Bienvenido, bem-vindo, and welcome!

Thank you for visiting our new web site. I encourage you to explore these pages and learn more about some of the world’s great artists and the incredible work they have done here at the University of Texas and beyond.

I am often asked: “Why Latin America?” Is it because the border lies just a few hours south of Austin? Is it because more than 44 million Americans identify as Latino and that Texas has the 2nd largest Latino population of any state? While these geographic and demographic realities have gained a higher profile in recent years, The Performing Arts Center has long been dedicated to the presentation of international work and the University’s emphasis on Latin America goes back many years, notably to the founding of the Institute of Latin American Studies in 1940. However, it is the presence of some of the most compelling art and artists anywhere in the world resulting from the confluence of nationalities, cultures, races, languages, and histories that make Latin America such an obvious choice.

Like culture, ArtesAméricas’ audiences know no borders. Since ArtesAméricas began in 2002, thousands of individuals, arts patrons and newcomers, Latino and non-Latino, students and teachers alike, have attended performances, workshops, master classes, lectures, and other activities that inspired, challenged, and entertained them. Through ArtesAméricas, audiences and artists share first-hand encounters with another culture, encounters that fuel our curiosity and reveal our common humanity.

The past two years have seen a myriad of changes at the University of Texas Performing Arts Center, most notably the renovation of our flagship theater, Bass Concert Hall. The changes have also been dramatic for ArtesAméricas. Coinciding with the closure of Bass Concert Hall for its 18 month-long renovation, ArtesAméricas entered a phase of strategic planning designed to refocus the program and set a course for the coming years. The absence of major performances during this time has allowed us to reflect on the program’s first five years and to build upon its many successes. The Performing Arts Center remains dedicated to international programming, and in particular, to Latin American and Latino work through ArtesAméricas. ArtesAméricas is committed to our work presenting the most compelling work from Latin American and U.S. Latino artists and will embrace a renewed emphasis on residency as a fundamental element of building bridges of understanding through the arts. To that end, I echo the sentiments expressed by University of Texas President William Powers when he endorsed the words of University of Texas Alumni and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza:

“I agree with what Ambassador Garza said in his wonderful graduation speech at UT’s Commencement ceremony last year: ‘Building walls does not speak America to me.’ Nor does it speak to me and my colleagues at the University of Texas. We believe in building bridges”
(Speech during a Reception U.S. Ambassador’s Residence Mexico City, Mexico, 1/25/07).

It is in that spirit that I encourage you to contact us regularly with ideas, questions, suggestions, or proposals, as dialogue is the lifeblood of collaboration.

Many thanks y hasta pronto!

-Joe Randel