| Summary: | The Texican, staff newsletter of the Institute of Texan Cultures, 1984-1997. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES AT SAN ANTONIO The transformation continues on the ITC Exhibit Floor with the addition of the Free at Last section to the African-American Area, which was unveiled during a special event on January 26. Free at Last focuses on the roles of African Americans in the settlement of the Americas and their unique contributions to the growth of Texas. The exhibit includes conceptual links to other exhibits and follows the addition of a new interactive display to the Tejano Area and multimedia station to the Indian Area. Viewers learn on the opening panel of Free at Last that "Texas was forged by diverse cultures and people of different social and economic backgrounds, but the contributions of many to the state's heritage have not been recognized. Many African Americans, for example, did not attain fame or fortune, although they were bold, creative, and enduring in the face of what must have seemed like insurmountable obstacles after Emancipation. These people made and continue to make important cultural and economic contributions to Texas." The exhibit explores these aspects of African-American history. Free at Last features information panels on the Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Cowboys, the Black Seminole Scouts, and Pioneer (Left to right) Dr. Shirley Mock, Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, and Dr. Barbara Lawrence. Dr. Shabazz, a history professor at the University of Houston, spoke on "The Pillars of Freedom: Constructing COmInunity after Juneteenth" at the inaugural reception for Free at Last. Dr. Shabazz is also a research associa te in the Office of the Provost for Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs. This afternoon program also featured a Buffalo Soldier monologue by Lee Coffey. Women-the roles each group played in the history of Texas-and then explores the work of artisans and craftspeople in Texas. After Emancipation, not all freed slaves became sharecroppers or worked on farms. Many of them were talented artisans such as blacksmiths, woodcarvers, weavers, or potters. These early African Americans not only brought skills with them to the New World but also acquired skills while in slavery. They combined them with their own artistry to create thriving businesses and freedmen communities. Their contributions gave birth to a growing African-American middle class in Texas. Free at Last dedicates a section to archaeology as well. Archaeologists study the artifacts they recover in or on the ground to understand the people who made and used them. Ceramic objects, being very durable, are often recovered but are sometimes broken. This section reveals methods archaeologists use to obtain information from such artifacts. The San Antonio Zulu Association and the San Antonio Express-News provided partial funding for this exhibit, and Delta Food Services, Inc., provided food for the refreshments for the event. Coming This Summer on the ITC Exhibit floor: o Stratigraphic Profile Wall o Revised Puppet Shows New ITC Exhibit Floor Guide, page 7 2 Hello from your Institute of Texan Cultures. Sometimes we who work here get so close to the things we are doing that we forget that we do our work at the Institute forand with the people of Texas. Two Families looking for interesting activities at affordable rates need look no farther than downtown San Antonio with the formation of Downtown Is for Kids, Too! DT4K2! is an alliance of downtown attractions formed to promote the city effectively to children and their families and provide an incentive to visit as man y attractions as possible-all within walking distance of one anotherthrough use of a "passport." Each of the participating attractions will provide passports upon request. These passports must be stamped at three different attractions, verifying admission. When the fourth and a variety of educational products and programs to the State Capitol in Austin, January 13-17, to showcase the role ITC plays as a statewide educational center. On display in the Capitol Extension Central Gallery were several of the Institute's traveling exhibits: Mexican Folk Toys; Texas Women:A Celebration of History; "Like a Double-Edged Sword": The BlackCivilRightsMovementin Texas; and examples will explain what I mean by "for and with." Four years ago, the Institute began to look at itself anew. Surveys of various types were taken to determine what Texans wanted from their Institute. Results of those surveys have been reported in this publication over the intervening years. One word sums up the findings, however, and that word is change. Not change simply to change, but purposeful change-change that embodies the high hopes and aspirations of all Texans; change that employs the genius of the state to tell the story of Texas in new and compelling ways; change that enables Texans from every corner of the state to gain instant access to their resources held by the Institute as their trustee. In essence, through these surveys the people of Texas inform and influence the change unfolding at ITC. In the spring ofthis year, three outstanding museum consultants have visited ITC to critique our planning efforts for the Exhibit Floor and to guide staff as they seek to give form to the wishes of the people. The consultants brought