Category Archives: Events

¡A Viva Voz!, Benson Latin American Collection, Books

Little Joe Has a Big Night at the Benson

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The 22nd annual ¡A Viva Voz! celebration at the Benson Latin American Collection on April 4 was a compelling homage to Latino arts and culture, spotlighting the legendary José María de León Hernández, affectionately known as Little Joe.

Developed by former Benson Director Ann Hartness, ¡A Viva Voz! has long served as a platform to showcase the rich Mexican American/U.S. Latino heritage, fostering community engagement and celebrating cultural vibrancy.

This year’s event paid tribute to Little Joe, an American music legend who has garnered five Grammy awards and was honored with the prestigious 2023 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. In an interview conducted by US Latina/o Studies Librarian Maribel Falcón, Little Joe discussed his biography, “¡No Llore, Chingón!,” which provides a poignant narrative of his life journey, weaving tales of resilience and triumph amid the struggles faced by Mexican-American communities in Texas.

Born to immigrant parents who fled Mexico during the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution, Hernández and his family initially worked as farm laborers in Texas, confronting hardships and poverty. However, his passion for music ignited at a young age, and he embarked on a musical career that would transcend borders and genres.

Reflecting on his early days performing in meager venues and overcoming challenges, Little Joe addressed the hurdles of limited radio exposure for Spanish-language music, recounting pivotal moments such as the success of his album “Por Un Amor”(1964) and the trials of a grueling tour. His shared experiences of touring internationally, including a memorable trip to Japan, underscored his deep appreciation for cultural exchange and diversity.

Yet, beyond the melodies, Little Joe’s legacy carries a profound message of empowerment and advocacy. Throughout the evening, Little Joe conveyed a powerful message of resilience and solidarity, urging the audience to confront racism and injustice through activism and civic engagement.

As he performed an impromptu song encouraging accountability and participation in the democratic process, he encouraged all to embrace their heritage, amplify their voices, and stand united in the pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.

Watch the event:

Benson Latin American Collection, Events, LLILAS Benson

An Evening with Gioconda Belli

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Renowned Nicaraguan writer and political figure, Gioconda Belli, spoke to a captivated crowd of over 120 attendees at a March 20 event hosted by the Benson Latin American Collection. The occasion served not only as a platform for Belli to share her remarkable journey but also to celebrate the acquisition of her archive by the Benson Latin American Collection.

Born in Managua, Belli grew up amidst the political upheaval of the Somoza dictatorship. Educated both in Nicaragua and abroad, she studied in Europe and the United States before initially pursuing a career in advertising, later shifting her focus to revolutionary politics.

In 1970, Belli joined the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), a leftist guerrilla organization opposing the Somoza regime, where she served as a clandestine courier, transported weapons, and travelled around Europe and Latin America obtaining resources and raising awareness of the Sandinista struggle.

Belli’s literary works artfully merge fiction and autobiography, drawing from her experiences as a revolutionary and a woman. Themes of love, desire, politics, and social change permeate her writing, notably exemplified in her renowned novel “The Inhabited Woman” (La mujer habitada, 1988).

Belli’s talk at the Benson delved into her experiences as a Sandinista and how these pivotal moments, intertwined with her personal life, have shaped her identity as a writer. The event provided Belli an opportunity to reflect on the preservation of her legacy at the Benson, and the importance of maintaining a historical accounting.

Attendees were treated to a recital of her poetry during her talk, and her compelling narrative resonated deeply with the audience, sparking thoughtful questions during the Q&A session that followed with director of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) Adela Pineda.

Despite being exiled by the government of Daniel Ortega in 2022, Belli remains actively engaged in social and political advocacy, championing women’s rights and democratic reforms in Nicaragua and beyond. Continuously writing and participating in public discourse, she uses her platform to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for social justice.

The event not only served as a tribute to Gioconda Belli’s contributions to literature and politics but also highlighted the importance of preserving her legacy through the acquisition of her archive by the Benson Latin American Collection.

Read an interview with Gioconda Belli by Benson Director Melissa Guy, which appeared in a recent edition of Portal.

Events, GIS

GIS Day in Review

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On November 15th, members of the campus community gathered in the new Scholars Lab in the Perry-Castañeda Library and on Zoom to celebrate UT GIS Day 2023 through a series of hybrid-format events which highlighted the diverse ways in which geographic information system (GIS) software and related geospatial technologies are being utilized in research and learning here at UT Austin.  This year’s event marked five consecutive years of UT GIS Day and set a new record for attendance and participation. Our UT GIS Day 2023 theme of “Celebrating Open Geospatial Science” was woven throughout the day’s events and allowed us to explore the work being done in this area here at UT.

