The University of Texas INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES at San Antonio
ANNUAL 1996 REPORT
(Left to right) Assistant Superintendent Jimmy Collins;
the Honorable Pete Laney, Speaker of the Texas House
of Representatives; Principal Ellen Enriquez; and
Dr. Rex Ball participated in the reception at
R. C. Andrews Elementary School, which kicked off
theAT&T project in Floydada.
The Institute of Texan Cultures opened in 1968 as the Texas Pavilion at HemisFair in celebration
of the people of Texas. Its premise was established by a visionary leader who said it must be ((a place of
ideas, not things" and that ((it must tell its story in terms of people, not of dry ideas, data, and historical
development."
That original vision has not changed. The Institute has undergone reorganization, departmental
mission reviews, and a series of evaluations aimed at strengthening its role of determining and
satisfying the needs of its customers. But these milestones have only served to enhance the work of the
institution and further solidify its role as an agent of positive change fostering cultural understanding.
Armed with concrete data, the Institute has, in fiscal year 1996, taken bold steps by initiating
admission fees and by reaching out to the public and private sectors for collaboration on multicultural
programming that can make a difference in Texas and, indeed, the world.
In short, the Institute entered an era of efflorescence. Under the leadership of Dr. Rex Ball, the
vision expressed in 1968 continues to blossom. Specific steps were taken toward realization of Dr. Ball's
Vision Statemen t: The 21 st Cen tury, in which he envisioned the role the Institute would play in helping
shape education in the future. ((While change will be a core value," he stated, ((its early leaders would be
comfortable in the new Institute. It will be a welcoming place, a forum for all the racial and ethnic
groups of Texas, a place where profound learning occurs in an enjoyable, user-friendly, hands-on
manner. Its impact will reach out to cover Texas and influence educational practices across the country
and throughout the world."
In 1996 the new Institute's impact on education was exhibited through work reflected on the
Exhibit Floor, in outreach programs, in historical and cultural products, and through special events.
The Tejano Task Force: (standing) Patrick Chavez,
Matt Solorio, Phyllis McKenzie, Tom Shelton,
Sally Wiskemann, David LaRa; (seated) Willie Mendez,
Patty Burrus, and Lorenzo Galvan Jr.
The Gallery Theater production on the Day of the Dead
The Exhibit Floor
Perhaps nowhere is the changing Institute more visil1 , > on the
Exhibit Floor. The area consists of more than 50,000 squ~ eet of exhibits
and boasted an attendance in FY96 of over 251,000 visitors, including
more than 70,500 schoolchildren from public and private schools
throughout the state. Each year informed staff members and docents
conduct guided tours of both the main Exhibit Floor, featuring 27 of the
ethnic and cultural groups that settled Texas, and the Back 40 interpretive
area behind the Institute, which includes a dogtrot log house, a Hill
Country barn, an adobe house, a windmill, an immigrant wagon, and a
fort. This area also provides the perfect venue for the Institute's annual
Summer Camp on the Back 40, which drew about 40 second and third
graders in the summer of 1996.
A major change occurred in November 1995 with the
implementation of an admission charge to the Exhibit Floor. The decision
came after careful consideration of budgetary issues, coupled with the
Institute's desire to continue its present level of service to the people of
Texas. The primary factor contributing to the decision to charge admission
was the decrease in state appropriated funds. Although some individuals,
families, and school groups were adversely affected by the admission fee, it
was the Institute's overriding desire to continue offering to Texans,
especially schoolchildren, the same level of programs and services in
multicultural education for which it has become known and respected.
Recognizing the value of audience research in determining long­range
plans for new exhibits, the Exhibit Floor Task Group contracted the
services of People, Places, & Design Research to help in discerning public
perceptions and interests regarding the Institute. The resulting report,
based on carefully conducted surveys, presents both a positive assessment
of the Institute and a challenge to make engaging improvements to the
Exhibit Floor space, creating an even more effective experience for visitors.