fresh insight into our planning process and ensured that ITC keeps focused on the input received over the last four years. Thus, "for and with" stays focused as the Institute's Exhibit Floor evolves. Later in this publication, you will read an update on the AT&T project. Early on, surveys revealed that Texans regard elementary and middle school teachers and students as the single most important clients of ITC. In this project, ITC has begun the process that will eventually link the Institute with every corner of Texas. That comes from working "for and with" the people of Texas. By Samantha Robinson attraction is visited, the child and his/her family will receive that attraction's special offer, varying from one free admission with one paid to discounts on classes or products. The offeris good through August31, 1997. Lone Star and Eagle: German Immigration to Texas. Separate display cases contained various traveling trunks, educational kits, audiovisuals, publications, and posters. Colored markers on Texas maps designated cities and towns which have hosted ITC exhibits, carry the popular radio program Lifetimes: The Texas Experience, and serve as venues for the new educational initiative funded by the AT &T Foundation. In the Ground Floor Rotunda, a representative of the Institute was available each day to discuss ITC educational programs. Visitors learned about contemporary Indians of Texas on a portable version of the interactive touch-screen unit located in the Native American area of the Institute's Exhibit Floor; they heard a selection of Lifetimes programs; and listened as a staff member discussed some ofITC's educational products and programs. The 12 organizations participating in Downtown Is for Kids, Too! are the Alamo, Hertzberg Circus Museum, IMAX Theatre, Institute of Texan Cultures, Lone Star Trolley Tours, Magik Theatre, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and Plaza Theatre of Wax, Children's Department of the San Antonio Central Library, San Antonio Children's Museum, Southwest Craft Center, Texas Adventure/Alamo F/X Theater, and Yanaguana Cruises. DT 4K2! will create other offers and events in the future to foster awareness of and appreciation for the diverse cultural resources located in the heart of historic San Antonio. Vacationers and locals alike make the Texas Folklife Festival part of their summer plans because of the cultural experience it offers. Attending this year's event July 3 I-August 3 can be described as almost like visiting the United Nations: you'll likely run into women in kimonos sampling French beignets mixing with visitors in Polish dress dancing to the sounds of German music; or girls in red and green ruffled skirts listening to demonstrations on treenware blending with men in Scottish kilts leading a parade around the building. The Festival's ambiance is the next best thing to actually traveling to the countries of the world that settled Texas. Here's a sampling of the atmosphere you'll encounter on your visitto the United Nations (OOPS!) the Texas Folklife Festival this summer. First of all, there's the music-the sounds of 40 cultures, including Mexican ITe to Host La Salle Shipwreck Exhibit The Institute will become the only San Antonio venue for the La Salle Shipwreck Exhibit this fall. Institute researcher Dr. Shirley Mock announced that multiple programming will accompany this popular exhibit, both at ITC and at participating museums and organizations around the city. Titled "On Land and Sea: Witnesses to the Past," the La Salle exhibit will be displayed near a new permanent stratigraphic profile wall on the ITC Exhibit Floor, to be unveiled this summer. Through this fascinating display, visitors will be able to visualize the "layers of · Thursday, July 31, 5-11 p.m. · Friday, August 1, 5-11 p.m. · Saturday, August 2, noon-11 p.m. · Sunday, August 3, noon-6 p.m. serenatas, country-western strumming, jazz mini-concerts, and Spanish flamenco rhythms. Then there's the dancing. Even if the steps are confusing, visitors are encouraged to join the folk dance troupes in native dress as they perform on several entertainment stages. Traditional dances from Belgium, Poland, Italy, Greece, Ukraine, and many other countries are featured throughout the four-day event. And the food! Sample dishes from every culture, such as Polish pierogi, Greek souvlaki, Lebanese shish kebab, Filipino egg culture" that have contributed to Texas history, from the early Paleolithic inhabitants to 20th century humankind. The wall will offer information about ethnic and cultural groups in Texas, providing cross-cultural connections to other exhibits on the floor, while communicating the need to preserve our heritage resources. The opening of the La Salle exhibit and related programming is set for October of1997. Watch for more information about this important San Antonio event. rolls, or perhaps a helping of Wend ish noodles or Belgian mussels. Yes, there was life before computers and television. Curious visitors will be "educated" by Festival demonstrators about how people survived before the technology age. The Institute's Back 40 features craftspeople who re-create the time when pioneers made possessions, tools, and homes from whatever they could find, hunt, grow, or chop. Demonstration areas highlight the skillful arts of horsehair braiding, whittling, pickle preserving, and hoecake making. And don't worry, the kids won't be bored-the Festival provides a multitude of games that amused pioneer children. Adventurous youngsters can also learn to milk a cow, climb the Belgian pole, and listen to captivating storytelling. Plan now to make the Texas Folklife Festival your "United Nations" Holiday! 