CAD recognized by UTRGV

(Courtesy photo)

By JACQI LEYVA-HILL
Special to the NEWS

The San Benito Cultural Arts Department (CAD) recently received the UTRGV Community Partnership Award for the second consecutive year, recognizing its ongoing collaboration with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and its role in advancing education, arts, and culture throughout the RGV.

The department oversees the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum and multiple community cultural programs.

The award was presented by UTRGV representatives Dr. Christian Corrales and Estela De La Garza, with nominations submitted by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen of the School of Art and Design and Dr. Andres Amado of the School of Music.

The City of San Benito announced the recognition on its official Facebook page, noting that the award highlights the Cultural Arts Department’s ongoing work with UTRGV students, faculty, and the broader community to support educational and cultural programming.

For the department, the award reflects years of intentional collaboration. San Benito Cultural Arts Director Aleida García said receiving the honor for a second consecutive year is “incredibly meaningful,” and that it affirms that the department’s work is “rooted in genuine collaboration and shared purpose.”

She noted that the recognition reflects years of relationship-building with UTRGV faculty and students, grounded in a deep commitment to serving the community.

García added that the award reinforces the idea that small, community-based institutions can be powerful centers for learning, research, and cultural preservation when they collaborate closely with universities and local partners.

She also noted that two current team members are UTRGV’s College of Fine Arts graduates, underscoring the partnership’s lasting impact on local talent.

García cited CAD’s “Conjunto in My Backyard” program as a strong example of successful collaboration. The exhibition and related programs brought together UTRGV faculty and students, local musicians, and cultural organizations for shared dialogue and performance.

She noted that what began as a single exhibition has since grown into ongoing relationships, student internships, service-learning opportunities, and partnerships with the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Over the past three years, students working with the Cultural Arts Department have gained hands-on experience, collaborating directly with artists and cultural leaders, and the community has benefited from greater visibility for conjunto music and other locally rooted traditions central to the region’s identity.

Looking ahead, García said she is excited to expand student internship and research opportunities across museum collections, exhibition development, and cultural programs. These experiences, she said, “allow students to apply their academic learning in real-world settings while supporting cultural preservation, public programming, and community storytelling.”

The consecutive UTRGV Community Partnership Awards underscore the Cultural Arts Department’s growing role as a cultural anchor and an educational collaborator, strengthening San Benito’s standing in the region’s artistic and academic landscape, she concluded.