Four Latino Performing Arts Organizations Accorded Residencies at Austin's Mexican-American Cultural Center

The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center in Austin has enlisted four performing arts organizations for residencies, apparently of one year, that involve expanded programing, perhaps at lower venue rental costs. This approach may resemble that instituted by the Long Center last year for other organizations. The program is described in Todo Austin, an on-line magazine:

 

ESB-MACC enhances programing with

Latino Arts Residency
 by Imani Gonzalez

The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) will launch its newest expansion of cultural programming in July, welcoming four local performance arts groups to the Latino Arts Residency Program (LARP).

Selected for residency in the inaugural year of the program are the Austin Latino Theatre Alliance, AZTLAN Dance Company, ProyectoTeatro and Teatro Vivo. The ultimate goal for the organizations is to graduate from the residency with a greater ability to sustain artistic production at the highest professional quality.

Austin's Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) created the program to increase the presence of Latino arts organizations at the site and support the center's mission. According to PARD Division Manager Laura Esparza, "The purpose of the program is celebrate the rich tradition of Latino arts in Austin and invest in their sustainability to assure that generations to come will get to enjoy the finest in Latino arts. We hope that in years to come, Austin will be recognized as a national center for Latino arts."

The Latino Arts Residency Program and the four selected resident Latino arts organizations will be officially welcomed on July 13 from 5-7 p.m. at ESB-MACC. Following the presentation of the resident organizations, the ESB-MACC will host a gallery opening and reception. Each organization's representative will be present and share the mission, vision and goals for their time in residency.

The program was developed in response to concerns expressed in Austin's Hispanic Quality of Life report regarding by the costs associated with presenting cultural productions in the ESB-MACC including rental of the facility. In response to their concerns, the ESB-MACC Advisory Board presented a resolution to the Austin City Council in August 2011. The adopted resolution directed the City Manager and staff to "research and create a Latino Artists Incubator Program at the Center, geared towards developing local small and mid-sized Latino arts organizations."

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view July 2013 issue of Todo Austin magazine