Our group has just taken their final bow at our annual concert. They shine in the beauty of their traditional, brightly colored costumes. 

I am onstage with them, and we perform a rhythmic zapateado as the curtain closes slowly before us. The music of the mariachi band fades, and we turn to each other — smiling, cheering loudly, and exchanging congratulatory hugs. We are la familia folklórica, a folklórico family.  

I have learned and studied dance since childhood. When I teach, I carry the bodily histories of my own dance instructors, including Sanjuanita Martínez-Hunter, Roy Lozano, Pedro Serna, Michael Carmona, and Salvador Ibarra. 

My first dance teacher was my aunt, Sanjuanita Martínez-Hunter. She is my inspiration, and I continue teaching in her footsteps to share the dances of our ancestors. 

I have taught folklórico for about thirty years, founding the Texas A&M International Ballet Folklórico and the TAMIU Ballet Folklórico Juvenil in 1996. 

Today I teach the traditional Mexican dances of folklórico to children and adults of all ages at the academy and studio I established on McPherson Road in 2013. These are the dances passed through centuries from one generation to the next. Dancers in garments of the time-period of the dance learn the intricate percussive footwork movements of the zapateado. 

Our folklórico group includes mothers and daughters dancing together, cousins, brothers and sisters, and even entire families, including parents. 

Something amazing happens as we dance together with a binding affection, affinity, and closeness. Dancing folklórico is a team effort requiring everyone to work in unison. We learn to dance with partners, which entails close communication. We also learn detailed choreographic patterns involving quick thinking and collaboration. All these aspects of our work together have helped us bond to form la familia folklórica.

As we dance folklórico, we embody the histories of our ancestors telling stories of love, loss, triumphs, and survival. Everyone in our folklórico group has an important contribution to share. At times we may dance alongside a partner who has a disability, someone much older or younger than ourselves, or a person with a completely different outlook on life. Despite our differences, however, we learn to love the members of our familia folklórica. 

We understand we are more alike than different as we share the invaluable purpose of continuing for the next generation the dance history, customs, and traditions passed to us.  

We dance folklórico for the sheer love of dance, paying close attention to the music of our dances, listening to the voices sung in lyrics, and focusing on melodies played by the traditional beats of the jarana, guitarrón, and bajo sexto.   

We dress proudly in traditional attire, remembering how many layers of clothing our ancestors wore and the types of accessories that were once fashionable. Our costumes are hand-crafted by artisans in Mexico.

We dance the zapateados with strength, energy, precision, and skills that have taken weeks, months, and even years of rehearsals to refine. Our love of dance unifies us — binds us — to work to the height of our abilities. That love of dance underscores every rehearsal and performance of la familia folklórica.

We dance to the common purpose of remembering, acknowledging, and inspiring, our steps resounding resolutely as conservators, cultural keepers continuing and evoking the grace and rhythms of the dances of nuestros antepasados. 

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I use the English spelling of the word folklórico to acknowledge my Tejana heritage.

(Folklorista, artist, scholar, and writer Gabriela Mendoza-García teaches dance at her state-of-the-art academy and studio on McPherson Road. She earned a Bachelor and Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. To learn more of her extensive endeavors and accolades visit https://gabrielamendozagarciafolklorico.com)

When Laredo Theater Guild International (LTGI) opened its inaugural production of Man of La Mancha in 2009, the moment represented far more than a curtain rising on a new show: it marked the coordinated emergence of an arts organization determined to expand the city’s theatrical landscape, deepen its cultural offerings, and create generational access to performance. 

In the years since, LTGI has evolved from an ambitious local project into a foundational cultural institution rooted in collaboration, education, and a belief that theater can reshape a community’s relationship with art. The origins of LTGI trace back to conversations in 2008 among local arts advocates, university leaders, and long-time performers, all with the shared concern that opportunities for professional-level theater were limited despite Laredo’s rich cultural heritage. 

Organizations existed, but none carried the unified mission of producing and sustaining a full, annual season with a broad repertoire, mixing dramas, comedies, Shakespeare, and large-scale musicals into its seasonal catalogues. With this mission in mind, LTGI founders designed a plan to give its audience the “exceptional theater” it has long been craving, one that not only entertains but “educates and inspires.” This vision took organizational shape through a merger between two groups: Laredo Theater Guild (LTG), a newly formed collective aiming to produce sophisticated theatrical works, and Laredo Musical Theatre International (LMTI), which specialized in ambitious summer musicals. Joined together as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2009, the combined board and volunteer base adopted a new name for the revitalized entity: Laredo Theater Guild International. 

From the start, LTGI embraced a structure that blended community passion with institutional support. Its founding board included educators, business leaders, directors, philanthropists, and theater veterans across Laredo. Advisors from Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and Laredo College (LC) strengthened the organization’s ties to academic and civic communities, helping ensure that the arts were not treated as a luxury but as an integral dimension of local life that contributed to the thriving of the Laredo community. That collaboration between institution and community led to one of LTGI’s early milestones: the installation and completion of TAMIU’s 500-seat state-of-the-art theater, which became the company’s first mainstage home. LTGI launched its inaugural production there with international fanfare, a beginning symbolic in affirming the City’s commitment to expanding its artistic infrastructure. 

Despite its exceptional opening, LTGI’s most foundational efforts occurred in the theatrical seasons that followed. Within its first five years, the company produced twenty shows, presenting a repertoire spanning a multitude of genres in order to offer the Laredo community a diversity of productions which had previously been unavailable to them. What LTGI managed to accomplish with this act of intentionality was to not only provide theater-goers with isolated events, but rather to create a theatrical ecosystem that was consistent in its performances as it was in its commitment to train, mentor, and sustain the local talent it sourced for its productions. Performers, designers, technicians, educators, and students all found a place within LTGI’s productions, forming collaborative networks that, for many, would endure through the present day. 

Central to its mission, and the belief that theater should do more than just entertain, LTGI built on the understanding that live performances have great potential as educational tools. This philosophy allowed LTGI to expand its community involvement and set into motion one of its most influential contributions to the city: the Class on Stage program. Through its partnering with local school districts, LTGI offers performances aligned with academic curricula, strengthening students’ engagement and commitment to their educational development through theater. 