Under the guidance of this task group, such carefully planned changes and
improvements will bring new life to the Exhibit Floor. The Institute is
committed to at least one major change each year resulting in a new
experience for visitors.
Phase I of the Mexican-Spanish Area renovation, the Colonial
Roots section, was completed in the spring and features three mannequin
scenes designed to give the visitor a sense of stepping back in time. The
scenes portray a Spanish Colonial soldier on guard duty, a Canary Islands
widow entering her home, and a friar with Indian children at the Socorro
Mission Church near El Paso. Quotations from conquistadors and settlers
give eyewitness impressions of the Spanish Colonial Era. The
transformation of the Exhibit Floor continued with the addition of an
interactive multimedia station to the Indian Area. By using this multimedia
unit, visitors can take a more detailed look at Texas's contemporary
Indians-how they live and work today. Ongoing evaluations in the
African-American Area will provide information critical to future
renovations in that part of the Exhibit Floor.
A popular addition to the Mexican-Spanish Area of the Exhibit
Floor each fall is the Ofrenda del Dia de los Muertos, a traditional Day of the
Dead altar. The altar is complemented by a Gallery Theater production on
the Day of the Dead.
A newly developed Programs Division brochure will assist teachers
in using Institute services, and new teacher previsit information brochures
for specific grade levels will help them better integrate field trips with their
Longtime Texas Fo1klife Festival
participant Rowdy Pate demonstrates
one of his creations.
world. To facilitate this work, the Library is proceeding with the
retrospective conversion of its book collection catalog into an electronic
format catalog. Information on about two-thirds of the Library's 6,000
volumes is now accessible through the UTSA Library's on-line catalog. The
Library has taken the first steps toward bringing its photo collection on­line
with the purchase of a customized database for photo collection
catalog information. The photo collection of over 2.5 million images
continues to grow. Last year the Library held Photo Heritage Days in
Brackettville, Dilley, Yancey, Corpus Christi, Devine, and Hondo. Vintage
photographs from over 100 participants were copied, adding 888 images to
the ITC Historical Photo Collection.
The Institute's premier event is the annual Texas F " estival,
which in 1996 celebrated 25 years of providing both an e ca ional and an
entertaining setting for the folklife activities of the cultural and ethnic
groups which settled Texas. Media attention to the event, already
intensified because of the Silver Anniversary Celebration, was increased
even more through the efforts of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors
Bureau, which marketed weekend get-away packages in five cities in Texas.
Mall promotions, targeted press material mailings, on-grounds radio
stations, and an overall new approach to marketing gave greater visibility
to the Festival and resulted in increased coverage. The total gate count
stood at approximately 72,000 visitors.
Several other events created interest in a wide variety of audiences.
On the schedule for the year were Family Hoedown, Holiday Traditions
around the World-A European Hanging of the Greens, The Legacy of
Mrica, the Celebrate a Culture! Series, Midwinter Tales-A Multicultural
Storytelling Series, the ever-growing Texas Children's Festival, and the
Bowie Street Blues concert. The Institute reached out to high school
students with "Taking a Stand": Regional School History Fair Exhibition,
honoring selected students who participated in the UTSA fair. A special
brown-bag luncheon lured a number of people to learn about The French
Connection: The La Salle Shipwreck.
Partnering with corporate sponsors opened new dq" p;.~"i;lml'·
educational products. Fascinating Texans: A Multicultu esearch Kit for
Secondary Students, funded by the Ellwood Foundation, is a six-week
teaching unit that will help students practice skills necessary for the Texas
Assessment of Academic Skills while learning about an eclectic group of
"fascinating Texans"-from Baron de Bastrop to Selena Quintanilla Perez.
Dusty Britches serenades a visitor during The Los Caminos del Rio traveling trunk project, funded by the
the 1996 Texas Children's Festival. Southwestern Bell Foundation, was completed in the fall of 1996 with the
addition of two trunks. The Transportation and Architecture trunks, along
with the original Agriculture and Ranching trunk, are offered free of
charge to teachers in schools on the Texas side of the Rio Grande border
for two years before becoming part of the Institute's regular traveling trunk
collection. A project of the Institute and the Texas Historical Commission,
the trunks contain touchable artifacts and information related to the
topics. Included in the Agriculture and Ranching trunk is the Institute's
new video documentary Workin' from Can't to Can't: African-American
Cowboys in Texas.
