marentes and Patricia Lerdo de Tejada, and members from the Arte y Cultura Group; City of Austin officials, Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales, Sergio Altamirano, Janice White from City of Austin Public Works; Martin Barrera from City of Austin Economic Development Department; Rosa Martinez Suazo from Austin Public Health; Mexic-Arte Museum Board Members, Nick Barreiro and Canan Kaba, Tara Cunningham, Tamra Jones, Elizabeth Rogers, Rosa Santis, and Kim Vincent; Stuart Hersh, Building Committee Chair; Mexic-Arte Museum Staff, Andrea Gandaria, Diana Garcia, Oscar Guerra, Jose Martinez, Sara Palma, Elsa Perez, Luisa Fernanda Perez, Isabel Servantez; participant artists in the Chicano/a Art Exhibit, Raul and Alma Valdez, Mery Godigna and Luis Gutierrez, Modesta Trevino, Alan Pogue and collectors Cynthia Perez and Dr. Gil Cardenas; past Board Members, artists, Museum members and community members.

Guests enjoyed beverages, delicious appetizers by Curra’s Grill, and music by Chulita Vinyl Club, Xochi Solis. 

EXIGO Architecture is a woman-owned architectural firm with a strong reputation for design excellence and professional integrity. Exigo’s partners have over 35 years of experience and a passion for innovative architecture, which has earned them valuable opportunities to produce high-profile projects such as the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) and “La Nube” Children’s Museum and Science Center in El Paso, Texas. Exigo’s team of 16 bilingual and bicultural professionals has extensive experience designing and completing complex projects involving strong client and community outreach efforts. The cohesive team of professionals is proud of the opportunity to provide the Mexic-Arte Museum in conjunction with the City of Austin. This iconic facility will embody its essential mission of enriching the community through educational programs and exhibits. The new Mexic-Arte Museum facility will be suitable for collecting, preserving, and interpreting Mexican, Chicano, Latinx, and Latin American art and culture.

Cotera+Reed Architects is an award-winning architectural practice based in Austin, Texas, beginning in 2003 by Juan Cotera and Phillip Reed. Each was previously a principal in an extensive partnership in Austin and has a long history of work in Texas and beyond. The firm has traditionally focused its interest on the public sector but has broad experience with private projects. Concern for the built and unbuilt environments, social consciousness, and resource stewardship direct it architecturally. Because we believe in the place-making value of sustainable cities, most of the firm’s recent projects have been in urban centers.

Cotera+Reed has contributed to cultural, educational, and infrastructure projects that have shaped our city, including Plaza Saltillo, Austin City Hall, Mueller Water Tower, I-35 6th Street Underpass Lighting – stitching the city separated in 1960, the new DCP3 project in the Seaholm EcoDistrict, and many schools. The firm is proud to have been recognized with the AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award in 2014.

Welcome to New Mexic-Arte Museum Board Members!

Mexic-Arte Museum is pleased to welcome and announce that Martha P. Cotera, Erwin Cuellar, Paul Saldana, and Mark Zuniga have joined the Board of Directors.  We thank these outstanding individuals for selecting the Museum as the institution to work with in order to build and strengthen our community.

Martha P. Cotera is nationally recognized as a feminist historian and independent scholar, business owner, publisher, as well as archivist/consultant at The University of Texas at Austin’s noted Benson Latin American Collection. She is the author of the ground-breaking feminist texts Diosa y Hembra: History and Heritage of Chicanas in the US, The Chicana Feminist, and Multicultural Women’s Sourcebook. Her writings include over 100 essays and articles on archives, history, and civil rights issues, including principal chapters in two forthcoming books (UT Press and Universidad de la Frontera). Cotera previously served as publisher of the Austin Hispanic Directory.            

Erwin Cuellar is a native Austinite focused on giving back to his community. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010, majoring in Finance. His background includes working in the investment management industry, owning a bus business, and now leading the finances at his family’s manufacturing business. In 2019, Cuellar served on the Young Hispanic Professional Association of Austin board, helping lead their annual gala fundraiser. He is currently on the boards of Chariot and Todos Juntos Learning Center. 

In his spare time, he enjoys frequenting local coffee shops and walking around Town Lake. Erwin hopes to bring a new perspective while learning from everyone else!   

Paul Saldaña was born and raised in Austin, Texas; Mr. Saldaña has spent nearly 30 years in local government relations, public policy, public relations, political consulting, and grassroots, multicultural communications. He served as the Chief of Staff for the first elected Hispanic Mayor of Austin, Gus Garcia. 

