The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center today announced that Executive Director Patty Ortiz has resigned her position to pursue independent curatorial projects and focus on her work as a visual artist.
Recruited to the Guadalupe in 2009, Ortiz was instrumental in leading the organization’s growth and elevating its visibility locally, nationally, and internationally. During her tenure, the organization received new grants from major national funders such as the Kresge Foundation, American Alliance of Museums/Museums Connect, and the Surdna Foundation. Ortiz’ expertise in curatorial work and strong background as an artist opened many doors for the Guadalupe and helped recruit top talent for exhibitions at the center’s Museo Guadalupe. Among her many contributions, Ortiz also helped lead a community coalition that worked to secure city funding for the Guadalupe Cultural Corridor street improvements project.
She was also instrumental in the planning that led to $845,000 from the 2012-2017 City Bond Program for the restoration of the Progreso Pharmacy Building and its use as a public space.
“The Guadalupe will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to support this important organization. My family is from this neighborhood,” said Patty Ortiz. “My dad, Pete Ortiz, attended Lanier High School and grew up a few blocks from the Guadalupe. My Mom and Dad were proud of my return to San Antonio and of my work at the Guadalupe to build an all encompassing organization that included the traditions we grew up with as well as the next generation of cultural voices.”
“Patty has brought tremendous talent to the Guadalupe and we are grateful for her service. We accept her resignation with regret, but respect her desire to pursue her passions. Her particular passion for visual arts and curating has clearly benefited the organization through a number of extraordinary exhibits that have garnered tremendous positive visibility to the Guadalupe. She has led the organization alongside an impressive staff and delivered on going and new programs to the San Antonio community,” said Claudia Castillo Gonzalez, GCAC Board Chair.
The Board of Directors has appointed former Guadalupe leader, Pedro Rodriguez, as Interim Executive Director. Mr. Rodriguez served as Executive Director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center for 15 years, from 1983 to 1998, during which his leadership achieved steady growth in the building of an institution that was recognized as one of the leading community-based arts institutions in the United States. Through the use of strategic planning and team building, Mr. Rodriguez led the organization in its vision of providing multidisciplinary cultural and artistic programs to the community. He led the organization in its efforts for growth in the areas of policy development, programming, staffing, resource and audience development.
“Like many non-profit and for-profit organizations during a time of transition, the Board of Directors has called upon the leadership of an extremely successful former Executive of the organization, Pedro Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez not only brings experience and a passion for community-based arts organizations, but is also willing to step in as interim while the board begins a national search for a new Executive Director,” Gonzalez continues. Mr. Rodriguez begins in the interim role at The Guadalupe on September 15th.
This post is published from a press release from the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
*Featured/top image: The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center lit up at night. Courtesy Photo.
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This is the pattern of fail. This is what happens when you are retailing a culture that no longer actually exists, in place of the ones that do. None of these westside arts/cultural organizations has kept an ED for any meaningful length of time over the past ten years. You can throw the failed Museo Almeda in the same sinking ship, as well (perhaps as the anchor, having already hit bottom). Then, when the ED departs, the remainders immediately appoint some leftover caretaker whose inability to move the organization forward is probably part of the problem. Then they squabble over the successor. Then they con a new ED into taking on the impossible situation (retailing a culture that no longer actually exists, in place of the ones that do), rinse and repeat.
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In this country, cultural arts has become a synonym for simultaneous amnesia, nostalgia, idealization and self-delusion. Portraying life as it is instead of a simulation or dancing around with Shirley Gonzalez and mariachis would be politically volatile but might actually benefit the people who live there for once.