3 4 In April the Alamo City kicks off its 106th Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day extravaganza packed with cultural and entertaining events. ITC is proud to be part of this legacy with the annual Texas Children's Festival set for April 19 from 11 a.m. t04p.m. This year's theme of "Colors" and all the new and veteran participants promise to make the Festival one of the most popular events of Fiesta. CELEBRATION FESTIVITIES This year's Celebration Ceremony honors an educator who has demonstrated excellence in education: Lee CampbellTowell, a music teacher at Fox Run Elementary School in the North East Independent School District. CampbellTowell's dedication to education and to her students resulted in the creation of the KLRN children's television show "Cat Paws," nominated for two Grammy Awards and nationally syndicated. Opening ceremonies will honor Campbell-Towell and feature a "Cat Paws" production at noon on the Back 40. The San Antonio Pipes and Drums will lead a parade throughout the grounds to open the ceremony. Last year more than 8,000 people explored traditional and contemporary aspects of cultures through hands-on experiences that included history, technology, language, science, safety, art, performance, and physical fitness. The 1997 Texas Children's Festival will expand this realm of experiences with many new and exciting participants. IICOLORS" April 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. • Parade-II :45, Flagpole Area • Celebration Ceremony-I2 noon, East Patio ·1997 ethnic tent: Kwangju, South Korea-Back 40 • Eight cultural and ethnic groups; 100 interactive booths KLRN children's television show "Cat Paws." KOREANET~CTENT The Korean culture is the focus of this year's ethnic tent, "Dream ofKwangju, South Korea," which will feature a kiteflying demonstration, performances, displays, and interactive crafts that encourage an understanding of the Korean culture. Other ethnic groups featured are African, Filipino, Japanese, Indian, Mexican, Pakistani, Native American, and Hawaiian. The Festival features over 100 additional interactive multicultural booths, dance groups, musical groups, karate demonstrations, gymnastics, ventriloquists, clowns, storytellers, popular characters, and-new this year-celebrity participants from local television and radio stations. "The Texas Children's Festival is a family event in which all visitors can relax and enjoy the pleasures of being a kid," said Festival Director Bonny Johnston. "Visitors can create drip drop art with the Children's Museum of New Braunfels, bandage their friends at the Wilford Hall Medical Center's Moulage Section, and design a kaleidoscope with the San Antonio Children's Museum. "We're proud to sponsor one of the few Fiesta events designed specifically for children-an event that teaches children to celebrate the differences within our community and, from that celebration, foster a love oflearning itself." GENERAL INFORMATION Admission to the Festival is $2 for adults and 50<1: for children under 12. Food and some activities require purchased coupons. Special event parking will be available in the ITC parking lot on Durango. Jimmy Spacek Mathew Robinson The story of the blues is one of change, evolution, and growth. It sprang from the traditions born in Africa and the Deep South. In its relatively short lifetime, the blues has traveled from the Mississippi Delta to all parts of the globe. Along the way, its influence has touched all types of music, and the blues itself has evolved to the point where it has become an elemental force in shaping our musical history. The blues signature can be heard in just about every form of music from classical to jazz. It has been combined with other genres to create gospel, country-western, and rock and roll, unday, April 27 1-6 p.m. on the ITe Back 40 Sherman Robertson Pete Mayes and can even be heard in such modern sounds as zydeco, hip-hop, and rap. The blues helped shape this heritage-and it exists today as the heart and soul of American folk and classical music. This fusion of the blues is the focus of Bowie Street Blues in 1997. The performers featured this year have all, in some way, taken the blues roots and added their own influences and tastes to expand the scope and appeal of the blues to new heights. Long John Hunter Our lOth annual concert will be held on April 27 from 1 to 6 p.m. on the Back 40 of the Institute of Texan Cultures. Food, provided by the Carver Community Cultural Center, and drinks will be sold at the concert. No ice chests or pets will be allowed on the grounds. Patrons are encouraged to bring blankets for sitting on the berm. Admission to the concert is $2 for adults, 12 years and over, and 50<1: for children. Special event parking will be available in the ITC parking lot on Durango. 