The day’s events began at noon with a drone demonstration from Markus Hogue (UT Campus Geospatial Assets) on the PCL Plaza and continued into the evening. In line with this year’s theme, invited experts Caitlin Carter (HELIOS) and Kevin Worthington (Colorado State University) highlighted the significance of open scholarship and reproducibility in geospatial science.

The UT Libraries and UT Open Source Program Office collaboratively organized a workshop focused on reproducible geospatial workflows using open source software. A panel of GIS professionals from the local community provided insight into the diversity of career paths that are open to students interested in working with geographic information systems. For the first time, UT GIS Day included a poster competition that featured awards for the top three student participants (1st – Brody Manquen, 2nd – Andrew Wang, 3rd – Chris Ploetz) in recognition of their exemplary poster design and Open Science Recognition Awards for all student participants who highlighted open geospatial science practices. Following the competition, the 2023 UT Libraries Map & Geospatial Collections Explorer Fellowship was awarded to our student and faculty recipients—Ethan Plevak and Dr. Elizabeth Catlos. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Qiusheng Wu (University of Tennessee) capped off our series of events with a fascinating talk that highlighted the power of open geospatial data and open source remote sensing software. 

Our 2023 UT GIS Day was truly a memorable celebration of all things geospatial at UT Austin and would not have been possible without the contributions of presenters, organizers, and attendees. The collaboration between the UT Libraries, UT Campus Geospatial Assets, UT Open Source Program Office, and Department of Geography and the Environment resulted in a diverse series of events that showcased the innovative applications of geospatial technologies here on campus and beyond. Hopefully the learning and networking opportunities provided by this year’s UT GIS Day events will contribute additional momentum to open geospatial science and GIS driven research here at UT Austin.

Events, Global Studies

Libraries Host Filipino Documentary Screening

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On October 26, the Libraries hosted an incredible screening of Filipino American film-maker, PJ Raval’s 2023 documentary, “Who We Become: A Story of Kapwa”.

In honor of Filipino History Month, over 50 attendees gathered to watch Raval’s feature documentary about three young Filipina women wrestling with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial tensions. Raval’s work follows the women as they find themselves on a journey of self-discovery and self-reflection within their families and communities, finding new meanings of Kapwa.

Multiple organizations across campus worked together to celebrate Filipino and Filipino American culture; bringing film, food, and community into the Perry-Castañeda Library. The event also featured catering from Kapatad Kitchen & Café, the documentary short, Pagtiyagaan (2023), created by Giullian Canlas, a current senior in Asian American Studies and Radio Television Film at the University of Texas at Austin, and an insightful Q&A with Director PJ Raval.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s distribution company, ARRAY, is bringing Raval’s documentary to Netflix on December 1st, and UT librarians, Uri Kolodney and Adriana Cásarez, are acquiring the film for the UT Libraries permanent collection.

This event was co-sponsored by the Center for Asian American Studies at UT Austin, UT Libraries, Radio, Television and Film (RTF), Moody College of Communication DEI, Filipino Students Association (FSA) and UT Asian American Journalists Association (UT AAJA).

Digital Scholarship, Events, Scholars Lab

Scholars Lab Celebrates Grand Opening

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The much-anticipated grand opening of the new Scholars’ Lab at the University of Texas at Austin’s Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL) officially launched the new space on Thursday, October 5, with more than 100 members of the campus community and beyond in attendance. This event marked a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and research excellence.

The Lab is a dynamic space designed to support interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and digital scholarship, welcomed scholars, researchers, students, and community members to its beautifully designed premises. The event was a celebration of the university’s dedication to providing cutting-edge resources for its academic community.

The grand opening event featured from university administrators and experts in libraries, who highlighted the importance of the Scholars’ Lab in advancing research and scholarship at UT Austin. Attendees were then given an opportunity to explore the state-of-the-art facilities, including dedicated workstations equipped with the latest technology, collaborative spaces for group projects, and a vast collection of digital resources.

As the Scholars’ Lab officially opens its doors, it is poised to become a vibrant center for academic inquiry and collaboration. The university’s investment in this cutting-edge facility reaffirms its commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in research.

In the coming months and years, we can expect to see exciting developments and groundbreaking research emerge from the Scholars’ Lab at UT Austin. The grand opening event was just the beginning of what promises to be a transformative journey for the academic community and the university as a whole.

Events, Scholars Lab

You’re Invited to the Grand Opening of the Scholars Lab

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Join us for the Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Scholars Lab in the Perry-Castañeda Library. 

When: Thursday, October 5, 12-2 p.m. 

Where: Perry-Castañeda Library Entry Level  

Program Schedule 

12:00-12:30 – Introductory Remarks and Ribbon Cutting 

lorraine haricombe – Vice Provost and Director, UT Libraries 

Jennifer Lyon Gardner ­– Deputy Vice President for Research  

Joan Lippincott – Associate Executive Director Emerita/Coalition for Networked Information

Sharon Wood –  Executive Vice-President and Provost 

12:30-2:00 – Self-guided tours, Activities, Refreshments and Giveaways! 

