07/26/2023
Congrats to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center 2023 Awards of Excellence Recipients! En ahora buena! We celebrate you! Learn more about this year’s honorees!
The ESB-MACC is honored to announce our Awards of Excellence winners for 2023.
These awards, which were established by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board in 2009, recognize those individuals in Austin that have demonstrated significant leadership and have made meaningful contributions in the Latino cultural arts.
The public will be able to watch the ceremony in a livestream, and comment along! The livestream will start at 4:00pm on Saturday, July 29th and will be streamed through the ESB MACC Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. The digital recording of this awards ceremony will be available to watch anytime afterward as well.
Thank you to those who sent in nominations, and to our winners, thank you for your service to the ESB-MACC and the Mexican American/ Latino/a/x/e Community.
We look forward to honoring the 2023 winners at this year’s Awards of Excellence!
2023 AWARDEES:
JACQUELINE OLIVIER, EMERGING ARTIST
SERENA TIJERINA, EMERGING ARTIST
RAUL GARZA, THE ARTS
ROJ RODRIGUEZ, THE ARTS
BERTHA DELGADO RENDON, SERVICE
MONICA ARAOZ, ARTS EDUCATOR
ZITA V. VÁZQUEZ, ARTS EDUCATOR
PAUL SALDAÑA, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
DR. ROÉN SALINAS, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
YOLANDA SANCHEZ, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
FARAH RIVERA, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (POSTHUMOUS)
HENRY GONZALEZ, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (POSTHUMOUS)
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CATEGORIES:
Emerging Artist: Those who have shown innovative and exceptional accomplishments in the Latinx cultural arts. For artists who are starting their career, or those who are mid-career, showing much future promise.
The Arts: Those working in any medium including visual arts, dance, music, theater, radio, TV, film, performing arts, and history.
Service: Those who have exhibited outstanding service as a volunteer and/or employee in the Latinx Cultural Arts
Arts Educator: Those who educate our community about Latinx cultural arts.
Lifetime Achievement: Those who have demonstrated a lifetime of passion and dedication to the Latinx cultural arts.
2023 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS:
2023 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS
JACQUELINE OLIVIER - EMERGING ARTIST
Jacqueline Olivier is an Austin high school student who was one of 21 students selected for the Visual Arts program at McCallum Fine Arts Academy. She will be working on completing her Fine Arts Requirements for the Academy while at McCallum and will be working towards her Career and Technical Education (CTE) Endorsement in Graphic Design. This summer she will be attending GeoForce with UT Austin and traveling to Oregon to learn about geosciences and field related jobs. She made state in the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) art pieces this year, and also received recognition for her sculpture piece called "Breaking Through”. Recently, she was inducted into the Art National Honor Society. She plans on working meticulously on her art portfolio in hopes of getting scholarships for college.
SERENA TIJERINA - EMERGING ARTIST
Serena is an Austin-based artist who is in the collective Arte Tejas with many other graffiti and graphic artists in the East Austin community. She does incredibly detailed painting, drawing, and graphic design on modern media that includes a pair of painted shoes that she custom painted for the La Lucha Sigue exhibit at the MACC in 2019. Serena has recently been involved in group mural projects such as the restoration of La Loteria Mural on East Cesar Chavez, the Arte Texas Rosewood Pillars project in 2021 and the Vanessa Guillan & Breana Taylor Mural in 2020.
RAUL GARZA – THE ARTS
Raul Garza is an Austin-based playwright who has drawn acclaim for telling stories that resound with authenticity and sense of place. He boldly explores the intersection of popular culture and cultural identity, and incorporates music, spirituality, and the power of nostalgia into works that span time and location. His full-length play Fantasmaville received the National Latino Playwriting Award. His short play MyHEB garnered FronteraFest 2015 Best of Fest accolades. Raul’s full-length plays include Cura, Sinners in the Garden, Confessions of a Mexpatriate, There and Back, Arbolito, and El, which received its world premiere at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. When not writing, Raul vibes on kundalini yoga, devours pop culture, and serves as creative director of TKO Advertising.
ROJ RODRIGUEZ – THE ARTS
Roj Rodriguez is an Austin-based photographer. His first book, Mi Sangre, is a visual ballad to the land of his parents and to Mexicanidad as it is expressed on both sides of the U.S. / México border. Raised, educated, and trained in Houston, Roj later moved to New York City where he would live, love, and work for almost two decades, first as an assistant photographer and later as an artist and commercial photographer, giving him the opportunity to travel the world, meeting people from different cultures. This awoke in him a desire to deepen the connections to his own cultural roots. Work from Mi Sangre has been acquired into the permanent collection of 6 fine art institutions including the The Museum of Fine Arts of Houston, and The San Antonio Museum.
BERTHA RENDON DELGADO - SERVICE
Bertha Rendon Delgado is fourth generation born in Austin in her family, who are a family with strong ties to East Austin. She founded Arte Texas, an organization’s that connects veteran artists with emerging talent and promotes local artists, giving back to the Austin community with public art. Arte Texas spotlights the true beauty and community of East Austin’s murals. Bertha curated two exhibits at the MACC. La Lucha Sigue was inspired by native East Austin artists and activist heroes such as Cesar Chavez who have fought the lucha through battles in the community including gentrification of East Austin. Arte Texas especially honors the elder leaders in the community who fought hard for equality and justice. Part of Arte Texas's mission includes restoring murals in East Austin and promoting public of street art thats reflect the heart and soul of East Austin, a historical community where our Indigenous people are rooted; those who identify as Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano/a, and Latino/a.
