Workshop — Attendees of a Ruido Studios workshop titled “956 For All,” stand over a table as they decide which items to use to produce art. The workshop was held inside the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum, 250 East Heywood Street. (Courtesy photo/Albert Villegas)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
The minds and hearts of children and adults were on full display when the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum hosted a Ruido Studios workshop called “956 For All,” on Saturday, June 21.
Ruido Studios co-founders Fatima Garza and Dani Marrero Hi led the two-hour event, challenging their guests to create art based on narratives the Rio Grande Valley is known for and imagining the following: 60 years from now, the museum is hosting a history exhibit on the Valley from the years 2025 through 2075.
About a dozen people attended, and each was provided a paper to answer the following:
* Who inspires you?
* What visual images should the Valley be known for?
* What specific locations, buildings, or spaces do you think are essential?
* What do we need to change? What do we need to preserve or protect?
“What we want is for you to let us know what some of the popular stories we want for the Valley to be known for,” Marrero Hi said.
Garza was pleased that guests hailed from various parts of the Valley, not just the San Benito area.
Seated together were friends Kylee Cruz of Brownsville, Hannah Cavazos of San Benito, and Yvette Larios of Harlingen, all in their early 20s. They provided their answers, jointly agreeing that their parents and family inspired them.
“The Valley is known for palm trees, our ecosystem, our food, and culture,” Cavazos said.
The other girls agreed that the way they treated each other was something that needed to change when they were asked, “What do we need to change?”
Once the artwork was completed, it was placed alongside the existing “Markers of Memory – Tracing the Soul of South Texas” exhibit that the museum has on display.
The exhibit is organized into three sections: “Establishing San Benito,” “Building Faith,” and “Shaping the Resaca City.”
Museum/San Benito Cultural Arts Department (CAD) Director Aleida Garcia said the exhibit will receive its official opening in the coming weeks, accompanied by the artwork.
Museum Coordinator Joaquin Castillo was also in attendance to assist guests with their art.
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