Miembros Newsletter: June 2024

A Message from the Director

Taste of Mexico – Al Aire Libre –
Outdoors at Republic Square – A First!

For more than two decades, Taste of Mexico has featured the best of the culinary arts inspired by Mexican cuisine in Austin. This year’s event on May 22, coordinated by Special Events and Marketing Coordinator, Kaitlyn Zaldana, was one of the best!  Over forty-five different chefs and specialty beverage purveyors participated. This year was extra special! Through a partnership with the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Taste of Mexico took place al aire libre – in open air- at Republic Square. This public park and plaza, an oasis in the middle of downtown that dates to 1839, was the perfect place. It was the place for many celebrations, fiestas and family gatherings for many Mexican and Mexican American people that lived and worked nearby the park from the 1850 to 1928. (See information below.) Taste of Mexico with great food, beverages, and music, dance and fun welcomed guests back to this beautiful and welcoming community gathering place once more.

The crowds indulged in tasty samplings, sipped refreshing drinks, mingled with friends and enjoyed the summer evening. Guests created silk screened prints on mini tote bags, played loteria, gazed upon the Ballet Folklorico de Austin’s movements and colorful dresses, and danced to the rhythms of DJ ulovei. A special thank you goes out to the Downtown Austin Alliance and visionary staff, Raasin McIntosh. who invited Mexic-Arte Museum to produce the event at Republic Square. As VP of Active Urbanism, Raasin leads programming for Republic Square Park and manages productions, partnerships, and ideation for cultural-based placemaking and activations.

Other program participants, Consul General of Mexico Pablo Marentes, Rep. Lulu Flores, Councilmember Zo Qadri, Councilmember Ryan Alter, Councilwoman Alison Alter represented by a staff member, Paul Saldana, President of the Mexic-Arte Museum Board and Board Member Martha Cotera, Tamra Jones, Erwin Cuellar and Peter Baez joined in to congratulate Mexic-Arte Museum on the event. We want to acknowledge and thank the Mexic-Arte team and the Taste of Mexico Committee, led by Erwin Cuellar who without all, this beautiful and well-organized event could not have been possible. Committee members included Kaitlyn Zaldana, Adrienne Brown, Sara Palma, Maia Castillo, Nadia Plascencia, William Rojas, Daniel Brooks, Amanda Baez, Leta Harrison, Vanessa Olsen, Raven Birk, Ashley Rose Marino, Angela Navarro, Tamra Jones, Peter Baez, Raasin McIntosh and Sylvia Orozco. The Mexic-Arte team included Oscar Guerra-Briseño, Isabel Servantez, Luisa Fernandez Perez, Richard Greene, Jasmine Chock, Amy Anderson, Andrea Gandaria, Elsa Perez, Laura Carrisosa, Monica Muñoz, and Elena Marcozzi.

A big thank you to generous sponsors the Downtown Austin Alliance, HEB, Brown Distribution, Siete, Miguel Lara Productions, Frutiva, Arriba Abajo, UFCU, Frost Bank, The Texas Tribune. Thank you so much to all the restaurants, artists, vendors, volunteers and all the attendees who made this event the best ever.

Para beber: ATX Tequila, AUSTIN AGUAS FRESCAS (AUSTIN AF), Austin East Ciders, Bawi Sparkling Agua Fresca & Carabuena Tequila, Cerveza Charro, Dos Cuernos Tequila, Dulce Vida Tequila, Frutiva, Haciendo Coffee Roasters, Hola Aloha, INSOLITO Tequila, Jarritos, Live Oak Brewing Company, Madame Paleta Tequila, Parejo Sotol, Proeza Tequila, Soley Beverage, Surtierra Tequila, Susto Mezcal, Topo Chico Sparkling Water, and Wollof Coffee

Para comer: Bulevar, Chapulin Cantina, Chef Poc Saenz, Churros la Catrina, Comedor, Eldorado Cafe, H-E-B, Jaime’s Spanish Village, La Cantina Truck, La Pera Catering, Licha’s Cantina, Maudie’s Tex Mex, ONETACO, Que Monita Ice Cream, Ross Cake’s Bakes & Sweets, Santa Catarina Restaurant, Siete Family Foods, Simar Seafood & Steak, SRSLY Chocolate, Suculenta Cocina Mexicana, TRU Bar-B-Que, and Veracruz

Art Mercado: Laura Clay, April Garcia, Manny Chapa, Angel Ortega, Faustinus Deraet

Thank you all for supporting the Mexic-Arte Museum and its programs. See the Taste of Mexico by James San Miguel to view all the excitement.

Republic Square’s History

For information about Republic Square’s history visit: https://mexic-artemuseum.org/austinsmexico/1869-austin.html to see Austin’s Mexico: A Forgotten Downtown Neighborhood, online exhibit that showcases the culturally significant Mexican American community in downtown Austin, a project of Mexic-Arte Museum in conjunction with the Austin History Center & Photography Collection.