! I
Fascinating Texans: A Multicultural Research Kit for Secondary
Students is available through mail order at the cost of $250 plus shipping
and handling. Supplies are limited! For information on this and other
Institute products, those interested may call (800) 776-7651.
Workin' from Can't to Can't was offered to public television stations
across the nation, resulting in carriage by 148 stations in 28 states and the
U.S. Virgin Islands. It was recognized with a second-place award in the
Cultural Studies Division, American Association of Museums 7th Annual
Muse Awards, and with the 1996 Award of Excellence for a Television
(Local Production) Documentary Program from Women in
Communications, Inc., San Antonio Professional Chapter. This video, the
revised edition of The German Texans, and other Institute products are
sold in the gift shop and through the Institute's new Catalog of Products
and Services, printed and distributed in August 1996.
Other Institute products and traveling exhibits continued to
provide much-needed educational resources to teachers and the general
public, while serving as a valuable source of income to institutional
operations. Estimated sales from publications and audiovisuals in FY96
stood at $65,000, while traveling exhibit and trunk rentals brought in
$20,000. Income from the Institute gift shop, featuring both international
and Texana gift items and publications, was approximately $175,000. Any
revenue realized after expenses is used to develop and produce other
educational products.
The Institute and the World
Technology continues to open the Institute's resour estate
and, indeed, to the world through improved internal ser~s and the
World Wide Web. Additional information about the Institute library,
special-use facilities, membership, calendar of events and exhibits,
Lifetimes: The Texas Experience (the Institute's statewide radio program),
teacher-training opportunities, products and services, and the Texas
Folklife Festival are now on-line with links to appropriate staff members.
To facilitate these improvements and additions, the Information
Technology staff doubled disc storage capacity with the addition of two
servers. IT also switched over to NT Advanced Server and Windows for
WorkGroups 3.11 and added Graphical Internet access through Netscape.
With these improvements have come a completely graphical environment
and direct worldwide e-mail access via Microsoft Mail. More than a third
of the Institute's outdated personal computers have now been replaced
with more current models.
Staff members affect more than the work accompli ' e
Institute-many are making a difference in the commUnI and in their
professions. Executive Director Dr. Rex Ball sits on the Board of Directors
for the Downtown Rotary Club, the sixth largest in the nation, and also on
the Board of Directors for Communities in Schools. Jo Ann Andera,
director of the Texas Folklife Festival, just completed a term as Chairman
of the International Festivals and Events Association. She was also inducted
into the Texas Festivals Association (TFA) Hall of Honor and was
presented TFA's Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Service,
Dedication, and Leadership.
Fascinating Texans: A Multicultural Research Kit for
Secondary Students
~ Nels(<1pe [lllsllttll ('o t It'XdnCuliuresj
ITC Home Page.
Also during Fiscal Year 1996, Lynn Catalina, director of
Communications and Marketing, was named to the Board of Directors for
the Texas Public Relations Association and served as a public dimension
surveyor for the Museum Assessment Program of the American
Association of Museums. Institute Buyer Minnie Collins served as president
of San Antonio's chapter of Jack and Jill, Inc., a service organization for
children. Programs Director Dr. Judith York, as well as Dr. Shirley Mock,
Dr. Barbara Lawrence, and Diane Bruce in the Programs Division, sat on
several boards. Dr. York served on the Advisory Board for OASIS (Older
Adult System and Information Service); Dr. Mock was on the Executive
Board of the Texas Archeological Society; and Dr. Lawrence served on
boards for the Child Advocates San Antonio, Texas A&M Development
Council, Texas A&M Cancer Council, and the District X Grievance
ITC Research Associate Mary Grace Ketner is a popular Committee for the State Bar of Texas; Bruce was a board member of the
storyteller at area storytelling concerts. Special Libraries Association and the Texas Libraries Association. Dr.
