JJThe Insfitt:lte tJf Texan Cultures ...
THE INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES was
a busy place last year. There were joyful
moments, as when the two-millionth visitor .to
the Texas Folklife Festival came through the
turnstiles, and there were somber ones, as
when we went through reorganization and
downsizing in May. When all was said and
done, it was a year of dynamic change.
Continuous improvement is becoming a way of
life at the Institute. The Exhibit Floor Task
Group, for instance, looked at the very best
practices of museums across the country. The
resulting report provided a creative and exciting
philosophy for all changes that will take place
in our exhibits during the coming years. As the
heart of the Institute, the Exhibit Floor will give
birth to a new dynamism.
Coupled with continuous improvement is a
profusion of synergy. Research on a project to
replace the African-American poster series
resulted in a new traveling exhibit, "Like a
Double-Edged Sword": The Black Civil Rights
Movement in Texas. The quality team approach
to the design of the exhibit led to new
technologies and techniques being applied,
resulting in a very educational piece that is
highly engaging. From that same research will
emerge both a multicultural educational kit and
a new element in the African-American area of
the Exhibit Floor.
Additionally, the Institute reached out as never
before to its constituencies all over the state.
A survey of our stakeholders (customers)
helped us learn what they need and want from
their Institute. The resulting report will serve
as a guide to planning in coming years. While
this survey was progressing, the Tejano Task
Group reached out to various Hispanic
communities to learn the stories they want
told in the new Tejano area of the Exhibit
Floor. And looking to the new year, the
Institute received grants from the AT&T
Foundation and AT&T Corporation to survey
the special needs of teachers for professional
development, curricula, and materials creation
in intercultural education.
Finally, with a strong and meaningful Institute
mission statement in mind, each division and
department developed goals and action plans
for FY95. In so doing, they have become
mission-driven in ensuring that the Institute
fulfills its mandate of enhancing intercultural
understanding in Texas. It has been a truly
exciting and meaningful year.
Rex Ball
is a uniwersit~ educational center
dedicated to the enhancement of
multicultural understandir;lg
At the Institute of Texan Cultures, 1994 was a year of reorganization and team~
building. Armed with the revised Institute mission statement, staff members
began developing related departmental mission statements, goals, and action
plans, and, in so doing, became unified and strengthened in their task of
fostering multicultural understanding in others.
The impact made by the Institute is expanded far beyond the actions of its
staff, however. More than 450 members of the Alliance-our volunteer corps­donated
over 48,000 hours in support of the Institute mission, providing the
equivalent of $480,000 in compensated time. They conducted tours, assisted in
outreach programs, provided support services to most ITC departments, and
performed hands~on activities for the public during special events. These
volunteers were supplemented by more than 200 Ambassadors in 91 counties
who took the story of Texas's ethnic and cultural heritage and the work of the
Institute to their own cities and counties across the state.
Standing firmly behind the Institute was a strong, dedicated Development
Board, which provided leadership, direction, and a commitment to forge new
partnerships with business, government , education, and philanthropic entities.
All of the 40 Board members are recognized leaders in their communities, but
two members were especially singled out in 1994: Jean Kaspar received a
Distinguished Alumnus Award from The University of Texas; and Irene Wischer
was recognized by the Funding Information Center of Texas for her role in
"voluntary giving, voluntary service, and voluntary association for the benefit
of the citizens of San Antonio and Texas ."
Strengthened by these Board members, volunteers, and Ambassadors, and by
corporate support, the Institute could focus on the work at hand and better
position itself to become a pacesetter in multicultural education.