5 6 AT&T Project Well under Way by John Adams/Barbara Lawrence The AT&T-funded project "Developing Multicultural Understanding through Education: Training for Texas Teachers with Technology" is well under way with implementation of the $200,000 pilot program to develop multicultural teacher-training workshops and materials through technology and telecommunications. According to project director Dr. Barbara Lawrence, "We are executing the project in five phases. Our first phase, which included site visits across the state to six participating schools, was completed in December." Dr. Lawrence; Dr. Judith York, director of Programs; and John Adams, technology coordinator, traveled to schools in Dallas, Floydada, Odessa, Nacogdoches, Brownsville, and San Antonio, collecting demographic and background data from teachers, administrators, and professional training staff, and explaining the process to them. Press conferences at each school announced the program to the community. "An evaluation of the data," says Dr. Lawrence, "revealed that the original schools did not comprehensively reflect the student population of the state, so we added a seventh school to the program. Weare now satisfied that the program demographics reflect all of the students of the state of Texas." Phase II began in January and will continue through May. Under development are workshops for statewide delivery through video conferencing. In the future, Texas teachers will be able to attend an ITC workshop from their school, local university, regional educational service center, or perhaps their personal computer. Project developers are also learning about the variety of video circuits utilized in the state and have experienced some glitches along the way. "We lost our video connection to one of the participating schools during a workshop," explained Adams. "A rain storm interrupted the signal where it transmits via microwave." In addition to conquering communications, constructing content for the workshops has been a goal of the second phase. "We added Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark to the AT&T project because of her talents writing curriculum in Bicultural and Bilingual Studies," said Dr. Lawrence. Dr. Clark is a professor at UTSA. The last phases will encompass the development of classroom materials for future use on the Internet and CD-ROM, the completion of materials for publication and reproduction, and the writing of a final report for ITC and AT &T by the fall of 1998. The AT&T project team expects to create a variety of new tools for ITC to offer Texas teachers that will make teaching cultural issues easier. ITC Executive Director Dr. Rex Ball confirms, "Teachers will be able to educate diverse students in the rich historical and cultural heritage of the state. The experience will be interactive, age specific, classroom relevant, and content rich. Teachers will be able to obtain support through workshops to help them achieve success in teaching culturally diverse students." Summer Camp on the Back 40 The Institute's annual Summer Camp on the Back 40 is being expanded to include additional grade levels and activities. The first and second one-week sessions are reserved for children who have finished 3rd and 4th grades, while the third week will be limited to children who have finished 1st and 2nd grades. All three weeks will Back 40 Session 1: June 2-6 3rd and 4th Graders Session 2: June 9-13 3rd and 4th Graders Session 3: June 16-20 1 st and 2nd Graders Cultural Travels Session 4: June 23-27 3rd and 4th Graders encourage children to stretch their imaginations and skills with turn-of-thecentury activities at the one-room schoolhouse, Hill Country barn, windmill, and adobe house located on the Institute's Back 40. Times for the first three sessions are 9 a.m. to noon. During the fourth session, campers who have completed 3rd and 4th grades will be treated to a tour of some of San Antonio's historical and cultural institutions. Hours for this session are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost for sessions 1,2, and 3 is $60 each, or $65 after May 23 (members pay $55, or $60 after May 23); cost for session 4 is $95, or $100 after June 1 (members pay $90, or $95 after June 1). For more information, call Gina Frnka at (210) 458-2204. The Other Cowboys: A Multicultural Instructional Kit Another new ITC educational product is scheduled for completion by fall. In TheOtherCowboys:AMulticultural Instructional Kit, students will learn about people other than Anglo-American males who worked on cattle drives and contributed to life on the open range. The Other Cowboys, for grades 4-9, will include all teaching materials for a threeweek instructional unit: lesson plans, a map, photographs, a poster, an audiotape, and a videotape. Students will learn about vaqueros, African-American cowboys, and women who also went up the cattle trails, while practicing the T AAS skills of making inferences, identifying main ideas, writing summary paragraphs, interpreting maps, and creating charts. Made possible by a grant from the Ellwood Foundation, the kit will be available for sale in October of 1997. MANY FACES, MANY PLACES-ONE TEXAS Teachers across the state will welcome this new multicultural resource packet from the Institute. Many Faces, Many Places---One Texas contains 268 reproducible, loose-leaf pages about three native and five immigrant groups of Texas. "Becoming Texans" offers background for teachers on each group and an accompanying selection of texts from the ITC radio series, Lifetimes: The Texas Experience. This section addresses why various people and groups were "pushed" or "pulled" to Texas. "Doing Familiar Things in Different