“Class on Stage: Education Through Performance” was born from an unexpected moment during the 2010 production of The Taming of the Shrew, Class on Stage emerged when student volunteers displayed a striking enthusiasm for the text once they encountered it in a performative context. That enthusiasm prompted LTGI to reimagine how theater could interact with education: What if students didn’t only read dramas? What if they experienced those works live, with opportunities to speak directly with actors and production staff? In partnership with English teachers, curriculum directors, and district administrators, LTGI designed a program that aligned major productions with high school literary studies and required state standards. The result was Class on Stage: a series of professional-quality productions specifically timed and selected to deepen students’ understanding of classic texts, such as Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, and most recently Sense and Sensibility. 

The program expanded rapidly, garnering funding partnerships most notably with the D.D. Hachar Charitable Trust, which allowed LTGI to offer daytime student performances free of charge, inclusive of transportation, Q&A sessions, and curricular integration. These performances breathed new life into students’ assigned texts, allowing them to reimagine the literary landscape through visual expression on stage. With these performances, students were better able to engage with the historical contexts, character motivations, and thematic elements and interpretations in ways that reading the text alone could not provide. 

This commitment to academic alignment further solidified LTGI’s integrity to the local community, with the impact of their Class on Stage productions being immediate and long-lasting. Teachers reported deeper comprehension, stronger writing, and increased engagement with the assigned literature after witnessing the stage performance. Additionally, Class on Stage provided students who wouldn’t otherwise have had the resources to engage with theater the opportunity to attend a live performance that encouraged their active participation. For many, Class on Stage became their first introduction to Laredo’s performing arts scene — and often, their entry point into participating in it. 

“A Legacy That Reaches Beyond the Stage Today,” LTGI’s mission “to create exceptional theater that educates and inspires” operates not as a slogan but as an evidently lived practice. The organization continues to bring together an ecosystem of individuals who recognize the value that a vibrant arts environment provides to the community’s cultural and intellectual life.

LTGI’s productions and educational outreach offer Laredo not just entertainment, but an expanded vision of what local theater can achieve. LTGI’s history is still unfolding, shaped by the countless participants and supporters who have built its legacy. The organization began with the belief that Laredo could sustain professional-level theater year after year, and, more than a decade later, that belief has transformed into truth. Every season, past, present, and future, is a testament to the fact that LTGI has built more than a stage; it’s built a community around it.

(Xiomarra Milann is multidisciplinary artist, activist, and educator whose roots lay in Laredo, TX. She is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Texas-El Paso. Her work can be found in the Sybil Journal, the Acentos review, among other places, and is forthcoming in Defunkt Magazine.)

A look back details many who shaped the visual arts over the last six decades. It also elicits a respectful nod to those creative individuals who dedicated themselves to organize the formal and informal associations and that engendered and sustained the arts. The three mentioned here — the Laredo Art Association, the Laredo Art League, and the Art Spirits gave art its place in the lives of many Laredoans, its members unknowingly perhaps, opening the path for the establishment of the Laredo Center for the Arts in 1993. 

 The Laredo Art Association made its home in the east wing of the historic Fort Mcintosh commissary building on the Laredo Junior College campus. The space afforded a place for workshops, meetings, and a gallery. The Association annually sponsored a Holiday Home Tour and outdoor art exhibits — such as the Starving Artists Show and the Río Grande Art Fiesta. 

The Art Fiesta filled San Agustín Plaza with a density of art displayed on easels and portable display panels. At one of those events in the late 1960s, artist Amado Maurilio Peña Jr. utilized the branches of the Plaza’s oak trees to hang some of his larger pieces of that period, like Big Faye with Sitar.

The phenomenal number of participating Laredo and Nuevo Laredo artists paled by comparison with the number of those who turned out to take in the excitement of the historic downtown plaza filled with original art and the opportunity to converse with those who had created it. The two-day Art Fiesta was replete with sketch artists offering portraits.

An informal group called the Art Spirits formed by accomplished watercolorist Mary Quiros in the late 1970s, also played a significant role in the Laredo art community. Among its members were Gloria Zuniga, Louise Longoria, Virginia Link, Rosalie Goodman, Charlotte Potts, Marilyn Madrazo, María Leyendecker, Cordelia Cantú, Nena Solis, Sara Mendoza, Graciela Botello, and Anne Brennan Vela. Quiros recalled the groups’ works hanging on the walls of Arlene’s Galeria.

The Laredo Art League was another mainstay of the arts. It was well known for its annual juried International Exhibition of Art that included artists from Nuevo Laredo. That event was much anticipated by the participating artists as well as Laredoans who supported the arts.

The founding of the Laredo Center for the Arts in September of 1993 in the old Market Square building downtown heralded a paradigm shift for the arts in Laredo — providing much needed gallery space for large exhibitions, workshops, and a door wide open to artists and the public’s access to the arts.

The Market Square building once housed City Hall, the Laredo Public Library, the Police Department and its jail, and a theater. In more recent times, the building had been made into an arts and crafts market. Prior to 1993, the west end of Market Square was leased to a restaurant/bar, a jewelry store, and a wedding chapel. The Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Webb County Heritage Foundation would reconfigure those spaces into separate office suites facing Flores Street.

The fuse behind the Center’s founding was Anne Brennan Vela, a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She credits the open minds of then-City Manager Peter Vargas, then-Mayor Saul Ramirez, and then-assistant City Manager Jesus Nava for their support in establishing the Center for Arts. Vela’s correspondence with those individuals, which survives in the Center’s archives, is direct, decorous, and informative. 

The purpose of the Laredo Center for the Arts was stated thus: to coordinate, promote, encourage and support the arts for the Laredo area; to promote a cultural climate in the city of Laredo, Texas, in which the artistic creativity of all people may find voice; to organize and adapt the community’s resources to the needs of the artists and the public; to work with and advise officials, agencies, organizations, schools, businesses, and committees in supporting art activities; to seek to encourage the establishments of new art forms, to develop public and educational programs; to strengthen existing programs and organizations and promote tourism; to undertake other such activity that will encourage public participation and appreciation of the arts and humanities in the Laredo area; and to carry out those functions necessary to enhance the image of Laredo as a center for the arts. This corporation is a non-profit corporation, organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.