She founded and serves as current president of the Lawrence was also president of the San Antonio Chapter of Links, Inc.
San Antonio StoryTellers Associa tion.
Even more of the Institute's employees are involved in community
life, volunteering as coaches, caregivers, and teachers, and at schools,
churches, and other museums and cultural organizations.
Lora B Garrison looks on as Production staff member
Juan Contreras coaches Willie Braudaway in silkscreening
a print during theAmbassador gathering.
In turn, the work of the Institute could not be accomplished
without those who volunteer their time as members of the Alliance and as
statewide Ambassadors. More than 400 docents offer Exhibit Floor tours to
schoolchildren and adults, take Institute programs into schools, work in the
library, provide clerical assistance to various departments, and assist in
numerous ways during special events, including the Texas Folklife Festival.
These dedicated docents clocked over 46,000 hours valued at $460,000. The
Ambassador program continues to flourish as well, with approximately 250
members taking the work of the Institute into their own communities.
Training for Ambassadors has taken on new dimensions and now involves
on-site sessions in selected communities. This year training sessions were
held in Iredell, Andrews, and San Antonio.
DEVELOPMENT BOARD MEMBERS
Fiscal Year 1995-96
Jean Kaspar, Chairman, Shiner
Mary Pat Stumberg, Vice Chairman,
San Antonio
Eugene Ames Jr., San Antonio
Charles C. Andrews Jr., San Antonio
Lynn C. Ashby (Emeritus), Houston
Claudia Abbey Ball, Comstock
Ann Biggs, San Antonio
Ann Brinkerhoff (Emeritus), Houston
Janey Briscoe (Emeritus) , Uvalde
Robert A. Buschman, San Antonio
Clifton Caldwell, Albany
Frank W. Calhoun, Houston
Tony L. Chauveaux, Beaumont
Gloria Coleman, Houston
Nellie B. Connally (Emeritus), Houston
Barbara A. Cox, Fort Worth
Victoria Hurd Goebel, San Antonio
Diana Bravo Gonzalez, San Antonio
Brian S. Greig, Austin
Henry Guerra, San Antonio
Robert L.M. Hilliard, M.D., San Antonio
John H. Keck, Laredo
Irwin L. Levy, Houston
Jack R. Maguire (Emeritus), Fredericksburg
William McKenzie, Dallas
Damaso A. Oliva, M.D., San Antonio
Richard Potter, Gilmer
Tony Rivera, San Antonio
Ruth D. Sterling, Houston
Rick Wilbins, Dallas
W. Darrell Willerson Jr., M.D., San Antonio
Irene Wischer, San Antonio
William P. Wright Jr., Abilene
NancyYoung, Houston
l
Also during Fiscal Year 1996, Lynn Catalina, director of
Communications and Marketing, was named to the Board of Directors for
the Texas Public Relations Association and served as a public dimension
surveyor for the Museum Assessment Program of the American
Association of Museums. Institute Buyer Minnie Collins served as president
of San Antonio's chapter of Jack and Jill, Inc., a service organization for
children. Programs Director Dr. Judith York, as well as Dr. Shirley Mock,
Dr. Barbara Lawrence, and Diane Bruce in the Programs Division, sat on
several boards. Dr. York served on the Advisory Board for OASIS (Older
Adult System and Information Service); Dr. Mock was on the Executive
Board of the Texas Archeological Society; and Dr. Lawrence served on
boards for the Child Advocates San Antonio, Texas A&M Development
Council, Texas A&M Cancer Council, and the District X Grievance
ITC Research Associate Mary Grace Ketner is a popular Committee for the State Bar of Texas; Bruce was a board member of the
storyteller at area storytelling concerts. Special Libraries Association and the Texas Libraries Association. Dr.
shefoundedandservesascurrentpresidentofthe Lawrence was also president of the San Antonio Chapter of Links, Inc.