Free and open to the public.

About the Scholars Lab 

The new Scholars Lab is a campus-wide resource with spaces and infrastructure designed to enhance multidisciplinary research and advance digital scholarship. It will facilitate collaboration among students, faculty, departments, and centers across campus. The Scholars Lab supports experiential learning, provides access to University of Texas Libraries’ experts for research lifecycle consultation, and offers training on the use of robust technologies and tools. 

Benson Latin American Collection, Collections Highlight, Diversity, Events, Exhibits, Humanities & Liberal Arts

Annual ¡A Viva Voz! Event to Feature Chicana / Tejana Artist Santa Barraza, Exhibition Opening

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The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection is proud to host the 21st Annual ¡A Viva Voz! Celebration of U.S. Latino/a/x Culture, featuring a conversation with Chicana/Tejana artist Santa Barraza.

Santa Barraza, courtesy Juan Johnson Lopez

A native of Kingsville, Texas, Santa Barraza is a contemporary artist and founder of Barraza Fine Art, LLC, a gallery and studio committed to furthering the appreciation of the visual arts in the borderlands and among isolated, rural populations.

Barraza’s artwork is in the permanent collections of museums in Texas, California, and Maine; the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC; France; Germany; and Spain. Most recently, her work is on view in the art museums of Denver, Albuquerque, and San Antonio as part of Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche; the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin for Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas, 1960s–1980s; and for the Art in Embassies exhibition organized in Mexico City by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar.

The ¡A Viva Voz! event also marks the opening of the exhibition Legacies of Nepantla: Artists Affirming Identity and Existence, curated by Maribel Falcón, the Benson’s U.S. Latina/o/x Studies Librarian. The exhibition showcases work that is part of the Benson’s archival holdings. It will be on view in the Benson’s Ann Hartness Reading Room through mid-August 2023.

“The exhibition showcases work from women whose myriad identities include Chicana, Native American, Tejana, and Latina, in addition to mothers, sisters, organizers, artists, activists, teachers, and students,” said Falcón. “Many of the featured artists are established as leaders in their communities and recognized as pillars of the Chicano/a art world, such as Santa Barraza, Carmen Lomas Garza, Patssi Valdez, Yreina D. Cervántez, Ester Hernandez, Irene Pérez, and Alma López.”

If You Go — ¡A Viva Voz! takes place in the Benson Latin American Collection (2300 Red River Street, SRH 1) on Thursday, April 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments provided by The Local Explorer Mezcal and La Cocina de Consuelo; vinyl sounds by Chulita Vinyl Club. 

Due to an event at the Moody Center, parking is limited. We encourage attendees to use alternative forms of transportation. City of Austin street parking is available on Dean Keaton and on Red River north of Clyde Littlefield.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Susanna Sharpe.

Image: Cihuateteo con Coyolxauhqui y La Guadalupana, Santa Barraza, 1996

Global Studies, Humanities & Liberal Arts, Outreach

Welcome Week at the Libraries

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The Libraries received a new and returning fall class of Longhorns earlier this month with a series of events designed to connect patrons with resources, services and experts in fun and engaging ways.

Organized by the Arts, Humanities, & Global Studies Engagement Team, Welcome Week 2022 featured opportunities for students, faculty and staff to learn more about the UT Libraries’ map, international and zine collections in traditional and cutting edge spaces, all the while participating in activities that taught them about how resources can be used for scholarly and research endeavors.

Color + Geometry in Islamic Art, 9/1

Part math, part art: for centuries, artists in Muslim contexts have used geometry and mathematical principles to create stimulating patterns for architecture, textiles, manuscripts, ceramics, and paintings. Attendees at the Fine Arts Library’s Foundry makerspace had an opportunity to build a 3D geometric models, print Islamic tile-inspired window decals, and stamp beautiful designs inspired by Islamic art on fabric or paper. Throughout the event, visitors were rapt by the process of an Islamic sphere coming to life on a 3D printer, all while learning how to use the Foundry to create their own masterpieces.

Kolam Drawing on the Plaza, 9/2

Students from the Longhorn Malayalee Student Association and in the Department of Asian Studies’ Malayalam language courses showed up before sunrise at PCL to create colorfully complex chalk drawings on the plaza amid waves of onlookers making their way to the library at the throughout the day.

You Are Here: Shifting Perspectives, 9/6

The PCL Map Room hosted a gathering to introduce attendees to this incredible resource tucked away in the bottom floor of the Perry-Castañeda Library which houses the physical collection of more than 350,000 items representing all areas of the world. Most of the collection’s maps date from 1900 to the present, and are utilized by faculty, researchers and students from every corner of the Forty Acres.