From left, Dr. Sam Kirkpatrick and Dr. Rex Ball with
Development Board members Frank W. Calhoun,
chairman 1994- 1995, and John Keck, 1993-1994 chairman
From left, Ted Peck, UTSA Vice President for University
Advancement , and new Development Board members
Victoria Goebel, Diana Gonzalez, and Tony Rivera
•
through exhibits
The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Aaron Douglas
from the Walter O. Evans Collection
Exhibits on a variety of topics have always provided an informative, visual
means of sharing the state's cultural and ethnic heritage. Opening just two
days after the 1993 Texas FolkJife Festival. the Walter O. Evans Collection
of African American Art continued through October to attract an
appreciative audience. This exhibit will surely be remembered as one of the
most outstanding ever offered by the Institute. The Evans exhibit was followed
by EI Camino Real and a series of thoughtful photographic exhibits which
celebrated the diversity of this state: The Tiguas: Pueblo Indians of Texas;
Faces of Texas, Images of Diversity; and Pass it On: Photographic
Portraits of Master Texas Folk Artists. The poignant, popular Mexican
holiday, the Day of the Dead, was celebrated with a traditional altar, El Dla de
los Muertos Of renda, which was accompanied by the Institute's award~winning
video and a gallery theater production on the same subject .
In the Photo Gallery, Institute visitors viewed exhibits on a variety of themes
composed of photographs from our collection of more than two million
images: Alamo Plaza: Heart of the City; Celebrate Holidays! Celebrate
Ethnicity!; Wearing Many Hats: Texas Women Volunteers; and Pleasures
of Summer.
The ongoing work of the Tejano Task Group bore first fruits in the Spanish
and Mexican areas of the Main Exhibit Floor, as the new "Tejano" exhibit
began to evolve in gradual replacement of the former two areas. Two
dioramas were installed, depicting scenes from San Antonio de Bexar around
1795, one of a private residence and the other of Plaza Mayor. Audio
components, with scripts read primarily by Institute staff members, will be
incorporated in early 1995. Also added to the Main Floor was a Kickapoo
summer house, which was constructed by an Eagle Pass student.
Traveling exhibits take subject matter on 25 Texas~related topics to locations
away from the Institute. In 1994 these exhibits generated more than $17,000 in
rental income, going to 162 destinations from Panhandle to Hidalgo. A new
exhibit, "Like a Double~Edged Sword": The Black Civil Rights Movement
in Texas, made its debut in a series of showings, accompanied by lectures, in
Lubbock and Dallas, with additional "premiere" shOWings scheduled for FY95 in
Houston and Nacogdoches and at the Institute. Designed on Plexiglas panels,
the exhibit features the words and thoughts of Blacks who experienced the
struggle for civil rights in Texas.
In addition to its work on all Institute exhibits, the Production Division
designed and built a major touring exhibition for the John E. Conner Museum
at Texas A&M University in Kingsville. Entitled El Rancho in South Texas:
Continuity and Change from 1750, the exhibit offers a sweeping view of
South Texas ranch history and culture.
Exhibit Floor, "Tejano" area diorama,
detail upper right
Photo Gallery exhibit,
Pleasures of Summer
• •
• •
Carlos E. Cortes,
Jorge Klor de Alva,
and Ray Garza
Interaction with the public through quality programming is another
critical method of reinforcing the Institute's mission. Two dynamic
symposia brought distinguished panels of scholars to San Antonio.
Held in conjunction with the Evans exhibit, "Culture and Tradition in
African American Art" offered perspectives by Dr. Richard Long, Dr. Jeff
Donaldson, Dr. Regenia Perry, Alvia Wardlaw, Lynne Adele, and David
Driskell, and was moderated by Douglas K.S. Hyland. "The 1993
University Conference on Multiculturalism," cosponsored with UTSA,
featured presentations by Carlos E. Cortes, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.,
Kimberly Camp, Cornel West, and Jorge Klor de Alva. Developed on
the premise that multiculturalism is one of the defining features of
democracy in the United States, the conference was an outgrowth
of a strategic initiative proposed by the Institute together with the
resources and planning efforts of the university at large and the San
Antonio community.
Special events continued to attract a variety of audiences. African
Americans were honored twice: in October during Celebrate African
Americans!, a program related to the Evans exhibit; and again in
February, during the Sound Tracks of Culture: Black History Month
Program. In October Pioneer Sunday took children and their parents
back to the simpler days of the turn of the century. It was followed by
Holiday Traditions around the World in December, which offered
glimpses into the seasonal celebrations of a number of ethnic and
cultural groups.