San Antonio StoryTellers Association.
Even more of the Institute's employees are involved in community
life, volunteering as coaches, caregivers, and teachers, and at schools,
churches, and other museums and cultural organizations.
Lora B Garrison looks on as Production staff member
Juan Contreras coaches Willie Braudaway in silkscreening
a print during theAmbassador gathering.
In turn, the work of the Institute could not be accomplished
without those who volunteer their time as members of the Alliance and as
statewide Ambassadors. More than 400 docents offer Exhibit Floor tours to
schoolchildren and adults, take Institute programs into schools, work in the
library, provide clerical assistance to various departments, and assist in
numerous ways during special events, including the Texas Folklife Festival.
These dedicated docents clocked over 46,000 hours valued at $460,000. The
Ambassador program continues to flourish as well, with approximately 250
members taking the work of the Institute into their own communities.
Training for Ambassadors has taken on new dimensions and now involves
on-site sessions in selected communities. This year training sessions were
held in Iredell, Andrews, and San Antonio.
DEVELOPMENT BOARD MEMBERS
Fiscal Year 1995-96
Jean Kaspar, Chairman, Shiner
Mary Pat Stumberg, Vice Chairman,
San Antonio
Eugene Ames Jr., San Antonio
Charles C. Andrews Jr., San Antonio
Lynn C. Ashby (Emeritus), Houston
Claudia Abbey Ball, Comstock
Ann Biggs, San Antonio
Ann Brinkerhoff (Emeritus), Houston
Janey Briscoe (Emeritus), Uvalde
Robert A. Buschman, San Antonio
Clifton Caldwell, Albany
Frank W. Calhoun, Houston
Tony L. Chauveaux, Beaumont
Gloria Coleman, Houston
Nellie B. Connally (Emeritus) , Houston
Barbara A. Cox, Fort Worth
Victoria Hurd Goebel, San Antonio
Diana Bravo Gonzalez, San Antonio
Brian S. Greig, Austin
Henry Guerra, San Antonio
Robert L.M. Hilliard, M.D., San Antonio
John H. Keck, Laredo
Irwin L. Levy, Houston
Jack R. Maguire (Emeritus), Fredericksburg
William McKenzie, Dallas
Damaso A. Oliva, M.D., San Antonio
Richard Potter, Gilmer
Tony Rivera, San Antonio
Ruth D. Sterling, Houston
Rick Wilbins, Dallas
W. Darrell Willerson Jr., M.D., San Antonio
Irene Wischer, San Antonio
William P. Wright Jr., Abilene
Nancy Young, Houston
f.i~~.I1~~119. ~~~.W9r~.qf ~~.~ ~r:'I~~~t.~~~ ............................ .
In order for visions to culminate in reality, they must be adequately funded. The financial struct~~..eH
Institute changed in 1996 with the onset of admission fees. But major educational initiatives were creat
substantial support from outside sources.
FISCAL YEAR 1996 REVENUE EXPENDITURES
State Appropriations 2,132,360 46.16% 2,303,160 53.42%
Local Income 262,442 5.68%
Sales and Services 549,615 11.90% 645,600 14.97%
TFF, Store, and Parking 1,243,327 26.91% 1,260,787 29.24%
Public and Private 306,004 6.62% 80,203 1.85%
Giving
Interest Income 85,441 1.85% 0 0.00%
Endowment Income 40,749 0.88% 22,041 0.51%
Total Current Revenues 4,619,938 100.00% 4,311 ,791 100.00%
With continued support from both state and nonappropriated funds, the vision of the founding fathers will indeed be
realized in innovative ways.
"The Institute of Texan Cultures will prosper in the new environment:' wrote Dr. Ball, "because it will lead
Texas as a change agent- a multidisciplinary learning institution for cultural and historical understanding."
