LA MUJER 2022: A Celebration of Womxn
Saturday, May 14th, 1PM - 7PM
**FREE FOR ALL AGES!**
In its 11th year, this festival was originally inspired by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, who is considered the first feminist of the Americas. In 2022, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center will highlight the accomplishments of mujeres, of womxn, who inspire us!
La Mujer is a multidisciplinary festival that will feature a stellar lineup of musicians, poets, visual artists, and womxn business owners participating in community building, networking, education, and entertainment. The event features a Womxn of Color artisan mercado curated by Frida Friday ATX. Food trucks and parking will be accessible on-site and there will be a shuttle service from Sanchez Elementary to the MACC for ease of parking.
The festival kicks off with panel discussions on Latinx activism and leadership in the arts that can delve into conversations about Indigeneity, Personal/Professional Development, Equal Pay, Reproductive Rights, and Gender Equality. How can artists imagine a different world where these issues are addressed? Together let’s imagine the future of Women in Texas!
(RSVPS are solely for updates and reminders, no purchase necessary)
THIS YEAR'S MC...
STEPHANIE BERGARA
Stephanie Bergara is a native Austinite and lead singer of Austin Music Award winning Selena Tribute Bidi Bidi Banda. She and The Band have taken their high energy show to some of the most renowned performance spaces in the United States including The Las Vegas Strip, Nashville’s famed Broadway Place, The Pilsen Neighborhood in Chicago, Bourbon Street in New Orleans and Austin’s South by Southwest. She and The Band will be embarking on a fifth United States tour this summer.
**PERFORMANCE LINEUP**
CECILIA + THE BROKEN HEARTS
Cecilia + the Broken Hearts are a Chicano Futurism band formed in Austin, TX. They have been featured on NPR's Alt-Latino and in 2016 performed at the Cactus Cafe as part of the NPR Tiny Desk Contest Tour. And mentioned in the 2018 NPR Tiny Desk All Songs Considered blog and NPR Alt Latino show.
They were an official SXSW 2022 performing artist, closing out the night at Patricia Vonne’s Latinapalooza.
Their musical focus is based on traditional Latin rhythms that are layered underneath melodic three part harmonies, and complemented by driving guitars, accordion, flute and synth. From Rumba to Cumbia to Conjunto to Americana, Cecilia + the Broken Hearts is working to push the boundaries of music and create a perfect amalgamation.
Members include Mincho Jacob (bass), Melanie Morgan (accordion, flute, vocals), Estrella De Leon (vocals), Fabian Rincon (drums), Joe Rocha (guitar, synth), Mateo Clarke (vocals, violin), Annie Vandervoort (vocals, guitar, keyboard). Part-time players: Sarah Rocha (bass) and Kurt Lammers (drums).
SAMI SERRANO
Sami Serrano is an Austin born and raised LGBTQ musician. Sami is a certified audio engineer/producer. She has worked with many local artists in the studio and on stage. In addition to her active role in the LGBTQ and music communities in Austin, Sami regularly performs as a solo artist and with her band Sami & The Engine. She has been a part of numerous music festivals including Austin City Limits Music Festival ‘19 and SXSW. Sami Serrano’s sound is described as a smokey jazz hall with rock influences.
FANY MACIAS
Stephanie "Fany" Macias is a local musician in Austin. She has been doing music since she can remember, starting with guitar lessons when she was eight, and proceeding to join her school's orchestra to play cello at age eleven.
Since she started playing guitar, she has performed with multiple bands and musicians from Austin, as well as played in her church's choir. Through music, she has worked with and met so many wonderful and talented people and made tons of friends.
Fany delights in bringing people together and elevating others' voices. When Fany performs, she wants to send a message to her listeners and make people feel understood. Her ultimate goal is to be recognized for the feelings and emotions she evokes with her music.
Fany also received the ESB MACC's Award of Excellence for Emerging Artist in 2021!
SALMA SAENZ
4:30pm
Salma Saenz was born and raised in Austin, Texas with proud Mexican roots. At Dove Springs school Harmony School of Excellence, she won their Singing Olympics competition. She goes by Double "S" as her artistic name.