Vela served as interim director of the Center. “I had never run anything before. I learned by doing, and I learned from my mistakes,” she said. “We took possession of a building with nothing in it, not a chair or a table. Toro Martinez introduced himself to me and volunteered to help. He found used tables, a desk, chairs, and even a computer in a bank basement,” Vela recalled, adding, “The number of donors who offered help or gave us something we needed affirmed that the Center was an important venue for the arts.” She recalled that when money was short, there were generous individuals who answered the call.

 The initial improvements to the interior of the building were painting, lighting, and creating space dividers. The Laredo Art League occupied a designated gallery space there.

In addition to exhibitions, the Center hosted workshops for new and established artists. Among the well-known artists who taught technique were Rob Erdle who accompanied Laredo artists to paint in Spain; Dorothy Bertine, the renown Denton watercolorist; and Californian Milford Zornes, who staged his workshop on the banks of the Río Grande.

Vela served as director of the Center for the Arts until 2000 when she and her husband, Dr. Raul Vela, moved to San Antonio.

In the years since, the Center for the Arts continued exhibitions, workshops, and its educational programs with public and private schools. One of its sources of income was the rental of its main gallery and the upstairs mezzanine for private parties and receptions. 

Among the most memorable events at the Center was the 2013 20-year gala at which Vela was honored, and its 25th anniversary gala in 2018, “Stars of the Arts,” which recognized Altagracia Azios García, Cristina Greco, Scarlet Moreno, Elizabeth de Razzo, Maite Gomez-Rejon, Jacob Salamon, Dante Schwebel, and Marygene Walker.

An outstanding exhibit and auction of art created by Laredoans was 2020’s Río Mio, a celebration of the river’s beauty and a fundraiser for the Río Grande International Study Center. Birds of the Brush, in its 14th year as a juried exhibition of the work of Laredoans of all ages, opens annually every February at the Center during the Laredo Birding Festival. Another of Center’s outstanding exhibits was that of San Ygnacio artist Dr. Eric Avery’s Art as Medicine, which opened in March of 2023, an exhibit in tandem with artist Sue Coe’s Ways of Seeing exhibit at TAMIU.

In this issue of Tragaluz, Ryan Cantú makes note of the sea change that transpired in the post-pandemic Center for the Arts in the summer of 2023 — new board members, many of them artists; a philosophical shift in the selection criteria for artists invited to exhibit, a shift more inclusive and culturally reflective of the art and residents of the borderlands; and the Center’s 2021Art Acquisition initiative to acquire and promote works by local and regional artists who have gained recognition from art institutions across the United States and, in some cases, internationally.  Among those artists are César A. Martinez, Ana Laura Hernández, as well as those in the riveting exhibit, The Border Is A Weapon, which was curated by Gil Rocha.

“These acquisitions and others become the foundation for what will eventually become Laredo’s first Museum of Contemporary Art. Since the project’s inception, we have successfully organized nine exhibitions that have captivated the community and enriched the cultural landscape. LCA hosts five exhibitions each year, each with a set of educational components designed to engage and inspire,” said Center board member Melissa Amici.

Members of the Center’s board of directors are Gilberto Rocha, president; Melissa Amici, vice-president; Jessica Diez Barroso, secretary; Pedro Morales, treasurer; Mary Ann García; Telissa Molano; Richard Morales; Julio Mendez; Amelia Ramírez; Eva Soliz; and Alejandra Urrabazo.

The Center for the Arts is staffed by programming coordinator Luis E. Sánchez and gallery assistants Janel Hernández, Esteban A. Mendiola, and Galia Robinson. 

Gallery hours are thus: Closed Sunday and Monday; Tuesday by appointment; Wednesday through Friday, Noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SIDEBAR

Sifting through old letters and photos for the purpose of writing this story rewarded me with a story about the joy, will, and tenacity of artists of the past.

They painted in their homes, in workshops, or in groups invited to a home to paint together. “Paint, paint, paint is what we did,” said Mary Quiros, who hosted the Art Spirits.

Interviews with some of those artists told the story of a tender, generous camaraderie of respect and regard they shared as friends and artists. Many who have not seen each other for years, still keep in touch.

Some recalled the workshops that refined their practice. Others recalled the generosity of Genevieve Richter’s invitation to paint at her home on the river. They remembered valued critiques, shared techniques, and the excitement of the annual outdoor exhibitions.

They regarded some of their companions as eminences of the Laredo art community: Genevieve Richter; Anne Brennan Vela; Mary Quiros; Laredo Junior College art instructor Martha Fenstermaker; TAMIU art instructor Janet Eager Krueger; Ginger Richter; Gallery 201 owner Gayle Aker Rodriguez; Martin High School art teachers Amado Peña Jr., Onesimo Herrera, and Frank Ortega; Nixon High School art instructor Bess W. Quiros and Nixon High School and TAMIU art instructor Julio Mendez.

In the archives of the Center for Arts is a December 20, 1995 letter from Anne Vela to the Mayor, City Council, City Management, and the Chamber of Commerce urging them to consider establishing a downtown Laredo arts and culture district. The suggestion likely fell on deaf ears, but 26 years later other forward thinkers would lay the groundwork for the non-profit Laredo Cultural District designated in 2021 by the Texas Commission on the Arts as the 50th Cultural District in the state.

-MEG

BOARD COMMENTS

Board President, Artist Gil Rocha: It brings me joy to reflect on how deeply the Center has evolved alongside the community. I first walked through the Center’s doors in 1994 as a high school senior, unsure of my path and unaware that becoming an artist was even possible. I found a welcoming community that changed the course of my life. Inspired by founding members and artists such as Anne Vela, Mary Quiros, and Linda LaMantia, (affectionately known as The Art Spirits), I discovered a sense of belonging and purpose. The Center believed in me early on, offering my first $500 scholarship after graduation. Looking back, much of my success as an artist can be traced directly to that moment of encouragement and trust. Over the decades, I left Laredo to grow and returned with new perspectives, each time taking on different roles (volunteer, gallery preparator, manager, educator, board member, and now president). Those experiences, combined with work in galleries and museums beyond our city, have helped shape a shared vision with our Board: to elevate the Center to its full potential. This growth has been possible thanks to the continued support of the City of Laredo and its leadership. Together, we have built a vibrant arts culture that meets and aspires to exceed the standards of larger cities. Our dream is to take the next step forward: to establish a dedicated arts museum that reflects who we are, honors what makes Laredo unique, and preserves our cultural identity for generations to come.