Saldaña currently serves as a President and Principal of Saldaña Public Relations – a strategic consultant, advisor, and contributor on quality-of-life issues, including public education, voting, economics, healthcare, redevelopment, gentrification, affordable housing, equity, social justice, MBE/WBE/HUB/DBE, and grassroots multicultural community engagement for governmental entities, clients and the media. Furthermore, he is the co-founder of Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders of Austin (HABLA), a local Hispanic Think Tank group committed to developing sustainable solutions to public policy and local quality of life issues. In addition, he serves as a political consultant and contributor to local, state, and national campaigns.                                                                 

Mr. Saldaña is a firm believer in giving back to the community through volunteer work; he serves on various boards and civic and community organizations and is actively involved in social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion initiatives, and public policy issues that enhance and impact the quality of life for Latinos and all Austinites.          

Mark Zuniga is an attorney certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Child Welfare Law. Currently, he is the managing attorney for the Travis County Office of Parental Representation, where he represents parents who have been sued by child protective services. Before that, Zuniga was an appellate attorney for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. In addition, Zuniga previously served as assistant district attorney in Hays County. He is married with two children and one grandchild.  

We also want to welcome the new Board of Directors Interim Officers – Paul Saldana, Interim President of the Board; Kim Wilson Vincent, Interim Vice President, Membership; Martha Cotera, Interim Treasurer; Tara Cunningham, Member at Large, Place 1; and Emmanuel Loo, Member at Large, Place 2. 

Officers will serve until September when annual elections will take place.

Thank you all for your support of the Mexic-Arte Museum! 

Jose Francisco Treviño – A Tribute

Our community mourns the passing of José Francisco Treviño Sunday, June 26, 2022, at the age of 81, surrounded by family and friends. Treviño was our friend, colleague, and compadre in the development of Chicano/a Latinx art and culture in Central Texas. We will miss him greatly.

Just a few weeks ago, Treviño visited Mexic-Arte to view the current exhibition, Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Mas en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s. During his visit, Treviño was happy to see his work displayed among his lifetime friends and co-artists. His artwork, Uno de los Quemados, is the central showcased artwork in the exhibition. Said artwork defines and expresses the turbulent times and sentiments of the community. While observing his artwork, other museum attendees in the gallery noticed him, approached him, commented on his work, and took photos with the artist. 

In 1999, Mexic-Arte Museum presented Jose Francisco Trevino – Raices Sin Fronteras – A Retrospective of his life works over forty years. The following are excerpts from the catalog. 

“As an artist, José Treviño has played a major role in the development of Chicanx art in Austin and Texas. The artist writes, “As a practicing artist for forty years, I have witnessed the major contributions that Latinx and African American artists have made in this community. I am proud and grateful to have been one of the ‘Raza’ founders of this creative force.’ I feel that we, as people of color, have bridged some gaps and begun to express our rich and diversified cultures.”

Jose Treviño grew up and studied in Austin. For several years he taught art at Austin Community College, where he also painted a mural. In 1979, his artwork (Uno de los Quemados) was used in a poster to promote the Conferencia Plastica Chicana at The University of Texas at Austin. The artist had his first solo exhibit at Galeria Tonantzin, Centro Cultural de LuChA, a Chicano art gallery in Austin.  

Treviño’s work exemplifies the experience of the people living a dual cultural existence: Mexican and U.S. American, Chicano and Mexicano – life on the border where for many, there is no frontera. His work addresses past, present, and future struggles. In his work, searching, learning, and teaching are expressed through beautiful colors and ideas reflecting his spirit while grounded in his Chicano-Mexicano roots, dissolving all borders and speaking to all of us about our humanity.

Treviño’s contributions to the art world continued over the next twenty years until today. The world is at a significant loss. We offer our respect and admiration for Treviño as an artist and human. 

Today his art remains and continues to speak the wisdom of José Treviño.

Quotes in the catalogue from other artists for Jose Francisco Trevino, Raices Sin Fronteras, A Retrospective, October 29, 1999 to January 15, 2000 at Mexic-Arte Museum 

“Jose Trevino has been a source of inspiration to me since I met him in 1973.  …. Jose has captured the mystical side of our Chicano world.  From his colorful paintings to his masterful woodcuts, Jose interprets a unique world around him…. It draws from the indigenous roots of our culture, which speak to me without the use of words.  ….The message I hear is his love for our art and our culture.”  – Sam Coronado, Artist

“When one catches glimpses of eternity, of reality, there is a terrific excitement both frightening and ecstatic.  In the hands of Jose Francisco Trevino, these bursts of energy become images that are at once commonplace and infinite.  Este artists is one who is willing to see life, all of it – the beautiful and the painful – without judgement of conclusion, but instead, realization.” – Luis Guerra, Artist

“The spirit of Treviño’s artwork does not pertain to the individual, but consequently to the community and its sacred traditions, a continuum. The indigenous concept that humanity occupies the land for a short period on borrowed time attests to the wide experience of artistic expression that José Treviño has manifested, as if in a quest to fulfill his earthly task of expounding and redefining his talent to its utmost.” – Santa Barraza, Artist