In the 1870’s, Austin’s early Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans created a vibrant business and cultural community just west of downtown Congress Avenue to the banks of the Shoal Creek. Republic Square Park, then known as Mexican Park, was the cultural heart of the area.

This image is the earliest known photograph of Republic Square Park, seen here across the street from the courthouse building. Covering an entire city block, this park was the site of Austin’s first auction of city lots in 1839. By the 1880s, the park was so popular among Mexicans living nearby that newspapers and Anglos dubbed it “Mexican Park,” though most immigrants called it “Guadalupe Park.” Under its canopy of shady live oaks, neighbors engaged in the traditional activities of Mexican village plazas. Street vendors sold tamales, candy, and sweet breads; families strolled through after Sunday church; and sweethearts courted under the watchful eyes of elders. When Walker’s Chili Factory opened across the street in 1910, workers often ate lunch in the park while watching their children play, prompting many to call it “Chili Park.” Although no permanent structures or sidewalks were built, the park’s location and size made it versatile enough to host concerts and dances, church fundraisers, and most importantly, the annual celebration of Mexico’s independence. [See photo # “Diez y Seis de Septiembre (September 16th) Mexican Independence Day Celebrations.”]

Executive Director

Sylvia Orozco

Exhibitions

Mexic-Arte Museum Presents:
Creating Encuentros: Changarrito 2012-2024

April 12, 2024 – August 25, 2024

If you find yourself walking through the streets of Mexico, you will inevitably encounter a changarrito, a food cart, or a locally run shop. Changarritos, enticing with the smell of antojitos and the persistent beckoning of vendors, are difficult to ignore. These carts exist freely, usually outside of the controls, supervision, or instruction of formal institutions. More than just a business, changarritos are an integral part of Mexican culture, communities, and families. 

In 2005, artist Máximo González initiated a Changarrito cart as a possible platform for artists to present their art to the people without having to be accepted by traditional art spaces or official curatorship, blurring the boundaries between established galleries and tianguis (informal street markets). Changarritos offer opportunities to artists and those interested in purchasing art, either to collect, use, or give away to a loved one. More so, the program creates the possibility to develop art as an encuentro, a profoundly personal and collective moment of connection between the artists and the public.

Since its inception in Mexico City, the Changarrito has made appearances in twenty-two cities, brought to Austin by Leslie Moody Castro and becoming active at the Mexic-Arte Museum in 2012. Since the program’s implementation, dozens of artists have used it to display their art and interact with the public on 5th Street and Congress Avenue. In 2020, with the rise of COVID-19, the Changarrito residency introduced a digital component called changarreando. Now, more people than ever are able to learn about and engage with the monthly Changarrito resident artists thanks to the Changarrito art cart residency, which has resumed its in-person component while continuing with its digital feature.

The artworks in this exhibition are part of Mexic-Arte’s permanent collection, acquired during the residencies of Changarrito artists from 2012 to 2024. This year, Mexic-Arte celebrates the history and legacy of this program through the artwork of over a hundred artists, many from Texas. Accompanying the display of artworks, Mexic-Arte has commissioned a sound piece by Lisa Salidvar (Mexico City), an interactive artwork by Gil Rocha (Laredo, Texas), a hand-painted exhibition sign by Alán Serna (San Antonio, Texas), and a mural by Stephen Longoria, (San Diego, California), titled Tejas Forever. Additionally, Mexic-Arte will host a variety of encuentros taking place during the span of the exhibition, which will include Family Days, Media Mixers, a panel discussion, and pop-up art sales in the Mexic-Arte store.

Through the Changarrito residency, Mexic-Arte has cultivated a platform for artists to share their artwork and foster community. We invite you to reflect on the history of Changarrito at Mexic-Arte and engage with artists, staff, and the larger community to create your own encuentros.

Learn more about the artists and program here!

Creating Encuentros by Alán Serna

Mexic-Arte Museum commissioned Creating Encuentros from Alán Serna as part of the exhibition, Creating Encuentros: Changarrito: 2012-2024.

Hand-painted signs for shops and changarritos are a common sight throughout Mexico. These signs include bright colors in expressive typefaces announcing the items being sold by their store owners and changarrito vendors. In line with this creative tradition Mexic-Arte has commissioned an original hand painted marquee for Creating Encuentros: Changarrito 2012-2024 by former Changarrito artist Alán Serna.

June 2024 Changarrito Artist Crisa Valadez!