Board Treasurer, Artist Pedro Morales: The success of the Laredo Center for the Arts can be attributed to having an artist-and-art-advocates-run Board of Directors who believe in and understand the simple formula that is the purpose established by the founders of the Center and applying present day solutions to accomplish that purpose. Using creativity, a common vision and direction, and the application of experience, knowledge, and love for the arts, has, in a short period, transformed the Center by being consistent with an annual schedule of exhibits, artist talks and dialogues, workshops and educational programming, networking with local and exterior institutions, artists, curators, authors, gallery owners, and most importantly, sponsors. In December the Center was visited by representatives of Ruby City, Art Pace, and the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio. The Center has been awarded a substantial grant from the Mellon Foundation to continue the work of the Center’s Art Acquisition project. Art can have the effect of expanding the mind and activating the imagination to transform a place, in this case Laredo, with beautiful colors, spirit, and meaning. Gratitude to all who visited the Center this past year. I invite you to visit the current exhibit at the Center of the Arts by Sarah Fox titled, The Woman Under the Water & Other Stories, which will be up until January 23 and was named by Glasstire as one of the top five exhibits in Texas for the week of January 8.

Board Member, Artist Julio Mendez: In 1993, the newly formed Center for the Arts signaled a big step forward. It gave art a space for productivity, exhibitions, workshops, and dialogue. Today’s board, many of us experienced artists, work to make art relevant by bringing back to Laredo artists who began here and have charted successful careers in other places. Their artist talks about the development of their practices as artists in Laredo are especially compelling and inspiring, particularly for young artists. Those talks affirm that the culture and history of Laredo are rich veins of inspiration for artistic expression.

Board Member, Artist Eva Soliz: My interaction in Laredo’s art world began in 1998 when I was invited by the Center for the Arts to present my exhibit, Conditions. My return to Laredo two years prior caused me concern. I had grown accustomed to Chicago’s robust arts scene, and by contrast, the arts in Laredo seemed very traditional. Over the years I have witnessed steady growth and transformation that has resulted in Laredo’s wider range of contemporary art and its edgy forms of expression. The establishment of the Center has played a vital role in the evolution of the arts in Laredo — charting, fueling, and reflecting today’s dynamic art scene. As a board member, my vision for the ongoing growth of this art hub centers on enhancing facilities, staff, programing, and securing funding essential to these efforts.

Laredo and the borderlands are fertile ground for cultural expression and artistic growth. Among artists who have who have gone long and far in their practice are Amado Maurilio Peña Jr., César Martinez, Armando Hinojosa, Janet Krueger, Ethel Shipton, Christina Zorilla Speer, Mary Quiros, Miki Rodriguez, Eric Avery of San Ygnacio, and the late Michael Tracy who lived and worked in San Ygnacio for 46 years. 

Other prominent contemporary visual artists from Laredo include Gil Rocha, Mauro C. Martinez, Juan de Dios Mora, Peter and Tommy Glassford, Hector Hernández, Jerry Cabrera, Ana Hernandez, and Angelica Raquel, to name a few.

Laredo College (LC) and Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) are major supporters of the visual arts. Both have fueled increases in art-based professions through comprehensive arts programing that has made higher education in art accessible. 

LC and TAMIU alumni contribute to and benefit from the growing arts community as artists, middle and high school art educators, university professors, illustrators, and arts administrators.

LAREDO COLLEGE

LC offers an Associate of Arts Degree that allows transferable arts foundation courses. 

According to LC visual arts faculty member Mary Provence, “The art program offers drawing, painting, ceramics, mixed media, 2D, and 3D design classes.” Lecture-based courses in art history and art appreciation are available to all students requiring Creative Arts CORE credit. 

LC art students experience professional practice in exhibits of their work at the Martha Fenstermaker Memorial Visual Arts Gallery, which also sponsors professional art exhibits. The Fenstermaker gallery recently launched The Giving Gallery, which featured 75 student artworks for sale. From proceeds, each student was awarded $500 in art supplies. 

In 2014, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) excluded studio courses from the Creative Arts CORE curriculum for all state higher education institutions, allowing only lecture-based art classes like art appreciation and art history. This resulted in a decline over the last decade in the number of LC studio art courses and the number of full-time arts faculty. 

Before 2014, LC offered 25 studio art sections per semester, supported by seven to eight full-time visual arts faculty. Two full-time visual arts faculty remain to instruct in about six to eight studio sections and several lecture-based art courses.

TAMIU

TAMIU offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art, a BA in Art with All-Level Certification (for teaching), and minors in Studio Art and Art History. 

The curriculum offers degrees for professional artists, art educators, and art administrators. Associate professor and printmaker Jesse Shaw credits TAMIU art faculty as “our greatest strength.” He said, “We work hard to bring meaningful opportunities to our students by facilitating visiting artists, organizing workshops, and giving students chances to learn directly from working artists.” 

Among those workshops have been those organized by Professor Emily Bayless, a ceramicist who has hosted visiting artists like Adeline Rosales and Gabo Martinez to offer students exposure to professional ceramic practices.

According to Shaw, “TAMIU visual arts students gain skills and experiences that lead directly to meaningful contributions to Laredo’s growing creative community. These benefits are visible every day across the city.” 

Juan de Dios Mora completed an Associate of Art degree at LC and continued at UTSA to earn a BFA, BA and an MFA. A full-time Printmaking Lecturer at UTSA, he has exhibited internationally and has several works housed in the Smithsonian collection. 

Artist, arts administrator, curator and TAMIU graduate, Maritza Bautista, now the Education Director of the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, played a key role as executive director of Daphne Art Foundation and was instrumental in the launch of Tragaluz.

Vanessa Filazzola, who completed post-secondary education in Laredo, serves as the Public Art Program Manager for the City of Laredo.

Noteworthy, too, are instructors of the arts at LISD’s Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications & Fine Arts, who provide a strong foundation in visual arts, music, dance, and theater for college-level art studies.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The City’s Public Art Program and the initiatives of the Laredo Arts Master Plan (LAMP) bear the potential to revitalize neighborhoods, enhance civic pride and quality of life, and support the local economy. 

An estimated completion date of August 2026 for the reconfiguration of an old downtown bus station will become the new home of Daphne Art Foundation’s Cultivarte program.