Growing bigger and stronger each year, the 3rd Annual Texas
Children's Festival during Fiesta drew almost 8,000 visitors eager to
explore traditional and contemporary cultures in an entertaining setting.
Through the generous support of more than 1,100 performers,
sponsors, donors, and participants, the Festival utilized a variety of
disciplines-history, fine arts, language, science, and technology-to
heighten multicultural awareness in even the very young. The Institute
helped conclude Fiesta activities with the popular Bowie Street Blues
concert, which assembled the talents of blues artists from around the
state. More "blues" followed in July when the Sound Tracks of Cultures
series presented Blues, Boleros and Breakdowns-Texas Women in
Traditional Music, organized by Texas Folklife Resources.
In August came the 23rd Annual Texas Folklife Festival-the
Institute's premier event-which brought the music, stories, crafts, and
foods of more than 40 ethnic and cultural groups to San Antonio. It
proved a banner year. A Houston man became the two-millionth visitor
to the Festival. winning an enviable prize package which included airline I
tickets to any Delta destination in the United States. He was one of
more than 76,000 who boosted attendance over the 1993 numbers and
who, assisted by a Festival management dedicated to drastically
reduced overhead costs, ensured a strong financial finish for this
popular event.
Texas Folklife Festival
... programs • •
Texas Children's Festival
Trudy Lynn, Bowie Street Blues
• . . and publications that enGourage
acceptance and appreczi8tiolll of our
differenues as well as our
·-.:::.--Eommon humanity.
Institute publications have disseminated educational information to a wide
audience over the years, but sales increased an unprecedented 154% in 1994,
due primarily to a multicultural project which the Texas Education Agency
included in the fourth grade Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. Many of
these publications, including Barbara Stanush's Texans: A Story of Texan Cultures for
Young People, quickly ran out of print; but an Institute team assembled a packet
of information, entitled Texans: One and All, to help meet the need of this
important constituency, selling more than 5,000 copies to teachers and
librarians. By the end of the fiscal year, Texans and its accompanying study
gUide had been reprinted.
People of tfle Sun:
Tfle Tiguas of Ysieta,
study guide
People of
the Sun
Also published in FY94 was The Hungarian Texans, written by the late Institute
researcher James Patrick McGuire, which focuses on the significant Hungarian
individuals, events, and communities in Texas during the 19th and 20th
centuries and details the lives of several notable families.
The Tiguas of Ysleta
These publications, along with the entire selection of works in the Institute
library, are being added to the UTSA electronic cataloging system.
TEXANS i;r
• A Story of Texan Cultures for Young People.
Texans : A Story of Texan Cultures for Young People
The Institute's audiovisuals also made a positive
impact on people both within the state and
internationally. People of the Sun: The Tiguas of Ysleta
was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 1993
Society for Visual Anthropology in Washington,
D.C., and was selected for screening at the 1993
meetings of the American Folklore Society and
the American Anthropological Association; Panna
Maria: The Heart of Polish Texans and Circle of Life:
The Alabama-Coushattas received 1993 San Antonio
Conservation Society Citations; and both Circle of
Life and EI Dfa de los Muertos: The Day of the Dead
were awarded Honorable Mentions at the 41st
Annual Columbus International Film and Video
Festival. Newly produced were an educational
video for UTSA's Comprehensive Regional Center
for Minorities and a documentary on the
Mexican-American tradition of the quinceanera.
Research and videotaping continued with the
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas on their
reservation in Eagle Pass and in El Nacimiento,
Coahuila, Mexico, affording another opportunity
for critical interaction with a group which has
had a significant impact on the cultural fabric of
the state.
•
UOperating on the premise that people
are stronger citizens
when they l<noW' mere aoout
themselves and each other •
Exhibits, programs, and publications tell only a portion of the
Institute story. Staff and volunteers shared the ethnic and
cultural history of Texas with the public in other ways as well.
Nearly 360,000 people from all walks of life came to tour our
exhibits, up 6.8% from 1993. Included in this figure are school
and adult tours, visitation by the general public, visitors to the
Texas Folklife Festival and other special events, and rental
clients. The latter category brought in 52,777 people, up 39%
from 1993, and generated an income of $134,019. The scope
again extended well beyond the walls of the Institute with
educational programs that were taken to 74,347 people in
schools and communities throughout Texas.