Salma Saenz has performed in many special events, such as singing the National anthem at the Texas capitol for the National School Choice Week Rally and our Viva Mexico’s virtual event in 2020.
Since her days singing at Harmony School she has been impressing her family, friends, neighbors, and Dove Springs community with her powerful singing voice! Salma loves to perform traditional and modern songs, and she sings in both Spanish and English. We are so excited to have Salma perform live at the MACC this year, for the first time in-person!
FOLKLORE Y RITMOS de PANAMA
3:00pm
Folklore y Ritmos de Panamá (FRP) in Austin supports, encourages and promotes the understanding of the traditions and culture of Panama via traditional dance and music. FRP was founded in 2001 as a non-profit organization by Artistic Director Marta McInnis, and as a way to express and share the love for her culture with others. They will perform a traditional folkloric dance at the La Mujer festival this year!
**VACCINES**
**WORKSHOPS + PANELS**
FAMILY ARCHIVING WORKSHOP
3:00-4:30pm, Raul Salinas Room
WITH MARINA ISLAS OF THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER
Do you have photos, documents, or other materials that have historical significance to your family? Would you like to keep these historical items organized and safe for future generations but not sure where to begin? Join Marina Islas, Latinx Community Archivist from the Austin History Center in a hands-on workshop about how to preserve your archival materials so that future generations can remember your family's history. See examples of archival materials highlighting Latinas active in the community from the Austin History Center's collections. Start a plan for your family archive and take a free Family Archiving Kit home so that you can get started on preserving your own family's history! If you cannot make the workshop, Marina will be available for individual consultations before and after the workshop and will have extra Family Archiving Kits to share.
Preserving family stories from communities of color has the power to bring us closer together and change the course of history. The Austin History Center’s Community Archives Program was started in 2000 and is dedicated to co-creating and preserving the stories of BIPOC communities living in Austin past, present, and future. The archive contains photographs, correspondence, business and organizational records, periodicals, oral histories, artwork, and much more. These archives weave together narratives of immigration, resilience, community building and joy. This rich archive would not exist without our community members like you who have taken steps towards investing in preserving their family histories.
About Marina
Marina Islas (they/them/their) currently serves as the Latinx Community Archivist at the Austin History Center. Born in Pontiac, MI and raised part-time in the RGV they are intimately aware of social justice issues faced by BIPOC communities and are therefore committed to serving the community in whatever ways they can. They are a Master Geographer, culture bearer, nature-whisperer, educator, visual artist, and active community member in Austin, TX. Despite scoring 8 out of 11 on the “Adverse Childhood Experiences” indicators, Marina has their associates, bachelors, and masters degrees in Geography. Their areas of specialty include: culturally sustaining pedagogies; critical participatory action research; women, gender, and sexuality; community-driven development; Latin America; and immigration. When not out enjoying community events; they spend their free time reading, working with plants, and training to become a healer.
CREATIVE APPROACHES TO QUEER AND FEMINIST ARCHIVES
1:00pm
WITH PROFESSOR KARMA CHAVEZ, ALEXANDRA SALAZAR, AND MELISSA ASLO DE LA TORRE
ABOUT KARMA
Karma R. Chávez is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas - Austin. She is co-editor of four books and author of Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities (University of Illinois Press, 2013); Palestine on the Air (University of Illinois Press, 2019); and The Borders of AIDS: Race, Quarantine, and Resistance (University of Washington Press, 2021). Working with colleagues across UT’s College of Liberal Arts, Chávez has been helping to create a new initiative called GRIDS (Gender, Race, Indigeneity, Disability, and Sexuality Studies), designed to foster relationships among those who study these and other systems of power and support local and university social justice efforts. In the summer of 2019, Chávez helped to create the new Michigan State University Press journal, Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture. She edits the Intersectional Rhetorics series at the Ohio State University Press.
ABOUT ALEXANDRA
Alexandra Nichole Salazar (she/her/ella) is a PhD student in the Mexican American and Latina/o Studies program at UT Austin. Her research focuses on queer kinships and buried histories from South Texas through oral histories, archiving, and ethnography. She is also the host of Jotxs y Recuerdos, a podcast dedicated to archiving queer stories from the Rio Grande Valley and other borderlands. Follow Jotxs y Recuerdos @jotxsyrecuerdos_podcast!