LC faculty and supporters continue advocacy for art program expansion and faculty increases. According to art instructor Provence, “Long-term strategies for sustainability include developing a publicly articulated growth plan, increasing course offerings, expanding gallery space, and potentially creating artist-in-residence programs in partnership with local organizations.”

TAMIU’s Shaw cited the challenges ahead in art education. “Our biggest challenge is that we are growing fast. We have more students, more courses, and more faculty than ever before. Student interest has increased in digital art fields such as animation and 3D modeling — courses TAMIU doesn’t offer. This underscores the need to expand course offerings, degree pathways, additional classrooms, digital labs, and equipment to ensure students remain competitive in the fields they aspire to enter. Increased visibility and activity of the arts suggest that program expansion is not only likely, but necessary. Strengthening facilities and resources will help graduates continue as active contributors and leaders in the City’s creative landscape.”

The growth of the arts depends on strengthening funding to expand  facilities and programs. Art nonprofits rely on private donations, fundraisers, and grants to maintain operational, staff, and programming expenses, as do higher education programs.

Continued collaboration between educational institutions, community organizations, and municipal leadership can develop an enduring creative economy that benefits current and future generations. 

Every symphony begins with a single note, and behind every note is an idea transformed to new musical heights through a delicate conversation between composer, conductor, and performers. From the concert halls of Europe to South Texas classrooms, harmonious collaboration allows musical legacies to continue across generations and borders.

This rings especially true when exploring the role of the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) in maintaining the city’s rich musical history. Founded in 1980, the Laredo Philharmonic offers a distinct musical experience for the community through its partnership with renowned musicians, local school districts, colleges, and its patrons. 

Considered a mainstay in Laredo’s broader music scene, the LPO traces its roots to the Laredo Civic Music Association (CMA), which operated from 1936 to 1978. Led by Genevieve Richter, the CMA brought world-class musicians and performances to the Martin High School auditorium. Shortly after its final season, its supporters sought to create a symphony orchestra for Laredo. 

Founding member Dr. Ray Keck recalled a meeting at the home of Lawrence and Patricia Mann, where he was introduced to conductor Terence Frazor. The first matter to be addressed was the shortage of resident musicians in Laredo needed to form an orchestra. 

Frazor countered that concern with a proposal: he would commit to the project on the condition that they pushed for securing a strings program in Laredo schools. 

“Those of us listening to Frazor…hadn’t thought of that combination: an orchestra and a strings program to begin training a new generation of Laredoans,” Keck said. 

Thereafter, the founding group expanded to include Richter, Julia Watson Jones, Hortense Offerle, E.H. Corrigan, and Sue Killam. They were tasked with securing fiscal support from banks for the orchestra’s first concert and persuading school districts to invest in a strings program for students. Vidal M. Treviño, then-superintendent of Laredo Independent School District, agreed immediately to the program and the inclusion of the strings faculty as members of the orchestra; his namesake magnet school followed suit upon being founded in 1993. 

With the generous financial backing from seven founding members, the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra was launched, with Keck serving as board chairman and Frazor as musical director (commonly referred to as maestro). 

The inaugural 1980-1981 season proved fruitful, attracting additional board members and sponsors such as the International Bank of Commerce, Elmo López Music Company, Evan and Mary L. Quiros, and Richter’s Department Store. 

Frazor served as maestro for 22 years, witnessing the growth and impact of the orchestra across Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, and their surrounding communities. With the addition of the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale (also led by Frazor) the organization was later rebranded as the Laredo Philharmonic. 

Frazor reflected on the Philharmonic’s ongoing impact for its performers and audiences.

“The LPO brought a culture of classical music to Laredo, which the city had never before experienced. Because of the LPO and the school string programs, Laredo has produced a number of excellent young professional musicians,” Frazor said. 

A significant number of those musicians honed their skills as students at Texas A&M International University, where Keck served as president from 2001 to 2016. Shortly after his appointment, Keck advocated for an expansion of the university’s music curriculum to include concert production. 

Despite initial resistance from the Texas A&M system’s legal counsel, a Memorandum of Understanding was eventually signed, permitting the university to hire a qualified faculty member who would simultaneously serve as musical director of the Laredo Philharmonic. Meanwhile, the Laredo Philharmonic was responsible for covering all costs related to concerts. 

This arrangement also designated the campus as a venue for concerts, free of charge to students. Among its fine arts facilities is the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall, which houses the Sharkey Corrigan Organ, donated by businessman and Laredo Philharmonic founding member E.H. Corrigan.

“The LPO helped inspire Laredoans to invest in the cultural life of our community,” Keck said. He added that Corrigan, who had no children, spontaneously gifted the organ to the university and its incoming generations in lieu of blood descendants.

Following Frazor’s departure from the orchestra, Brendan Townsend assumed the role of musical director while serving on TAMIU’s music faculty. The Irish-born cellist brought a contemporary touch to Laredo Philharmonic’s performances by presenting the works of 20th century, American, and self-published composers. 

During his 17 years as director, the Laredo Philharmonic received significant recognition, most notably with the KLRN documentary Rhapsody on the Río Grande: A Confluence of Culture, which celebrated the musical diversity of the border region. The film’s musical score, Rapsodia Del Río, was composed by Townsend’s colleague and university organist Dr. Colin Campbell and performed by the Laredo Philharmonic, Dr. Campbell, and Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán de Guadalajara. The documentary, produced by PBS affiliate KLRN, aired nationally and received the 2017 Lone Star Chapter Regional Emmy Award.  

The orchestra received further exposure with a special visit from world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma during his Bach Project Day of Action in 2019. The event featured public performances by Ma of select Bach compositions in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, again with key involvement from Townsend, the Laredo Philharmonic, and TAMIU. 

Townsend served in this dual role until his death in 2020, a year which saw unprecedented challenges for artistic organizations due the COVID-19 pandemic and its related public health measures. Moreover, the dissolution of the partnership with TAMIU by Keck’s successor severely affected the LPO’s fiscal stability. 

“This was a horrific blow to musical culture and education in Laredo,” Keck said. “[It was] hard to understand since the University, as per our Memorandum, had no financial exposure.”

Still, Keck expressed hope that the arrangement can be reinstated through dialogue between the Laredo Philharmonic board members and TAMIU’s newly-appointed president, Dr. Charles Maynard.