The broadcast of Institute research continued to increase in
both scope and significance. By the end of the summer, more
than 45 radio stations across the state had subscribed to our
radio program, "Lifetimes: The Texas Experience," building a greater
appreciation for the diversity of experiences among people and
communities in Texas. Some of these stories, along with other
research, formed the basis for a series of vignettes produced
by local television station KABB for Hispanic Heritage Month.
On a smaller but more personal scale, Heritage Tours took
over 240 docents and members to Corpus Christi, Livingston,
Stonewall, Falfurrias, Paint Rock, and Sonora, expanding their
individual knowledge and increasing awareness in other
communities of the Institute and its mission. The Tejano Task
Group spent time out in various communities, as well, by
conducting meetings in San Antonio, Edinburg, and EI Paso to
gather first~hand information from Tejanos to incorporate into
the new "Tejano" area of the Exhibit Floor. Staff members gave
assistance to two other outreach efforts: Elderhoste!. through a
program entitled "Texas: A Diversity of Cultures"; and Upward
Bound, cosponsored with UTSA and Southside lSD, through
which approximately 50 high school students with the potentia!.
but not the means, for higher education received valuable
supplemental preparation.
Schoolchildren in the Indian area
on the Exhibit Floor
Visitors in the spinning and weaving
area on the Exhibit Floor
•
the Institute serves as a forum for
multicultural · educational efforts I n the
state and symboliz@s the state's strength
• •
None of the Institute's activities could have taken place without
adequate funding and fiscal responsibility Contributing to the
coffers in 1994 was the newly renovated Institute Store, which
enjoyed a gross income of $265,972, an increase of 18% over
1993. The Physical Plant Department implemented programs and
policies resulting in significant savings which also affected the
overall financial picture. An Institute-wide energy-reduction
campaign on electricity usage netted a gain of almost $16,000 in
five months alone and served as the impetus for a study on
constructing and operating a chiller/ boiler on the grounds, rather
than continuing to utilize the city system. It was determined that
once implemented, such a system will result in $ 151 ,000 in
energy savings per year.
The financial summary for FY94 is presented below.
REVENUE
State Appropriations 2,254,483 45.97%
Local Income 156,000 3. 18%
Sales and Services 753,587 15.36%
TFF, Store, and Parking 1,523,777 31.07%
Public and Private 124,340 2.54%
Voluntary Giving
Interest Income 56,453 1. 15%
Endowment Income 36,047 0.73%
Total Current Revenues 4,904,687 100%
INSTITUTE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, 1993-94
John Keck, Chairman. Laredo
Charles C. Andrews Jr.. San Antonio
Lynn C. Ashby. Houston
Claudia Abbey Ball. Comstock
Ann Biggs. San Antonio
Ann Brinkerhoff. Houston
Janey Briscoe (Emeritus). Uvalde
Robert A. Buschman. San Antonio
Clifton Caldwell. Albany
Frank W. Calhoun. Houston
John De La Garza Jr., Dallas
John Eckel, Galveston
Gregory G. Gomez, Dallas
Brian S. Greig, Austin
Henry Guerra, San Antonio
John Henderson, Hunt
Robert L.M. Hilliard, San Antonio
Reagan Houston IV, San Antonio
Elizabeth S. Hutchinson, Palestine
Jean Kaspar. Shiner
Irwin L. Levy. Houston
in diversity."
