Lydia CdeBaca-Cruz

Arts Educator Award

Lydia CdeBaca-Cruz has taught in and directed Mexican American/Latinx Studies programs for over ten years. After receiving her Ph.D. in English with graduate certificates in Mexican American Studies and Native American Indigenous Studies from UT Austin in 2012, she went on to develop and direct a Mexican American/Latinx Studies program at the Central Campus of Houston Community College.

Lydia is currently the Program Coordinator for the Mexican American Studies program at ACC, where she also teaches courses in the Ascender program, a first-year experience program dedicated to Latinx student success.

She has also recently returned to her alma mater as a Lecturer in American Literature, Mexican American Literature and Culture, and Contemporary Latina/o Literature and Culture.

Lydia is committed to closing equity gaps for Mexican Americans and Latinxs at all levels of education. She is also a mother of two (almost three) and, with her partner, Chevo, a singer in the Latin reggae cumbia band, Roleros Cósmicos. She wouldn't be where she is today without his support or the support of her mother who always pushed her to be her most chingona self.

Thank you, Lydia!

Jose Pasco

Emerging Artist Award

Jose Pasco is a Latino pop rock artist of Peruvian nationality. who lives and performs in Austin. As a singer-songwriter, he has been gaining popularity in the Austin music scene, and in his country of origin. Some of his songs have even been covered by artists from Peru and Spain.

During the 90s, Jose led the experimental rock band ZARAUZ, with whom he made two albums: POBRES CITADINOS released in 1999, and ZARAUZ in 2002.

After working as a session musician and backup musician for other artists, Jose Pasco began his first solo job. The album PLOP! It came to light in 2007 attracting the attention of specialized media in Lima-Peru.

Since performing in Austin he has participated in several important festivals such as FALA , PECAN STREET FEST and, CHALK WALK FESTIVAL.

Jose Pasco is known for being an experiential composer, and his original lyrics convey dreams, love, and humans' inner struggles.

Mery Godigna Collet

Arts Award

Mery was born in Venezuela, and her family moved to Europe when she was 3 years old. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Spain, France and Italy. She returned to Caracas, Venezuela and studied art, design and architecture earning a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1987 from Universidad Central de Venezuela.

In the early 70s, while living in Madrid, she attended the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando where she discovered the power of art to communicate and promote causes.

Since the beginning of her career Godigna Collet explores the coexistence between humans and environment through social and political issues. Her art work is supported by the versatile use of diverse materials, applied in installations, paintings, sculptures, photography and video, challenging the viewer through the use of new techniques and unconventional materials in the making of her art.

A minimalistic conceptualist, her art is also based in promoting a conscious use of natural resources and technology. In 2012 her work was selected to be displayed and to be the image of a conference about issues of dependence on oil as an energy source and on the human rights consequences of that reliance, held at UT Austin organized by the Center for Global Energy, International Arbitration, and Environmental Law and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice.

In 2016 her artwork "Let's Talk Volume" was selected by the City of Austin through the program of Art in Public Places to be installed for the occasion of celebrating International Environment Day.

From Venezuela, Miami, Italy and Texas, she had shown her work to raise funds to promote support for women and children victims of violence, residencies for artists in need, victims of AIDS and indigenous populations.

Mery Godigna Collet has published in limited edition and in Spanish two books; "Nightly Exercises Notebook" (1995) and "Made with Fiber" (2003), and three art research studies "Matter, Time, and Space" (1997), "Metallic Light" (2006), "Extra Virgin Petrus Oil", 2008.

Mery Godigna Collet has participated in 30 solo and 36 group exhibitions in Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, New York, Miami, New Mexico and Texas

In 2014 she co-founded the "Crosswalk Project" to improve pedestrian and handicap safety for the urban environment. The MACC was one of the locations for this project, helping to expand the city identity as a modern and vibrant arts destination.

This project gives a sense of the unique to utilitarian urban elements. It is a perfect example of Mery's commitment to the environment and to making a more joyful urban landscape.

Thank you, Mery!

Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez

Service Award

Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez is a professor in the School of Journalism and Media the founder and director of the Voces Oral History Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Her bachelors in journalism was from the University of Texas at Austin. She has a masters from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. And her doctorate is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She has edited or authored five books, and produced dozens of videos and radio stories, about the Latino WWII experience. She enjoyed a long career in major news organizations before entering academia. She reported for the Boston Globe, WFAA-TV in Dallas, the Dallas Morning News; her last stint was as the Border Bureau Chief for the Dallas Morning News, covering the entire US-Mexico border. In fact, it was while reporting a magazine story about Mexican American postwar civil rights that she became aware of the lack of research on the topic and saw a need to develop an oral history.