Sources of Revenue
Public and Private
Giving
6.62% '"
TFF, Store, and
Parking
26.91% ""
Endowment
Income
.88%
Sales and Services
11.90%
Interest Income
1.85%
/
Local Income
5.68%
State Appropriations
46.16%
Calendar of Events • , e _ ••••• • •
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY 1. Special Event. Celebrate a Culture! Series. Main Exhibit
Floor. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. On the first Saturdays of February, March, and
June, ITC will present an afternoon of activities highlighting the Art,
Taste, Rhythm, and Apparel of one of Texas's many cultures. February
features the Greeks; March, Czechs; and June, Hawaiians. Included with
regular admission charge.
FEBRUARY 4-APRIL 27. Special Exhibit. Shared Stories: Exploring
Cultural Diversity. Lower Gallery. On display will be lively scenes of
family life from children's books by authors and illustrators of African­American,
Asian -American, Latino, and Native American descent.
FEBRUARY 15. Special Event. Birthday Traditions around the World.
Main Exhibit Floor and Lower Gallery. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Families will enjoy
taking part in this huge birthday party. Some of the customs to be
explored are gift-giving, entertainment, food, and decorations. Hands-on
activities include making a variety of things, playing games, and breaking
pinatas. Anyone celebrating a birthday on February 15 will be admitted
free with proper verification; admission for all others is $2 for adults, 12
and over, and SOC!: for children, 11 and under.
MARCH
MARCH 1. Special Event. Celebrate a Culture! Series-Czechs. Main
Exhibit Floor. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Included with regular admission charge.
MARCH 3. Volunteer Recruitment. Weekend Docent Training. People of
all ages are encouraged to apply to be an Institute volunteer. Applications
will be accepted through March 3 for weekend exhibit floor tour guides
and gift shop assistants. Training will be conducted on weekends: March
9, 16, and 23, 1-4:30 p.m. Call 458-2279 to schedule an interview.
MARCH 8. Conference. Shared Stories. Connally Conference Center.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Presented in conjunction with the Shared Stories exhibit,
this conference is designed for elementary school librarians and
teachers. Keynote speaker is author and poet Naomi Shihab Nye, and
other guests include children's illustrator and author Terry Ybanez,
Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle, and Japanese storyteller Hiroko Fujita.
Workshops will be presented by representatives of the San Antonio
Museum of Art, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the Magik
Theatre, and other agencies. Cosponsored by Region 20 Education
Service Center. For registration information, call 458-2253.
MARCH 15. Special Exhibition. "Triumph a y in History":
School History Fair Exhibition. Main Exhibit Floor. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Institute will salute selected students for their participation in
UTSA's Regional School History Fair. Entries chosen will best
represent the Institute's mission of "encouraging acceptance and
appreciation of our differences as well as our common humanity."
Included with regular Institute admission.
APRIL
APRIL 19. Special Event. Texas Children's Festival. Grounds and Main
Building. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Children will explore traditions from around
the world by participating in games and activities and enjoying
continuous entertainment on three stages featuring dancers,
musicians, mimes, clowns, and gymnasts. Admission is $2 for adults,
12 and over, and SOC!: for children, 11 and under.
APRIL 27. Special Event. Bowie Street Blues. Back 40.1-6 p.m.
This year's theme is "Evolution of the Blues," and zydeco will be
included in the unique blend of music with emphasis on traditional
Texas blues. The Carver Community Cultural Center will again
participate as food vendors. Admission is $2 for adults, 12 and over,
and SOC!: for children, 11 and under.
The Annual Report is produced by the
Department of Communications and Marketing.
Editor: Lynn Catalina, Director of Communications and Marketing
Assistant Editor: Patty Burrus
Production: ITC Art Department
For further information, contact the editor,
801 S. Bowie St., San Antonio, TX 78205-3296.
Telephone (210) 458-2257
Institute Admission Charges
Adults, $4; Children, 3-12, $2; Children, 2 and under, free;
Seniors, 65 and over, $2
VOL. 7/NO.2
Special rates for school and group tours-call (210) 458-2291
to book tours.
Institute Members, Ambassadors, and the Alliance receive
free admission.