Despite these challenges, a resilient symphony has emerged through new leadership and initiatives. Presently, Dr. Joseph Crabtree serves as board president of the Laredo Philharmonic, joined by artistic director Dr. Héctor Agüero. Both have longstanding ties to the organization as performers during Frazor and Townsend’s respective tenures. 

Crabtree, professor of music and voice at Laredo College, remains committed to the Laredo Philharmonic’s mission of providing exceptional musical opportunities to students and the community at large. 

“The work we do has empowered our students to go and apply what we teach them to advance in their careers,” Crabtree said, referring to Agüero’s own journey from student performer to conductor. An alumnus of the Vidal M. Treviño magnet school, Agüero now serves as associate professor of music at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Speaking of misconceptions about classical music, Crabtree emphasized that the Laredo Philharmonic welcomes all; the only prerequisite is a love of music and community. 

“One sometimes hears that it is for ‘others’ and not ‘us.’ I beg to differ with that idea,” Crabtree said. “Our music isn’t out of touch. It is a vital part of the human experience.”

Through years of their own triumphs and losses, the Laredo Philharmonic provides harmony to a city weathering the winds of change. Their ability to find the music in moments of discord is truly the heart of their own symphony — a sound born from ideas and collaboration long before a single note was played — that refuses to rest. 

To support Laredo Philharmonic, purchase tickets or view their concert schedule, visit www.laredophilharmonic.com or call (956) 763-9960.

The Laredo art scene has gone through many movements since the 1970s. From the folks who started the Laredo Art League and the Laredo Civic Music association (1936-1978) — precursors, respectively to the Laredo Center for the Arts and the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra; from the thespians and dance groups that kept our heritage alive; and the arts advocates who fought to have a hub for the arts in the heart of downtown. The movements have come in waves, and were it not for those who took the lead, the Laredo art scene would not be what it is today.

The last ten years (2015-2025) brought new spaces of art like Musa Alternative Art Space (2017-2018) and Schwartz Gallery (2018-2020), both located at the Pan American Courts Arts Complex. Musa and Schwartz continued in the tradition of Sound Alternative Art Space, showcasing contemporary art that pushed the boundaries of visual art. A July 7, 2020 Instagram post described the Schwartz Gallery as “a hub for artists to come together and create astonishing murals all over Laredo.” Members of the community were invited to “support our local arts and drop by to show love” for artist Diego Canales’ CMYK Witches, 2020. Canales’ iconic mural, along with Poncho Santos’ “I Love You Chingos” sign, both visible at Frontera Beer Garden, are essential in holding space for the movement that took shape in the late 2010s. 

Musa and Schwartz were unfortunately not able to sustain the valuable work and space they offered. The pandemic truly shook us all. 

Since 1993, the Laredo Center for the Arts (LCA) has been coordinating, promoting, encouraging, and supporting the arts in the Laredo/South Texas area. In 2021 the organization made a critical shift in the type of artwork it presents with the inception of its Acquisition Project. Since then, LCA has presented work by Laredo artists Jorge Javier López, César A. Martínez, Ana Laura Hernández, Ethel Shipton, Juan Juarez, Miki Rodriguez, Angelica Raquel, and Peter Glassford. LCA has also presented collective curatorial projects like The Border is a Weapon (2022) curated by Gil Rocha and [artcrush] Chai’n Brai Laika Daimon (2024). San Ygnacio-based artist Eric Avery filled the LCA with a remarkable transformation of the space with his solo exhibition Art as Medicine (2023). 

Casa Daphne at 1420 Washington St. opened its doors as a contemporary art gallery at the end of 2022 with an Art After Hours exhibition that showcased artwork by Alexander Barron, Alejandro Cortinas, Alexa Hernandez, Hector Hernandez, Jorge Javier López, Pedro Morales, Nestor, Rizu X (Lizett Montiel), Gil Rocha, and myself. The space continues to showcase work by contemporary artists from Laredo and afar. The space is managed by Daphne Art Foundation and is generously on loan by founder and president Alyssa Cigarroa.

Laredo College has played a big part in presenting contemporary art to its students and the community at large at the Martha Fenstermaker Memorial Visual Art Gallery, which not only showcases student artwork but invites regional and national artists to exhibit their work, and on occasion invites guest curators. 

Texas A&M International University, too, serves as an important venue for visual arts exhibitions and its presentations of the theater and performing arts year-round. 

Spaces like Los Olvidados Coffee Shoppe and Gallery have also played a fundamental part in Laredo’s arts ecosystem. 

These spaces of arts and culture are vital. The artwork they present across disciplines are great representations of how contemporary art reflects life and how artists approach their practices to tell stories.

Last year, after twenty years, artists, art-lovers, and arts advocates said goodbye to a pillar of the Laredo arts community when gallery owner Gayle Aker-Rodriguez closed the doors of Gallery 201, a crucial community exhibit space in a historic downtown building that welcomed many iterations of the arts, including Border Slam poetry, meditation evenings, workshops, summer classes, and flamenco and music performances.

The loss of that vital space for art in a City with so few exhibit venues left a significant void. Art and cultural spaces preserve narratives. Without them, the collective memory of the community can become fragmented, and it can become more difficult to transmit knowledge to future generations of the work of those who made and reshaped our art movement. 

Spaces of art like Casa Ortiz, through their exhibitions and community programs, are essential in making the arts and culture accessible to everyone, ensuring that arts and culture remain an experience for all. Dedicated spaces for young and aspiring artists to share their work provide a supportive environment for creative development and building career skills and confidence. They also foster a strong sense of community and belonging. Exhibiting artists and performers receive invaluable feedback and recognition from their peers and mentors, and their audiences validate their efforts. 

May the new year bring new spaces for the arts. It is inspiring to see how Laredo’s art movement continues to shift and grow. 

In a world that too often narrows opportunity, art is one of the few forces that insists on expansion. Demanding curiosity, discipline, and critical thinking, art asks us to observe closely, question assumptions, engage in dialogue, and have the courage to imagine beyond existing conditions.  

When I returned to Laredo in 2017 after a decade away, I deeply missed the environment and community in which I had lived and studied art — longing for 10-hour days in a studio paired with meaningful dialogue and critique with other artists about our work.

As I reacquainted myself with Laredo, I quickly recognized the effects of long-term underinvestment and the absence of infrastructure that supports artists. I understood, too, that some artists did not have a platform on which to stand. 

