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11th annual Mexican American Studies Summer Seminar offering panels on art, dance and music on Saturday, July 26

11

July

2025

|

20:46 PM

Europe/Amsterdam

Free all-day event on the college’s Heritage Campus includes a variety of sessions designed to increase cultural awareness of topics related to Mexican Americans

Article by Richard Guerrero, Jr.

Celebrate! MAS Summer Seminar Art

Celebrate! MAS Summer Seminar Art

Murals, mariachis and traditional Mexican dance are among the highlights of this year’s Summer Seminar, which is presented annually by the Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program at Del Mar College (DMC), which offers an Associate in Arts degree.

The 11th annual Mexican American Studies Summer Seminar, “Community, Culture y Más” is scheduled from 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, on the first floor of the Solomon Coles Building, which is located on DMC’s Heritage Campus. The event is free and open to the public. However, attendees are encouraged to register to help organizers plan for breakfast and lunch activities. Visit the online Summer Seminar event page to register at 
www.delmar.edu/degrees/mexican-american-studies/summer/index.html.  

For further questions, contact MAS Coordinator and Social Sciences faculty member Dr. Isabel Araiza at iaraiza2@delmar.edu.

Tony ArmadilloHeadshot_Local Artist and DMC Alumnus

Tony ArmadilloHeadshot_Local Artist and DMC Alumnus

Araiza also adds that organizers are excited to share that this year’s keynote speaker is artist and DMC alumnus Tony Armadillo, who designed the Connections Mural, which was painted on the side of the K Space Building in Downtown Corpus Christi by muralist Sandra Gonzalez and 45 teen artists in 2019. The 2025 MAS Summer Seminar is the first for Armadillo to serve as a speaker.

“If people are familiar with the murals in the Downtown District, they’ve probably appreciated and been awed by Mr. Armadillo’s work,” Araiza notes. “He is a renowned local artist whose work has been shown and won awards across Texas and the nation, so he will discuss his work and creative process when he speaks during the seminar.”

Danza Group Kapulli Ollin Papalotl

Danza Group Kapulli Ollin Papalotl

Another item of interest, Araiza notes, is a morning panel featuring scholars and artists who recently published “Somos Tejanas: Chicana Identity and Culture in Texas.” Panelists will share details about the book, which explores the complexity of identity by weaving together poetry, art, history, and personal experiences.

Given music’s importance to the cultural traditions of the Mexican American community, Araiza says she’s excited to have Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Amanda Marquez, a faculty member who is also a co-founder of the university’s Mariachi Festival, as a presenter. She will cover the history of mariachi music.

While organizers have held previous seminars in other college locations, this year’s full-day event will take place in the Coles Building which also houses the Center for Mexican American Studies. Attendees will have an opportunity to visit the center, which is a community space, and to learn about projects the center has planned for the near future.

The college’s Mexican American Studies Summer Seminar dates to 2014.

“This annual event is a gift to the community from former English Professor Mike Anzaldúa, who was deeply involved at Del Mar College from 1969 until his death in 2012,” Araiza says, adding, “The summer seminar is a unique opportunity for the community to learn about itself and our experiences.”

About Del Mar College

Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.

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