Sources of Income
Public and Private
TFF, Store, and
Parking
31%
Giving
3% State Appropriations
/ 46%
Interest
Income
1% -------- . local Income
Income Sales and Services 3%
1% 15%
Sheridan Grace Nichols. Huntsville
Damaso A. Oliva. Houston
Chris B. Parsons. Houston
Dan C. Peavy Jr.. San Antonio
Richard Potter. Gilmer
Ruth D. Sterling, Houston
Marshall T. Steves Jr.. San Antonio
Mary Pat Stumberg. San Antonio
Rick Wilbins. Dallas
W. Darrell Willerson Jr.. San Antonio
Tony L. Chauveaux. Beaumont Irene Wischer. San Antonio
Gloria Coleman. Houston
Nellie B. Connally (Emeritus). Houston
Barbara A. Cox. Fort Worth
Jack R. Maguire (Emeritus), Fredericksburg
Douglas W. Matthews. Galveston
William P. Wright Jr., Abilene
Nancy Young. Houston
John P McGovern, Houston
THROUGH MARCH 8. Exhibit in Progress. The Re­design
of Existing Spanish and Mexican Areas of
the Main Exhibit Floor into New "Tejano" Exhibit
Area. Spanish and Mexican Areas of the Main Exhibit
Floor. The In stitute 's major revision of the Spanish and
Mexican areas wi ll combine the two into a single exhibit
ca lled the "Tejano" area, which will trace the devel­opment
of a Tejano identity as immigrants from New
Spain and Mexico adapted to conditions in Texas . Im­plementation
wi ll take place in stages over the next five
years, with construction phases that correspond to
exhibit sections: Colonial Roots (to be installed in two
consecutive phases). Family, Work, and Community Life
Each winter a portion of the exhibit will close down for
constru ction. There will be limited access to the con­stru
ction area during these months. At intervals during
the phase-in, gallery theater performances and vis itor
feedback activities will be offered.
THROUGH JANUARY Exhibit. The Changing Face of
Harvest. Photo Gallery. Although harvest is tradi­tiona
lly associated with the autumn season, harvest in
Texas is a year-round chore. The exhibit , which com­prises
photographs taken from the Institute's collection
o f two million images, captures the ways in which
Texans have harvested their crops from the late 19th
century to modern times. Free and open to the public.
JANUARY 12-FEBRUARY 26. Traveling Exhibits Series.
"Lik~ a Double-Edged Sword": The Black Civil
Rights Movement in Texas. Lower Gallery. This new
traveling exhibit features the words and thoughts of
Blacks who experienced the struggle for civil rights in
Texas. It was designed to help audiences become more
aware of the civi l r ights movement, its legacy, and its
effect on contemporary race relations, economics, and
our social structure, and help them better understand
that the costs to the Black community continue to
plague contemporary American society. The exhibit in­cludes
vintage film footage of the desegregation era.
This exhibit and the following are among the Institute's
21 traveling exhibits available for rent. This series of
displays, however, is free and open to the public.
JANUARY 12-FEBRUARY 26. Traveling Exhibits Series.
Saints Preserve Us. Lower Gallery. This wall-hanging
exhibit features photographs of retablos (altarpieces).
which are unique works of folk art that depict the sa ints
for whom many towns in Texas were named.
MARCH 2-APRIL 2. Traveling Exhibits Series. What They
Say about Texas: Being a Mind's-Eye Tour of Texas
with Some Notable Travelers. Lower Gallery. Elo­quent
and often humorous quotations about Texas and
Texans from David Crockett , Will Rogers, O. Henry,
Oscar Wilde, John Steinbeck, and others are featured in
this exhibit .
MARCH 2-APRIL 2. Traveling Exhibits Series . To Stand
Alone: A Gallery of Texas Originals. Lower Gallery
The lives of some of Texas 's most famous and eccentric
characters are highlighted in this exhibit. These "orig­inals"
include sculptor Elisabet Ney, who dressed like a
man; Mollie Bailey, the circus queen of the Southwest;
and w.e. Brann, an editor so hated that his tombstone
was shot up.
MARCH 2-APRIL 2. Traveling Exhibits Series. Texas
Images. Lower Gallery. This wall-hanging exhibit pre­sents
some 25 Texas symbols and their stories, includ­ing
the official state seal. flower, tre e, bird, motto, so ng,
gemstone, capitol. and flag.
-
~1 Institute of Texan Cultures ~~ The University of Texas
if -S-O-l -S-o-u-th- B-o-w-i-e -S-tr-e-et- *- S-an--A- n-to-n-i-o-, '-f,e-x-a-s-7-S-2-0-S--3-2-96