If the arts were to thrive here, it would not be because conditions were ideal, but because those conditions would have to be intentionally created. Creating the ecosystem in which art thrives calls for investing in artists and cultivating spaces for experimentation and critique in an environment in which artists’ work could be seen and valued, where they could grow their practice and be taken seriously. 

These were some of the many considerations that began to form the plan for what the structure, work, and potential of Daphne Art Foundation could be. 

DAPHNE ART FOUNDATION

Daphne Art Foundation was established as a hands-on non-profit entity in 2019, one that would direct itself to address needs, fill voids, and heighten awareness of the transformative importance of the arts and those who create it.

Our city sings praises of its geographical place in the world, but what of the people who make it extraordinary? What of their voices, their visions, their art? 

There is a void here, one I deeply believe that only artists can fill. And for that to happen, artists must be valued — not as afterthoughts, but as essential shapers of culture, as keepers of memory, and as architects of possibility.

Even when it may appear that artists are invisible, they are here, they have always been here — asking questions that others might not dare, confronting truths that others may wish to ignore, and creating with courage so that others may find connection. 

Through Daphne, our intention is to hold space for this necessary work, because in a city that often overlooks the very people who give it life, it is artists who remind us who we are, and who we might still become. 

It is sometimes asked, “Why doesn’t this or that exist in Laredo?” The answer isn’t mystery — it’s a lack of will. 

Possibility doesn’t always arrive on its own. We have to cultivate it. Daphne Art Foundation aims to create experiences that remind our City what is possible.

We work to connect our friends, our family, and our community with artists they might never have encountered otherwise.

In a community of contradictions — caught between two worlds, ni  de aquí, ni de allá — Laredo carries a history that runs in our blood, a story so rich it shapes us daily, and much of it remains uncaptured, intangible, neither fleeting nor fully seen.

Our vision is to cultivate opportunity. On one side, we work to create experiences that awaken curiosity; on the other, we work towards building space and developing programs for artists to grow, experiment, and tell us their stories. 

Where these paths converge, art and audience meet, and transformation takes root.

As we worked to build space for artists, another truth became clear: the arts also needed to be recognized and supported at the level of City policy. Alongside Regina Portillo, and in close collaboration with artists and advocates, we began advocating for the City to dedicate two percent of the Capital Improvement Project funds to a public arts program, a proposal that was unanimously approved by the Laredo City Council.

In parallel, and in partnership with Linda Lamantia and Telissa Molano, we worked to designate a Cultural District in downtown Laredo through the Texas Commission on the Arts. Around the same time, the Laredo Film Society was emerging, expanding the city’s creative capacity and deepening its narrative voice. Alongside these independent initiatives, a growing network of creatives have been reshaping the City’s cultural landscape, bringing new voices, renewed energy, and a shared sense of possibility for what Laredo could be.

Five to six years later, that intentionality has taken tangible form. Laredo now has a public arts plan and a public arts manager, firmly embedding the arts into the City’s civic framework. Downtown has been reactivated through the Laredo Cultural District’s sustained programming and creative engagement.

What has emerged from this collective effort is a moment of shared possibility. Through the support of the Mellon Foundation, funding has been awarded over the next three years collectively to the Laredo Cultural District, Daphne Art Foundation, Laredo Film Society, and Laredo Center for the Arts. Beyond its immediate impact on artists, this investment reshapes how downtown Laredo can grow, placing culture at the center of its future rather than at its edges.

To be present in Laredo at this moment is to see the arts unmistakably as a powerful, living force transforming community from the inside out. What lies ahead is not simply growth, but responsibility: to continue cultivating this ecosystem with care, alignment, and shared leadership, so that artists remain supported and the transformation we are witnessing across our community can deepen and endure.

CASA CULTIVARTE
919 HOUSTON STREET

At 919 Houston Street, Daphne Art Foundation is creating a dedicated place for artists in Laredo, one focused on sustained practice, shared resources, and serious exchange. The 5,000+ square-foot space is being developed as an incubator where artists can work consistently, access essential tools, and engage with one another in ways that are difficult to sustain without intentional infrastructure.

The building will provide studio space, exhibition opportunities, and shared equipment including a pottery and ceramics studio. Select studios and equipment will be available for rent, expanding access to professional-grade tools for artists working across disciplines.

With construction expected to conclude in late 2026, Casa Cultivarte is an investment in an arts ecosystem where artists can cultivate their practice without leaving the community. This effort reflects our long-term commitment to treating the arts as civic infrastructure and artists as essential contributors to Laredo’s future.

DAPHNE

The name Daphne comes from Greek mythology. Daphne was a nymph known for her freedom, independence, and deep connection to the natural world. When pursued by the god Apollo, she called out to the earth for protection and was transformed into a laurel tree. In that moment, she became more than herself: a living symbol of resilience, renewal, and transformation. The laurel would go on to represent honor, creativity, and triumph. Just as Daphne’s metamorphosis was both an act of survival and an act of transcendence, so, too, does art hold the power to transform.

Our Mellon Foundation grant is an invite only grant. It means a small group of people took the time to truly see what is happening here. They spent months traveling through different communities, speaking with artists and nonprofits, walking the streets, listening to stories, and hearing needs firsthand. 

We are deeply grateful to their team of culture warriors who made the effort to seek out communities, especially along the border, doing meaningful work often with limited resources. That level of attention is generosity in itself. The funding was intentionally structured so that the Laredo Cultural District, Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo Film Society, and Daphne Art Foundation all stand on equal ground. 

By building a framework rooted in collaboration, the Laredo Cultural District made it possible for this grant to exist, not as a single award, but as a collective investment. Each organization receives support to strengthen its own work, with a separate portion set aside for a project we imagine and build together. We do not focus much on the exact dollar amount, but we can say it comes with a few zeros and, more importantly, with trust in how we collaborate, share responsibility, and move forward as a collective. 

From the beginning, this work has been guided by a simple idea: community over competition. It is something I have carried with me for years, written in artwork by Ashley Tristán that has lived over my desk since the early days of forming the Cultural District. Two hands bound together by a ribbon that reads “Community over Competition.” It is black and white. It is simple. It is a steady reminder that none of this happens alone. What has always resonated with us about the Mellon Foundation is its belief that culture and the humanities are essential, not extras. That belief has guided decades of support for work that takes patience and care.

