The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB MACC) has announced the winners of its 2024 Awards of Excellence. These awards, established by the ESB MACC Advisory Board in 2009, recognize individuals in Austin who have demonstrated significant leadership and contributions to Latino/a/e cultural arts.
The Awards of Excellence ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 29 at the Long Center for the awardees and their families. The general public can watch a video recording of the ceremony on ESB MACC's social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Nominations were submitted through an open nomination form, with over 40 individual nominations received. The selection committee scored nominees based on their service to ESB-MACC and the Mexican American/Latino/a/x/e Community.
Biographies of each winner and a complete list of past winners from 2009–2023 are available at AustinTexas.gov/MACCAWARDS.
2024 Awardees:
**Arts Education Award Winner: Adolph Ortiz**
Adolph Ortiz graduated from Travis High School in Austin and was part of Zeke Castro's Mariachi Ensemble. He played a key role in establishing Austin's Mariachi Relampago in 1991, which won Univision's "Mejor Mariachi" award from Premios a la Musica Latina.
**Emerging Artist Award Winner: Ana Barajas**
Ana Barajas is a Colombian singer/songwriter who blends Latin folk, tribal sounds, and electronic music. She moved to Austin in 2011 and released her debut album "La Botánica de los Sueños" in 2018.
**Arts Award Winner: Mauricio Callejas**
Mauricio Callejas is an El Salvadoran singer-songwriter living in Austin for twenty years. He has released six albums as a soloist and founded Centroamericanto Fest, a Central American music festival.
**Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Dolores Carrillo Garcia**
Dolores Carrillo Garcia has been instrumental in advancing Latino visual-arts programming and curating exhibitions at various venues. She has also contributed significantly to growing one of the largest private collections of Chicano art.
**Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Gilberto Cardenas**
Gilberto Cárdenas is recognized as a scholar on Mexican immigration and has held significant academic positions at UT Austin and Notre Dame. He founded Galería Sin Fronteras in Austin and contributed to creating the Smithsonian Institution’s Latino Center.
**Service Award Winner: Velia Sanchez Ruiz**
Velia Sanchez-Ruiz worked for over thirty years with AISD at the elementary school level, incorporating dance into Physical Education classes. She supported numerous cultural programs including the establishment of Roy Lozano Ballet Folklorico.
**Posthumous Award Winner: Marcelo Tafoya Sr.**
Marcelo H. Tafoya was a foundational figure in Tejano broadcasting and Chicano civil rights advocacy. He had an extensive career spanning over four decades at stations like KGTN, KUT, and KAZZ.
**Posthumous Award Winner: Maria Emilia Martin**
Maria Emilia Martin was a Latina journalist focusing on Latin American affairs. She was the founding executive producer of Latino USA on NPR and reported extensively on Central American indigenous communities' politics and resilience.