Recently, she was also named the director of the UT-Austin Center for Mexican American Studies. Rivas-Rodriguez founded the Voces Center in 1999 as the US Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project.

Thank you, Maggie!

Bobbie Garza-Hernandez

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bobbie Garza-Hernandez was born in San Marcos, TX, of Mexican and Indigenous ancestry. She represents the 4th Generation of a San Marcos family that is now 7 generations strong. To date, the Garza Family is the largest family from San Marcos- 18 children! Their 4th generation is 50 cousins, and is a tight-knit family.

Bobbie attended catholic school and San Marcos public schools, and grew up with two sisters and a brother. She also attended ACC and St. Edward’s University. Both parents were business owners and as kids they all worked in the family businesses.

Bobbie's parents were both from families that were migrant farmworkers. And they attended the “Mexican School” before school segregation. Her parents provided a better life for their children, but they were mindful to teach them a good work ethic and always told them that to care for others less fortunate.

From 1993-1997, Bobbie oversaw Austin Cultural Arts funding efforts at the city council level. From 1997-2001 she was pppointed by Mayor Pro-Tem Jackie Goodman to serve on Austin Arts Commission, and chaired the committee charged with developing equitable grant funding processes.

Bobbie has facilitated focus groups with Austin arts organizations to attain information on how best to distribute arts funding to individual artists, small, medium and large arts organizations.

She served on the Mexic-Arte Museum Board of Directors and developed partnerships with Amigos en Azul to provide security for the international tour of the Diego Rivera exhibit and Rodolfo Morales exhibit at Mexic-Arte.

Bobbie provided the leadership for the formation of the Latino Arts Consortium of Austin (21 Latino arts organizations) with Mexic-Arte and La Pena Arts Gallery.

Bobbie developed and submitted a successful grant proposal for National Endowment of the Arts for a 3 year consortium building project.

While serving as Chief of Staff, to former Mayor Gus Garcia, initiated the effort to build the ESB-MACC.

Bobbie identified city owned property to be appropriated for the building of the MACC. She wrote the resolution and ordinance deeming the property as the building site for MACC

Bobbie has worked with Community Leaders: Martha P. Cotera and Emma S. Barrientos, to jump-start the effort to place the MACC project on the City of Austin bond election. She worked with Latino Arts Consortium of Austin to build support for successful bond election for MACC.

In 2019, Bobbie attained funding for the MACC's Caminos Teen Leadership program, resulting in completion of a community mural developed by youth participants which is a permanent part of the Saltillo Project, East 5th Street. Austin Texas.

In 2013 – 2014 at the Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos, she created grant proposals for cultural arts programming, increasing participation from 25 youth to 200+ youth in a 9-month period.

She also initiated a 3 year funding for the Marcos & Fidela Garza Library at CCHSM which provides books written about Hispanic and Indigenous people, or written by Hispanic/Indigenous authors.

She has published articles in San Marcos Life magazine featuring cultural arts and history of first Mexican families

On Jan. 15, 2021, Bobbie was appointed as Founding Member, Council for Indigenous & Tejano Community by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra.

And finally, in April, 2021 Bobbie attained a City of Austin Consultant Contract to provide Community Outreach and Engagement Services for the Emma S. Barrientos - Mexican American Cultural Center Phase 2 Expansion Project.

Bobbie’s most cherished accomplishment is raising two daughters, one that is an accomplished Artist and one who’s passion is community service. Both Courtney and Bianca live their lives advocating for better communities, especially or those in need.

Thank you, Bobbie!

Endi Silva

Host

The ESB MACC would like to extend a special thanks to Endi Silva, who has graciously returned to host our award ceremony in 2021. Endi hosted the previous AOE ceremony in 2018, and she gave such a lovely welcome to the awardees and guests, that we asked her back in 2021!

Endi serves on the Mexican American Cultural Center's Advisory Board. She contributes to the board working group on the Awards of Excellence event.

Endi is attended UT El Paso and currently resides in Austin. Endi is an experienced policy leader with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration. Her experience is a huge asset to the MACC Advisory board, where she directly contributes to the MACC community.

Endi Silva is Director Of Program Development at Texas Department of Information Resources.

Thank You, Endi!