ABOUT MELISSA (PICTURED)
Melissa Aslo de la Torre (she/her/ella) is a dual masters student at the School of Information and the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at UT Austin. Her research focuses on archival praxis among queer communities in the U.S./Mexico borderlands and Latin America. She is also a graduate research assistant at the Benson Latin American Collection, where she has processed personal papers and photograph collections of Texas-based Latina/o artists.
LIVING LIVES AT THE INTERSECTIONS
3:00pm
WITH FRIDA FRIDAY ATX
The future is expansive: what we envision our gender expansive legacy and how we are proactively organizing within community to build power!
Join an all QTBIPOC panel Featuring: Denise Hernandez, Lais Milburn and Tabitha Hamilton and moderated by tk tunchez
**ART ACTIVATIONS**
Vanessa Guillen Memorial
2:30pm
Presented by the Guillen Family & Texas Representative Christina Morales from District 145
The ESB MACC will honor the memory of Vanessa Guillen. Her family has graciously lent photos and artworks of Vanessa to build a memorial that will be included in La Mujer, in the Gran Entrada area. Please bring flowers and any other decorations or memorabilia to add to the collective memorial. At 2:30pm, there will be a moment of silence for Vanessa.
Memorial Para Vanessa Guillen
14:30pm
Presentado por la familia de Vanessa Guillen y Representativa Tejana Christina Morales
El Centro Cultural ESB MACC honrará la memoria de Vanessa Guillén. Su familia gentilmente ha prestado fotos y obras de arte de Vanessa para construir un monumento que se incluirá en La Mujer, en el área de la "Gran Entrada". Traigan flores y cualquier otra decoración o recuerdo para agregar al memorial colectivo. A las 2:30pm, tendremos un momento de silencio para Vanessa.
LIVE PAINTING BY JOYCE REBOLLOSO
All Day
PRESENTED BY MAS CULTURA
Joyce was selected by a panel of community leaders including: Paulina Artieda, Laura Razo, Susanna Almhanza, and Latina community artist Carmen Rangel.
"Being a powerful woman means taking the hardship that the world gives you and not letting it turn you bitter, it' carrying your pain with grace, it's forgiving without an apology because your closure is dependent on your willingness to let go instead of the words and actions of others. It's sacrifice, perseverance, and faith." - Joyce Rebolloso
Mujeres Poderosas
All Day
We would like to feature any photos, shout-outs, or messages about all of these amazing "Mujeres Poderosas" on 5/14/22.
So, as a part of our La Mujer festival, tell us about a powerful mujer/ woman / womxn that inspires you so that we can highlight them!
Guidelines:
- You OR the Mujer you are highlighting must be in central Texas.
- The intention of filling out this form is to highlight women who demonstrate bravery, empowerment, equity, intersectionality, or resiliency. What makes this person "poderosa' or powerful? We want to hear about her/them in your words!
- All gender identities are welcome. Trans women, non-binary, gender queer, etc. are all welcome!
- All entries on this form will be considered, but not guaranteed to be featured. Please complete this form as soon as possible in order to allow us time to create a space for your Mujer Poderosa highlight.
If you have any questions, please email maccevents@austintexas.gov.
Art Exhibit:
ENTROPY
All Day
by Mery Godigna Collet
There will be two art exhibits open to the public during the event. Venezuelan artist Mery Godigna Collet will present her new exhibit, Entropy, featuring installations in the Sam Coronado Gallery that push the viewer to consider our relationship to the environment around us. The Caminos Teen Program exhibit featuring student artwork from the past 5 years will be on display in the Community Gallery.
FRIDA FRIDAY ATX
All Day
Tk Tunchez from Frida Friday ATX will curate a gender-diverse meetup with local talent. The public is encouraged to visit with the local women artists of color in the Frida Friday vendor marketplace.
MACC EDUCATION
1:00-4:00pm
The ESB MACC Education department will provide youth art activities in the early part of the afternoon. These activities are free of charge for folks of all ages!
Food Vendors
Credits:
Graphic by Bianca Olivares Reyes