About the Artist

Crisa Valadez is an artist, writer, and curator based in San Antonio, TX. She currently works for the City of San Antonio Arts & Culture Department and is extremely passionate about art and nonprofit work, having worked and volunteered with several local organizations such as the Texas Public Radio, the McNay Art Museum, Centro San Antonio, Gemini Ink, and more from a young age. She is best known for her curatorial work as the co-founder and former co-director of MOTHERLING, a women-run DIY gallery collective dedicated to highlighting underrepresented and up-and-coming artists. She previously attended Pratt Institute for Creative Writing and is currently a student at Our Lady of the Lake University, completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts & New Media. Sacred Spaces was an exhibition originally conceived for her 2021 Exhibition Seminar.

Artist’s Statement

“My work is often abstract and moody. I tend to shoot in black and white and prefer this over color. I seek to explore the landscapes of intimacy and isolation through photography. Inspired by the mysticism and minimalism of the desert as well as black and white Dadaist photography practices, I try to unite the two by focusing on subject matter that depicts actual landscapes as well as the metaphorical landscapes formed by the bodies of the people closest to me. The resulting work incorporates my own views of intimacy and vulnerability within deeper personal rituals. I create work that seeks to both literally and figuratively map out the journeys we take in times of deep introspection.” Come see Crisa Valadez and support her when she is at the museum June 22nd, 23rd, 29th, and 30th. She will be interviewed by Isabel Servantez, the Curator of Exhibitions and Director of Programs on Instagram Live on Thursday, June 27th at 5:00pm.

You can see Crisa’s artwork here.

May 2024 Changarrito Artist Pico del Hierro-Villa!

The Changarrito artist for May 2024, Pico del Hierro-Villa, presented their work on the Changarrito cart at Mexic-Arte Museum on May 26th and 27th. You can see their conversation with Mexic-Arte Curator Isabel Servantez on Instagram here.

About the Artist

Pico del Hierro-Villa is a Queer Fronterizx who received their master’s at the University of New Mexico in Chican@/x Studies. Being raised in El Paso, later moving to Albuquerque, NM, they found the beauty of storytelling among Queer elders and those who never had the opportunity to publicly present their stories. The mode of their art and research is based on gathering testimonios and photographing Queer and Trans Latinx folks which captures a multitude of LGBTQ+ experiences, a method they call fotografímonios. The purpose of their work is to not only honor the Q/T Latinx identity but to uplift Queer and Trans political struggles and provide positive narratives that counter act against negative perceptions of Queer and Trans communities.

You can see Pico’s artwork here.

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 and Changarreando are dedicated to the presentation and promotion of contemporary Latinx and Latin American art.

Collections

Changarrito Artist Features April Garcia and Mauro de la Tierra

As the current exhibition Creating Encuentros: Changarrito 2012-2024 is on display, Mexic-Arte Museum highlights a few of the featured artists. These artists were part of the Changarrito Project, in which Mexic-Arte picks an artist each month to create a platform for their art and sell their work on the selected weekends at the museum from our “changarrito,” or little cart.

April Garcia was the Changarrito artist for January 2014. She was born in San Benito,TX, and now an Austin based artist who loves to create soft sculpture art. Using fabric, fiber-fill, needle, and thread, she sews her fabric pieces by hand or with a machine. She sews colorful fabric shapes, attaching one to another until the bulging pieces are balanced with color and pattern. April enjoys allowing her sculptures to grow organically when she is creating. She allows her soft sculptures to morph into what they want to be. Her biomorphic soft sculpture work has an organic abstract look that resembles shapes found in nature or even something that might grow on another planet. She has been creating and exhibiting her art in Austin for twenty years and has several sculpture art pieces in the Permanent Collection of Mexic-Arte Museum.

April Garcia will lead a soft sculpture workshop at Mexic-Arte on Sunday, July 14th from 1-4pm. Free admission and all ages welcome!

Mauro de la Tierra was the Changarrito artist for January 2023. He is a first generation Mexican American from San Antonio; a self-taught painter, sculptor, and illustrator. What began with street art transitioned into canvas and beyond. With support from his community, and his mentor, Albert Gonzales, he has been self-employed as a full time artist since October 2017. Mauro considers himself community made and is community-driven. His work focuses on socio-economic challenges and generational struggles such as the prison industrial complex, poverty, addiction, and the deterioration of the earth. His work captures a side of life that is often vilified and ignored while also making a statement of love for humanity. With the use of spray paint, acrylic, and oil paints, Mauro creates heavy textures on canvas in a modern and raw style of whimsical, surreal, abstract expressionism. In the same year that de la Tierra launched himself into art full time, he began leading and collaborating with The Black Sheep Collective, a group of DIY misfit artist extraordinaires. Together they have put on six pop-up gallery exhibitions and performances. His work thus far has been shown in various zines such as High Noon and galleries which have included Kspace gallery, Clamplight Gallery, Presa House gallery.

Come see Garcia’s and de la Tierra’s work, along with over a hundred other artists, in our current exhibition, Creating Encuentros: Changarrito 2012-2024, from now to August 25, 2024!