Item 2. Staff Report — original pdf

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12.3.25 MACC Staff Report – Website - Facebook - Instagram Please share our social media posts, sign up for our newsletter, and check out our upcoming events! Casa de la Cultura Past: All-Levels Bilingual Yoga: Saturdays @ 10:30-11:30am Southeast Library Attendance: 66 Focuses on body awareness, connection with the breath, with gentle movement, and time for meditation and relaxation. The library has mats to share. All Abilities Chair Bilingual Yoga: 3rd Wed of each month @ 10am Dove Springs Recreation Center Attendance: 4 A gentle form of yoga that can be done seated in a chair. These modifications make yoga accessible to people with various physical abilities. All Abilities Chair Bilingual Yoga: 3rd Friday of each month @ 10am Windsor Park Branch Attendance: 4 A gentle form of yoga that can be done seated in a chair. These modifications make yoga accessible to people with various physical abilities. Upcoming: La Tamalada: Saturday, December 6th @ 1pm – 5pm Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center Workshop Session Times: 1:30pm – 3:00pm / 3:30pm – 5:00pm This yearly celebration brings families and friends together to make tamales and preserve the traditions and stories connected to this cherished practice. This year, the owners of the local Austin business, Tamale Addiction, will lead a cooking demonstration that is both accessible and heritage-inspired – perfect for anyone interested in making tamales at home. We would be delighted to have you with us as we share food, community, and tradition. We hope you can attend and be part of this celebration that honors cultural preservation. Youth and Family Education Past: Communities in Schools SmartKids Afterschool, various locations This month, our staff guided students in recreating “Homies” figurines inspired by David Gonzales, using the art form to explore identity and Mexican American cultural representation. Students crafted figures that reflected their own stories, including friends, family, and imaginative characters, which opened meaningful conversations about belonging and community. The activity sparked creativity and deepened students’ pride in seeing their lived experiences represented in art. Lending Library Program Traditional Foods & Agriculture of Latin America Our Lending Library team completed its second workshop series at Gus Garcia and Mendez, guiding students through hands-on lessons in making queso fresco, tortillas, and aguas frescas. These activities highlighted traditional foods and staples found in many Mexican American households. The series strengthened students’ cultural pride while building creativity and confidence. Sabados en Familia - John Gillum Branch Library Saturday, November 8th 12-2pm Our Sa bados en Familia program welcomed about 30 families for a cultural arts experience at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. Families read Together We Drum: Our Hearts Beat as One by Willie Poll, then created and decorated their own mini drums while enjoying a dynamic performance by Mario Ramirez and Sarah Mendez from Kalpulli Mitotiliztli Yaoyollohtli. It was a joyful, all-ages event that celebrated Indigenous resistance, community, and creativity. Upcoming: Sabados en Familia – Saturday December 13th This month, we will be reading ’Twas Nochebuena: A Christmas Story in English and Spanish by Roseanne Thong. Follow a family as they prepare for a night filled with laughter, love, and Latino traditions. Participants will enjoy a cooking demonstration featuring foods from the story, such as Ponche and buñuelos, and will also have the opportunity to create hojalatas, or tin art, alongside festive Christmas ornaments. Additionally, first 10 families will even take home their very own ponche kit to keep the celebration going at home! Caminos Teen Leadership Program Past: Caminos Teen Leadership Program created new characters for our comic and a “friends giving” theme! Caminos teen leadership also helped support other teens at a Mariachi Festival in Kyle Texas where they helped with set up and at booths but were also able to film and created a reel on Instragram (@atxcaminos). They were also able to watch student mariachi performances. Upcoming: Caminos students will be supporting Casa de Cultura at our annual Tamalada on December 6th. On December 13th they will host their own posada where they will learn about traditional Mexican celebrations. They will contribute a dish that represents their own culture. They will end the month of December by visiting the Blanton Museum where they will learn about their exhibits and various types of artwork. Outreach and Marketing Past: CityWorks Academy at Menchaca Library Wednesday, November 12, 6:00-8:00pm 30 participants from CityWorks Academy learned about the MACC and how it fits into ACME at this weekly academy for Austinites who want to learn more about how the City of Austin works. 3 other departments also presented; Libraries, Parks and Recreation, and 3-1-1. Rudy Mendez Recreation Center Thanksgiving Thursday, November 13, 6:00-8:00pm About 150 people gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving in East Austin. Folks stopped by the MACC information table to get updates about the MACC! Young dancers from Ballet Folklorico of Austin performed. Upcoming: Ballet Folklorico de Austin Posada Navidena Wednesday, December 17th 5:30-8:30pm The MACC Education team and outreach team will offer children’s activities at this annual event- a great way to connect with Ballet Folklorico of Austin dancers and chat about the year ahead! Latino/a/e Artist Access Program (LAAP) The ESB MACC is drawing upon current day feedback collected via the Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (AACME) Creative Reset II engagement opportunities, two prior info sessions held earlier this year with a diverse pool of interested artist community member applicants, and community input at board meetings to inform program enhancements. Moreover, insights shared by the Economic Development Department on their grant's application process will be adapted and integrated where relevant, in the interest of increased consistency, accessibility, and transparency. The ESB MACC has referenced the in-depth 2019 Community Engagement Review of the Latino Arts Residency Program (LARP) as an instrumental resource for the Latino Artists Access Program (LAAP). This engagement captured extensive feedback critical to artists’ needs and aspirations for space and capacity support within Austin. Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (AACME) Creative Reset PHASE II: AACME Cultural Centers and Facilities AACME launched Phase II of the Creative Reset — a community-driven effort to strengthen Austin’s arts, culture, and heritage programs. This phase focuses on gathering community input to guide the future of City of Austin museums and arts and cultural centers. All AACME centers and facilities include: • 23rd Street Renaissance Artist Market • African American Cultural & Heritage Facility + Dedrick Hamilton House • Asian American Resource Center • Connelly-Yerwood House “Pink House” • Dougherty Arts Center • Elisabet Ney Museum • Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center • George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center • Millennium Youth Entertainment Center • Montopolis Negro School • Old Bakery & Emporium • O. Henry Museum (Brush Square Museums) • Susanna Dickinson Museum (Brush Square Museums) • UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum • Zilker Hillside Theater Community Engagement Sessions were held on November 17th, 19th, and Dec 1. There is still time to give your input! Take the survey now! https://publicinput.com/acme-creative-reset-phase2