Ways" contains activities for students based on expressions of culture. Visual art, dance, music, games, foodways, storytelling, and holiday activities are each represented with samples from several of the groups. This excellent resource packet is available for only $15, plus shipping and handling. --- To order any ITC product, or to receive a free catalog, call (800) 776-7651. __________ _ Laugh and Learn from "Many Tricksters" Conceived as a companion product to Many Faces, Many Places---One Texas, "Many Tricksters" is an audiotape of trickster tales told by storytellers from the San Antonio StoryTellers' Association. Included are all the trickster tales from the folktale chapter of the packet, as well as additional such stories from other cultures. Stories featured on the tape derive from many Texan cultures-German, AlabamaCoushatta, Creole, African-American, Tejano, and Jewish, and from the American South-featuring such notorious tricksters as Coyote, Rabbit, Fox, Possum, and Turtle. Purchased as a companion piece to Many Faces, "Many Tricksters"will delightfully enhance multicultural studies in the classroom. But the tape also can stand alone as a tribute to favorite tales that have enchanted listeners throughout history. "Many Tricksters" can be purchased for $10, plus shipping and handling. Exhibit Floor Guide Visitors to ITC will now receive a free Exhibit Floor Guide. This convenient guide contains an icon-based map of the Exhibit Floor and Back 40, along with brief explanatory text about each area and exhibit. It's new-and it's .free-at ITC. 7 APRIL THROUGH APRIL 27. Special Exhibit. SharedStories: ExploringCulturalDiversity. Lower Gallery. This exhibit brings to life everyday scenes of families and provides any child who has felt different with a sense of belonging. On display are lively images of 40 original illustrations and manuscripts selected from the growing field of ethnic children's books by authors and illustrators of African-American, Asian-American, Latino, and Native American descent. Featured artists are Carmen Lomas Garza, a major Mexican-American painter, and Michael La Capa, a Native American writer and illustrator. The exhibit is organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA. APRIL 19. Special Event. Texas Children's Festival. Grounds and Main Building. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. See page 4. APRIL 27. Special Event. Bowie Street Blues Concert. Back 40. 1-6 p.m. See page 5. MAY 6-JUNE 29. Upper Gallery Special Exhibit. The Kickapoo: Traditional Indians of Texas. This exhibit of30 black and white photographs by Bill Wright of Abilene is a study of the Texas/ Mexico branch of the Algonquin Indian tribe. Wright documented the Kickapoos' way oflife, following them from their land in Eagle Pass to their traditional and spiritual home in Nacimiento, Coahuila, Mexico, and accompanying them on their travels as migrant farm workers during the summer. Free and open to the public. MAY 13-JULY 13. Lower Gallery Special Exhibit. No Traveller Remains Untouched. This exhibit focuses on several journeys throughout the Southwest made by different peoples and cultures who traveled the region, leaving rich stories and myths behind. Families and individuals carved out their niche, making the region famous for rugged individualism. The exhibit chronicles these travels with the use of 16th century Spanish explorer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca's La Relaci6n; modernday films, such as Lonesome Dove; Depression-era photographs from the Farm Security Administration; and materials and photographs from a Mexican theater troupe. Free and open to the public. JUNE JUNE 2-6, JUNE 9-13, JUNE 16-20, JUNE 23-27. Camp for Children. Summer Camp on the Back 40. See page 6. JUNE 7. Special Event. Celebrate a Culture! Series. Main Exhibit Floor. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thelnstitute will present an afternoon of activities highlighting the Art, Taste, Rhythm, and Apparel of the Hawaiians. The event is included with regular admission charge of $4 for adults; $2 for children 3-12 years old and seniors 65 years and over. JULY JULY 3 I-AUGUST 3. Special Event. The 26th Annual Texas Folklife Festival. Grounds and Main Building. ThursdayFriday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday, noon-II p.m.; and, new hours this year, Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Admission charges are as follows: adults, $8, $6 in advance; children 6-12 years, $2, $2 in advance; children 5 and under, free at all times. Seniors' Night is Thursday, July 31: newages this year, seniors 55 years and over, $4 (not available in advance). Kids' Day is Sunday, August 3: children 12 years and under, free. Coming in October! The La Salle Shipwreck Exhibit and related programming. The Texican is a quarterly publication focusing on the people and programs of The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, part of The University of Texas at San Antonio. For further information, contact the Director of Communications, 801 S. Bowie St., San Antonio, TX 78205-3296, or call (210) 458-2257. Editor: Lynn Catalina, Director of Communications Assistant Editor: Patty Burrus Contributing writers: John Adams, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, Samantha Robinson Production: ITC Art Department VOL 7INO.3
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