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The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB MACC) announces 2023 Awards of Excellence winners. These awards, established by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board in 2009, recognize those individuals in Austin that have demonstrated significant leadership and have made meaningful contributions in Latino cultural arts. 

2023 Awardees

• Jacqueline Olivier,  Emerging Artist
• Serena Tijerina, Emerging Artist
• Raul Garza, The Arts 
• Roj Rodriguez, The Arts
• Bertha Delgado Rendon, Service
• Monica Araoz, Arts Educator
• Zita V. Vázquez, Arts Educator   
• Paul Saldaña, Lifetime Achievement 
• Dr. Roén Salinas, Lifetime Achievement 
• Yolanda Sanchez, Lifetime Achievement
• Farah Rivera, Lifetime Achievement (Posthumous)
• Henry Gonzalez, Lifetime Achievement (Posthumous)

The community sent in nominations via an open nomination form, and the ESB MACC received over 40 individual nominations. The nominees were scored by the Awards of Excellence selection committee who awarded the top candidates with the highest scores based on their service in each of the following award categories to the ESB-MACC and the Mexican American/ Latino/a/x/e Community. 

Emerging Artist
Those who have shown innovative and exceptional accomplishments in the Latinx cultural arts. For artists who are starting their career, or those who are mid-career, showing much future promise.

The Arts
Those working in any medium including visual arts, dance, music, theater, radio, TV, film, performing arts, and history.

Service
Those who have exhibited outstanding service as a volunteer and/or employee in the Latinx Cultural Arts

Arts Educator
Those who educate our community about Latinx cultural arts. 

Lifetime Achievement
Those who have demonstrated a lifetime of passion and dedication to the Latinx cultural arts.

The Awards of Excellence ceremony was held on July 29 at the Long Center. The public was invited to watch along on a livestream of the event on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The digital recording of this awards ceremony is now available to watch on those channels at any time. 

For biographies of each Awards of Excellence 2023 winner, as well as a complete list of winners from 2009-2023, please visit AustinTexas.gov/MACCAWARDS.