It mirrors our own story. None of this began when funding arrived. It began long before that, really centuries ago, in the creation of this place called Laredo. That spirit lives in Border Arts Rising, our effort to strengthen the Laredo Cultural Network. At its core, it is about working together, staying open to one another, and inviting ideas that bring more people to the table. 

It is also about honoring the artists who have carried this work for years, donating artwork, sharing creativity freely, and continuing to give even when it required real sacrifice. For four years, this work has been powered almost entirely by volunteers. The Mellon grant allows the Laredo Cultural District, for the first time in five years, to support administration. That may not sound exciting, but it is transformative. It means the work no longer relies solely on goodwill and exhaustion. It means we can care for what has been built and help it grow in a healthier way. 

Each organization has its own needs and ideas, but in the end it all comes back to growth and reach. I often think of a simple car sales analogy. You may need ten people to walk into a showroom to get five to take a test drive and one to make a purchase. Cultural work is no different. We have to invite thousands so that hundreds come experience Caminarte, a handful decide to participate, and maybe one chooses to volunteer or give back in a meaningful way. 

That is how generosity begins. It grows from exposure, from feeling something firsthand, and from realizing you want to be part of making it happen. That is the story of rebuilding Caminarte step by step and growing committed volunteers you want to work alongside.

That same belief drives initiatives like partnering with Bethany House through “Streets to Studio,” opening their corner studio during Caminarte to showcase artwork created by members of our unhoused community. They expand who is seen, who is heard, and who feels welcome. They remind us that creativity exists everywhere, even in the most overlooked places, and that our role is simply to make room for it, open the doors to everyone and keep the lights focused on the creative energy.

 As for our group project, we have ideas but are just pulling the chairs out to meet around the table and see what transpires. We’ll all have to wait for that.

(Architect and arts advocate Telissa Molano is a co-founder of the Laredo Cultural District, which in 2021 achieved official designation from the Texas Commission on the Arts.)

Before getting into the future of the arts in Laredo, I think it helps to clarify what I mean by “art.” It’s not the mass-produced décor sold in retail stores, which can make creativity seem quick or effortless. It is work created with intention, thoughtful enough to transform a blank space the way a house doesn’t feel like a home until you add something meaningful. That is the foundation for how I envision the future of Laredo’s art scene. And to understand where I’m headed, it’s important to acknowledge the progress that’s led us here.

Where We Started

Although the Arts & Culture Division officially launched in 2025, the visionaries who led this effort began laying the groundwork years earlier. In 2017, the Fine Arts & Culture Commission (FACC) and nine Laredoans appointed by the Mayor and City Council to represent their districts and offer guidance rooted in community interest, signaled early recognition that art had a role in shaping Laredo’s development.

In 2019, City Council adopted Ordinance 2019-O-177, recognizing public art as a contributor to economic development, beautification, and civic pride,  an important step toward embedding creativity into city projects. By 2021, the Laredo Art Master Plan (LAMP) was developed, providing strategic direction for how Laredo could intentionally grow a stronger, more vibrant cultural landscape.

Where We Stand Now

As the City’s Public Arts Program Manager, implementing LAMP’s vision means navigating federal, state, and municipal requirements while coordinating with departments across the city. The support from city officials and administration has been essential, and even as a one-person division, progress continues because of their willingness to recognize the value of public art within broader city efforts.

On October 6, 2025, City Council approved our first Public Arts Annual Plan, an important milestone marking the shift from planning to implementation. As a new division, our focus is to serve as a resource for city departments, helping integrate art early and thoughtfully into their projects. This work requires patience and collaboration. Artists bring imagination, passion, and sometimes complexity to a project, qualities that can challenge municipal structure but also produce some of the most impactful results.

Where We’re Headed

If we continue building on this momentum, I believe we’ll see a stronger creative presence throughout our community, offering moments that enhance our quality of life, strengthen neighborhoods, support economic development, and celebrate Laredo’s diverse people, history, and natural environment. I’m grateful to be part of the story that continues to unfold for Laredo. Public spaces will welcome both residents and visitors to experience a Laredo in which culture connects us, and creativity is part of everyday life.

This past September, Council Member Alyssa Cigarroa invited me to attend “Imagine, Create, Activate!” in Chicago. The gathering brought together public art administrators, consultants, and artists to discuss how creativity strengthens public spaces and communities.

Seeing murals, installations, and cultural programming woven throughout Chicago offered transformative insight into what Laredo can build as our own program matures. I also had the opportunity to observe firsthand how Council Member Cigarroa’s continued support for the arts and confidence in Laredo’s creative potential play an important role in advancing this work and opening new opportunities for growth in our community.

Looking ahead, I envision the Arts & Culture Division establishing a physical home — ideally downtown, in the heart of the art district, where our growing civic art collection can be displayed and rotated throughout the year, a true placemaking space where residents can experience local artwork, attend workshops and events such as Caminarte, and participate in art programs.

When staffing expands, we will be given the opportunity to take on more ambitious projects, whether that’s something as complex as projection mapping or creative work that goes beyond visual art and includes performing arts, music, dance, and other forms that highlight the full range of talent in Laredo.

There will always be challenges. Art is sometimes overlooked or misunderstood compared to more immediate operational needs. Blank walls and blank spaces feel unfinished, whether in a home or a city.  Just as a home gains warmth and identity when meaningful art is added, a city becomes more expressive and connected when creativity is visible in its public spaces.

Laredo’s art future is already taking shape. With every project, collaboration, and creative voice, we move closer to the version of Laredo that reflects who we are, and who we aspire to be.

(I wasn’t born in Laredo, but I grew up here and graduated from United South High School. I have never felt the need to leave. I studied both art and mathematics, learning so much from our local institutions and taking every opportunity they offered, including chances to travel. Regardless of the student debt that tagged along on my adventures abroad, I always hoped to bring the experiences I gathered, especially those moments of exploration and wonder through art, back to Laredo. I enjoy supporting others in our community, from introducing kids to confidence and discipline through karate, to helping students in their studies and mentoring them through the transitions I once faced myself. In my role managing Laredo’s Arts & Culture Division, I carry that same commitment and desire forward. On the most challenging days, this work reinforces my belief in the impact art can have on all of us and offers me the chance to give back to the community that shaped me.)