In the seventies, I saw one of Jose’s drawings on the cover of Caracol….  Years later I met Jose and saw this drawing in a whole new light – as a self-portrait.  It was an indio marching toward his future, in search of himself, his expression and his craft.  His stride has not wavered, and with the same passion he continues to move ahead, consuming and interpreting the world around him.  His draftsmanship, sense of color, composition and above all else, his humanism, have always been an inspiration.–Luis Gutierrez, Artist

Executive Director

Sylvia Orozco

Exhibits

Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s Exhibit Extended & Now Enjoy Online

The exhibition Chicano/a Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s has garnered wide support and critical success. Artwork, stories, and the history of the Chicano/a Art movement and the Chicano movement in Austin from the 1960s to the 1980s have been captured in this exhibition. With photographs, video, books, newspapers, and original art on display Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas, 1960s to 1980s presents stories and art of a turbulent social and creative era in Austin that has long been overlooked by historians and by the art historians. 

With the great success and reception to this exhibition, Mexic-Arte Museum is pleased to announce that Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s will have its exhibition date extended to August 21, 2022. 

Along with the announcement of Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s having an extend exhibition schedule, Mexic-Arte Museum is excited to present the Culture Connect online aspect of this exhibition. Culture Connect will open the exhibition up to the internet, where viewers will be able to access images of all of the artworks in the exhibition, along with contextual information about artists in the exhibition, notable groups of the era, history of the Chicano movement in Austin and Chicano/a art. 

Another component  of Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s is the upcoming Humanities Lectures series, Art Talks. These (10) lectures will focus on different themes, artists, and aspects that relate to Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s. The first lecture is set to take place on Facebook live at 12PM CST by Chicana studies specialist Dr. Cynthia Orozco. Dr. Cynthia E. Orozco is an award-winning best-selling author, public historian, and educator. Teaching first at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque she joined Eastern New Mexico University in Ruidoso where she recently received the ENMU-Ruidoso President’s Award for Teaching and Service. She is the co-editor of Mexican Americans in Texas History, an associate editor of Latinas in the United States: An Historical Encyclopedia, and served as Research Associate at the Texas State Historical Association where she wrote 80 articles on Texas history for the New Handbook of Texas.

Keep up with Mexic-Arte Museum’s social media on Facebook and Instagram to find out more about this exciting and enlightening program. 

VOCES Artísticas Chicano/as Project Recorded at The University of Texas

In conjunction with Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS) Mexic-Arte Museum hosted the VOCES Artistas Chicanos Oral Histories on June 25^th and June 26^th as part of the exhibition, Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s. These (11) oral histories of artists included in Chicano/a Art Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s will be stored at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Studies Collection.

These oral histories are vital in capturing and presenting the stories of Chicano and Chicana artists working in Austin from the 1960s to the 1980s. These artists shared stories of overcoming adversity, often coming from meager backgrounds with parents with little education, eventually succeeding as artists and activists.  

These stories capture the Chicano movement and Chicano art movement in Austin, a chapter of Chicano history that has largely been overlooked by historians and art historians. These oral histories will soon be available on Mexic-Arte Museum’s website and through CMAS’s website. Listen to them to hear first-hand accounts of the Chicano movement and how Austin artists contributed to the turbulent social and artistic era of 1960s to the 1980s.

The artists interviewed were Mary Ann Ambray, Nora Gonzalez Dodson, Carolina Flores, Mary Jane Garza, Luis Guerra, Luis Gutierrez, Sylvia Orozco, Janis Palma, Alan Pogue, Vicente Rodriguez, and Raul Valdez. These artists were interviewed by Maia Castillo, José Martinez, Irma Orozco, Sylvia Orozco, Elsa Perez, Jill Ramirez, and Isabel Servantez.  Mexic-Arte Museum would like to thank and acknowledge Dr. Maggie Rivas and her team from the Voces and the Center of Mexican American Studies who did an outstanding job in recording the artists and their contributions to our community.

Selections from the Permanent Collection

Hearts by Sam Coronado Now Part of the Collection

Sam Coronado was originally from Ennis, Texas, and began working as a graphic artist in the ’60s. He received his BFA from the University of Texas at Austin, where he co-founded the Chicano Art Students Association. In 1994, Coronado co-founded Mexic-Arte Museum, and in 1986, began teaching at Austin Community College where he served as a professor in the Graphic Arts Department. Coronado founded the Serie Project in 1993, an Austin-based artist in residence program dedicated to the fine art of serigraphy. Coronado’s commitment to empowering Latinx artists emerged from his involvement with Chicano Civil Rights Movement.

Sam Coronado is well known for his work for the Serie Project, a project dedicated to supporting artists in the production of serigraphs, that began in the 1990s. What is lesser known is that Coronado was, himself, a dedicated and skilled artist. These paintings of his friends and self from the late 1970s and 1980s show his technical prowess as a painter. An important aspect to remember when looking at many Chicano and Chicana artists of 1960 to the 1980s is that this was a period of maturation, where they were exploring creatively and conceptually what they would later blossom into as arts organization professionals or as artists.