Para leer este artículo en español, por favor vaya aquí. To read this news post in Spanish, please go here.
This month marked the debut of MantecaHTX, a new artist registry open to Houston-area Latinx artists. A program of Nuestra Palabra’s Cultural Acceleration Program, the registry will act as an online directory of Latinx creatives who practice in all disciplines, including writers, visual artists, musicians, poets, dancers, and filmmakers.
By joining the website and creating an artist profile, Houston’s Latinx creators will be able to market their skills and talents and also list their upcoming events on MantecaHTX’s calendar. Individuals submitting their work will also be considered for guest spots on the Nuestra Palabra Radio show. Tony Diaz, the founder of Nuestra Palabra, explains why the organization feels the need to support an online registry for Latinx artists:
“MantecaHTX is a brilliant way to use technology to help our community experience art and share its voice. This is what we have always been about. The entire nation will soon think of Houston as the leader in delivering and supporting our community’s art.”
Artists who submit their profiles to MantecaHTX before March 2, 2019 will also be considered for a seven-part open-call exhibition that will run concurrently with the city’s upcoming Latino Art Now! conference. The project will be curated by three Houston artists: Theresa Escobedo, Tina Hernandez, and Maureen Penders.
Ms. Escobedo commented on both the registry and her involvement in organizing the upcoming exhibition:
“As the curator of Union and Main Street Projects my vision is to survey and showcase a concise selection of artworks from emerging Latinx artists in order to demonstrate the diversity of heritage and cultural influence inherent in the thriving creative community active in Houston.”
To learn more about MantecaHTX, and to register as an artist and see members’ upcoming events, please visit the organization’s website. The registry, in addition to receiving support from Mr. Diaz and Nuestra Palabra, is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, and by Glasstire and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures. Some individuals who have put in work on the site include Delilah Montoya, Tina Hernandez, Moe Penders, Theresa Escobedo, Gabriel Martinez, Julia Barbosa Landois and Francis Almendárez.
A Spanish-language version of the website is in the works, and will be produced once MantecaHTX secures additional funding.