MONICA ARAOZ- ARTS EDUCATOR
Monica Araoz is the founder and president of ART PLUS Academy. By nurturing drawing and painting skills, ART PlLUS Academy provides a platform for individuals of all ages to explore profound and creative self-expression. Monica takes great pride in fostering a community of passionate art educators who, like her, believe in the vital importance of cultivating drawing and painting as essential skills. With numerous students staying for years and pursuing visual arts degrees, the 14th anniversary of ART PLUS Academy in 2023 is a testament to Monica's enduring commitment to providing artists and art educators with a valuable outlet for their talents.
ZITA V. VÁZQUEZ – ARTS EDUCATOR
Zita founded Danza Azteca de Cristo Rey with the hopes of sharing her love and passion for drumming and Danza Azteca with others. Over the past seven years, she has taught danzantes of all ages, from toddlers to seniors. Under her leadership, the group has collaborated with local schools, universities, and the City of Austin to showcase our pre-Hispanic traditions to members of the Austin community. They remain particularly busy every December during the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, performing at various churches in the area. The Danza Azteca has also participated with organizations supporting Latino interests, including Southwest Key Programs and Jolt Texas. Zita hopes to continue her work recruiting and educating new danzantes for years to come.
PAUL SALDAÑA- LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Paul Saldaña is a native Austinite and has spent nearly 30 years in local government affairs, public policy, public relations, multicultural communications, and community engagement. He is the Principal and President of Saldaña Public Relations and a firm believer in giving back to the community as an advocate through volunteer work, service on various boards, organizations, initiatives and being actively involved on issues that enhance and impact the quality of life for all Austinites. Paul served as the Chief of Staff for Austin’s only Latino Mayor Gus Garcia, is a former Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Austin ISD, and a co-founder of Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders of Austin (HABLA). Paul currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Mexic-Arte Museum, Vice President of the RBJ Senior Housing Center Board, and a Board of Director of the Austin Monitor.
DR. ROÉN SALINAS – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Roén Salinas is the Artistic Director and 2nd generation culture-keeper of the AZTLAN Dance Company, an arts organization founded in 1974 during Austin’s Chicano Arts Renaissance. His UT Austin doctoral research centers contemporary expressive Xicano/Latino dance form as critical Xicana/o cultural production. Salinas’ creative and artistic work has been nationally recognized for his signature repertorio that fuses tradition and modernity into unique choreographic performance formations that chronicle barrio life, story, and collective cultural imaginaries. The AZTLAN Dance company led by Roén Salinas has presented on performance stages throughout the US Southwest, at international festivals in England, Scotland, Hong Kong, China, and Mexico, reflecting Austin’s vibrant Mexican-American culture and community. Dr. Salinas is currently developing the AZTLAN legacy program for next year’s exciting 50th Anniversary of the AZTLAN Dance Company.
YOLANDA SANCHEZ – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Yolanda Sanchez, born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has been a cherished member of the Round Rock community for over 44 years. As the Founder and Artistic Director of the Round Rock Ballet Folklórico (R-R-B-F), she has passionately dedicated her life to preserving and promoting authentic Mexican folklore. Yolanda's leadership has led the RRBF to receive recognition and numerous awards in national competitions, showcasing their talent and commitment. In addition to her work with the RRBF, Yolanda has spearheaded remarkable community events such as the annual Mother's Day Event, the Día de los Mu***os Event, and the Cultural Fest, fostering cultural awareness and creating opportunities for shared experiences and celebrations. Her impact goes beyond dance, empowering youth and nurturing cultural pride. Yolanda's unwavering dedication and passion have earned her prestigious accolades, including the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. Her legacy will continue to inspire future generations, uniting communities and preserving cultural traditions through the captivating art of dance.
HENRY GONZALEZ – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (POSTHUMOUS)
Henry Gonzalez was born August 6, 1950, in Brownsville, Texas to a large and loving Latino family. He died on February 29, 2016 after an intense 16 month battle against cancer. Growing up in Brownsville and Corpus Christi, Henry got to Austin as quick as he could in 1972. Although he attended several of Texas’ finest state schools he left academia to become an integral part of the Austin music scene, working at The Armadillo World Headquarters, the Austin Opera House and later touring and working for several national and local bands, including Greg Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Asleep at the Wheel and Beto Y Los Fairlanes. He was an artist, stage hand, stage manager and mentor to the next generation. He recognized early on the importance of Austin’s music culture and in 2004 Henry was part of the founding group of the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, where that unique culture is celebrated, and spent the rest of his life as the driving force of that organization.
FARAH RIVERA – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (POSTHUMOUS)
Farah Rivera was a truly inspiring community leader. She advocated for the disabled with passion, rigor, and grace. Regardless of several illnesses, she would spend countless hours in service of her friends, her community at the Rebekah Baines Johnson Senior and Disabled Center (RBJ), her fellow Festival Beach garden leaders, and those disenfranchised by our society's systems. Farah was active in numerous community boards, making indelible impacts in the name of care, vibrancy, and beauty. Ten years ago, in 2013, Farah founded the Serafina Food Pantry to provide access to healthy food and daily necessities for her low-income senior community and surrounding neighbors. Serafina was her grandmother's name, it means “hands of light”. Farah could often be found handing bundles of food and supplies to people who had nowhere else to go for support, some would travel great distances. She also played an essential role in the creation, leadership, and accessibility of the Festival Beach Community Garden and Food Forest. These spaces have provided joy, beauty, and vitality to our communities, our pollinators, our habitats, and ecosystems for many years, and will continue to do so for many more. Her mission was always to make nourishment and vibrancy available to all. Farah was a well-known photojournalist and professor in her native Puerto Rico and there are plans to print and archive her extensive library of pictures. Farah Rivera-Ortiz passed away on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at the age of 59.
https://www.austintexas.gov/MaccAwards
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