Welcome to the Libraries…in Arabic, 9/7

The Libraries provided an informational session delivered in Arabic as an introduction to the services offered by the University of Texas Libraries. Visitors to the discipline-agnostic session were provided general information on how to use the Libraries and how to seek help for research and teaching.

Zine Party, 9/8

PCL denizens seemed happily distracted by a zine creation station set up in the lobby where students took a much-deserved break from academic work for some DIY creative therapy. Examples from the Libraries’ Zine Collections, featuring a number of works by BIPOC and LGBTQ creators, were presented for attendees to thumb through and gather ideas.

Events, Global Studies, Humanities & Liberal Arts

Celebrating Ada

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Ada Lovelace Day is an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Since 2009, its purpose has been to increase the profile of women in STEM and, in doing so, create new role models who will encourage more girls into STEM careers and support women already working in STEM. The day is named in honor of Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer who is best known for creating the first computer algorithm.

UT Librarians Gina Bastone, Lydia Fletcher, and Hannah Chapman Tripp organized the 2021 Ada Lovelace Day Wiki Edit-A-Thon to build on the success of the 2019 event. The goals of the edit-a-thon were to improve the visibility of women in STEM fields, to teach first-time editors the quirks of Wikipedia editing, and to involve more gender and racial minorities and LGBTQ+ people in the Wikipedia editing process. Due to the continued uncertainty about COVID-19, we opted to make the event this year a hybrid one by offering both an in-person drop-in event where folks could learn something, grab some food, and edit in between classes as well as a Discord-based online version.

As with the 2019 event, we wanted this year’s to be largely self-guided. We emphasized starting the research process and identifying useful Wikipedia-friendly sources by offering a list of potential pages to edit, update, or create. We organized the day through a system of Google Drive links (for those engaging through Discord) and physical sticky notes (for those attending in person) to ensure that only one person would be editing one article at a time, while retaining the ability to have more than one contributor to each article on the day. For example, we had one person begin editing the article on Cora Sadosky’s research before passing it off to a graduate student in mathematics who could better understand and explain Sadosky’s works. We also worked on creating a Wikipedia page for the new Dean of the Jackson School, Claudia Mora.

Once again, we worked with student groups in the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Engineering to promote the event. Hosting the event in a hybrid format presented some new challenges, but ultimately taught us a lot about navigating engagement in the “new normal” and we look forward to the 2022 event!

Benson Latin American Collection, Diversity, Events, Humanities & Liberal Arts, LLILAS Benson

Scene Onscreen: ¡A Viva Voz! Celebration Will Bring Levity at the Right Moment

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LLILAS Benson is thrilled to announce the return of the ¡A Viva Voz! Celebration of Latina/o Arts and Culture. The annual event, usually one of the highlights of the spring semester, was canceled in 2020 due to the recent campus closure for Covid-19.

Now that we’ve got an advanced degree in Zoom, we are pleased to announce Scene Onscreen: An Evening with JoAnn and Rupert Reyes, Founders of Teatro Vivo. This virtual event will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2021, at 7pm CDT. To register for the event and receive a link, visit Attend.com/AVV2021.

JoAnn and Rupert Reyes. Design by Jennifer Mailloux; original artwork by Monica Rodriguez

During the evening, hosted by Roxanne Schroeder-Arce of the Department of Theatre and Dance, the audience will be treated to recorded scenes from some of Rupert Reyes’s iconic achievements as a playwright, interspersed with conversation about the history of Teatro Vivo, the bilingual theater company that Rupert and JoAnn founded in 2000 and led for many years.

Scenes from Petra’s Pecado, Petra’s Cuento, and Petra’s Sueño; Crossing the Río, Cuento Navideño, Cenicienta, and the forthcoming film Vecinos will bring some levity to everyone’s evening, and it is our hope that the shared experience of laughter while enjoying these scenes will make the virtual a little more personal.

The JoAnn and Rupert Reyes Collection

The Benson Latin American Collection is the repository of the papers of JoAnn and Rupert Reyes, which contains a rich assortment of materials from their decades working with Teatro Vivo and other theater companies. According to the archival notes, “Teatro Vivo has garnered numerous nominations for acting, writing, and design from local theater award councils, including the B. Iden Payne Awards and the Austin Critics Table Awards, and the company continues to serve as an active contributor to the arts community in Austin. JoAnn and Rupert led the company as the executive director and artistic director, respectively, until they stepped down in 2016.” Both of the Reyes have received accolades for their work, including the Community Leadership Award from the University of Texas at Austin (their alma mater) in 2008 and the Partners in the Arts and Humanities award by the Austin City Council in 2011. They continue to serve as advisors to Teatro Vivo and remain significant cultural ambassadors for Latino theater in the United States.

For more information, please contact Susanna Sharpe.