Item 2. Staff Report — original pdf

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MACC Advisory Board Staff Report January 7, 2026 Casa de la Cultura will offer accessible and inclusive family classes and workshops rooted in preserving Mexican American, Indigenous, and Latino culture and traditions. Each pillar within Casa de la Cultura program will support the presentation of local artists, instructors, and educators. We aim to promote a lifelong curiosity for creating art and the expression of identity. -friendly La Cocina will offer family -friendly culinary workshops and demonstrations. Participants will explore traditional cooking techniques, diverse Latin American flavors, and promote healthy eating practices while preserving authenticity. • La Tamalada/ Tortilla -making Workshops • Cooking Demos • Nutrition classes Tamalada December 6 , 2026 - w/Tamale Addiction Conley Guerreo Senior Center 50 participants Community Partners: Tejano Genealogy Society of Austin Sana Yoga Herbal Action Project Artes Culturales creativity through diverse mediums and styles. Each session encourages artistic expression while highlighting cultural heritage and innovation. hosts art classes that invite participants to explore • Ceramics • Textiles • Cartoneria Danza celebrates rhythm, movement, and the joy of expression. From traditional forms to modern beats, youth and adults alike will connect with culture through motion, music, and dance. • Ballet Folklórico Classes • Social Dance – Cumbia Norteña • Latin folk dance Cine celebrates the art of film through screenings, artist talks, and hands workshops. The program highlights Latin filmmakers, documentaries, and creative storytelling while offering opportunities to learn about filmmaking techniques. -on • Film Screenings • Make -up Workshops • Costume Design Jardín invites participants to get their hands in the soil and connect with the earth. Through volunteer opportunities and educational workshops, the program fosters sustainability, herbal knowledge, and community well -being • Garden Volunteer Workdays • Herbalism and Botanical Classes • Native Plant and Gardening Workshops Música celebrates the vibrant sounds of Latin America through hands music education and creative collaboration. Participants will explore rhythm, melody, and storytelling while building skills in performance. -on • Music Instructional Classes – MACC Conjunto/Mariachi • Songwriting Literatura honors the written word as a powerful expression of identity, memory, and imagination. Participants will engage with culturally relevant works and create their own through reading and writing workshops. • Book Clubs • Storytelling • Poetry Movement promotes physical wellness and self forms of movement. These programs invite participants to reconnect with their bodies, nature, and community via a cultural lens. -expression through diverse • Mindful Movement • Capoeira • Community Running/Hiking Club Youth and Family Education Communities in Schools - SmartKids Afterschool This month at CIS Meadowbrook, students participated in a two -day art activity creating alebrije “burritos” using paper mâché materials. They learned about the origins of alebrijes through the work of artist Pedro Linares and explored the MACC’s virtual alebrije exhibition to deepen their understanding of this Mexican folk art tradition. 13 students took part in the activity, engaging in hands -on artmaking while learning about cultural symbolism and imaginative expression. Youth and Family Education Sabados en Familia – Yarborough Branch Library Saturday, December 13th 12pm-2pm Our Sábados en Familia program welcomed approximately 35 families at the Yarborough Branch, where participants enjoyed a bilingual reading of ’Twas Nochebuena: A Christmas Story in English and Spanish. Families experienced a live cooking demonstration featuring ponche and buñuelos and took part in creating hojalatas (tin art) alongside festive Christmas ornaments. Ten families also received a complimentary ponche kit to prepare at home for the holidays. Youth and Family Education Educational Outreach at Govalle Elementary School The MACC EDU team visited Govalle Elementary School to lead a Navidad celebration workshop with parents and families. Participants created corn husk dolls and hojalata ornaments together. During the visit, we also registered six families for financial aid assistance for our upcoming Summer and Spring Break camps. Youth and Family Education - Upcoming Sabados en Familia – Windsor Park Library Saturday, January 10th 12pm -2pm This month, we will be reading "Vejigante" by Lulu Declare, with a moving and powerful book about the Puerto Rican culture. Participants will learn about the bright and playful vejigante masks, inspired by African and Taíno traditions & used to celebrate culture resistance, protection, and imagination. After storytime, participants will create and decorate their own vejigante masks using paper, markers, and other fun art materials to take home and enjoy! Youth and Family Education - Upcoming Spring Break Camp 2026 Siembra is a bilingual cultural arts program for youth ages 5 that teaches Digital Storytelling; Mixed Media; and Illustration. . Please note that this Spring Break Camp is going to be held at the Asian American Resource Center. –12 The cost for the one week Spring Break Camp is $140 for Austin residents ($220 for non residents) Session: Monday March 16th - Friday March 20th Youth and Family Education - Upcoming Summer Camp 2026 Raíces is a bilingual cultural arts program for youth ages 5 explores Latin American and indigenous history through a variety of art forms, including performance, visual arts, dance, music, and cooking! Each session is 3 weeks long and there are 3 total sessions in Summer 2026. The cost of the camp is $420 for a 3 week session ($660 for non residents) - –12 that Session 1: Monday June 8th – Friday June 26th Session 2: Monday June 29th – Friday July 17th Session 3: Monday July 20th – Friday August 7th Youth and Family Education - Upcoming Camp Registration Families are encouraged to create or log into their online “webtrac” account to make sure their information is up to date and to apply for Financial Aid (or check their financial aid status). Registration for Spring Break Camp is Feb 14th! Registration for Summer Camp is Feb 28th , but you can register early (Jan 31) if you receive financial aid! AustinTexas.gov/MaccEdu AustinTexas.gov/SummerCamp AustinTexas.gov/PARDFinAid Caminos Teen Leadership Program Caminos teens celebrated the holidays with their posada at the Austin Central Library! In January they will participate in the Youth Career Fest at the Palmer Events Center on January 27, where thousands of teens gather to find out about internships and employment opportunities. We will be promoting Caminos, the Breaking Barriers Teen Conference (end of March) and Summer Camp employment opportunities. Caminos Teen Leadership Program Outreach We collaborated with Ballet Folklorico of Austin to provide art activities for their annual posada on December 17th. The education team prepared ornaments for them to decorate and we offered face painting. It was a great way to strengthen our connection to the Ballet Folklorico of Austin community and celebrate Mexican cultural traditions. Signature Events MACC staff will be preparing our upcoming events for the Spring: Grand Opening of the MACC April 2026 La Mujer May 2026 Awards of Excellence June 2026 Collaborations Teatro Vivo in collaboration with the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, presented their annual performance of “La Pastorela!” at the Asian American Resource Center on December 19-21. It was a huge success! Big congratulations to Teatro Vivo and everyone who came out to support for such a wonderful performance! 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. Administrative Updates Staffing Updates The ESB MACC will be welcoming three new members to the team. Recruitment for the Culture and Arts Education Specialists has been completed. Two of the positions will be assisting with youth education programs and the third will be assigned to LAAP/Casa de la Cultura. At this time, recruitment for the Culture and Arts Education Coordinator - Events, Culture and Arts Education Coordinator Exhibits, and Public Event Leader are under way. The application period for those three positions has closed. -