Constance Cortez

The University of Minnesota, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago), and Mexic-Arte Museum (Austin) propose an 18-month collaboration to ready publication of 8,100+ items on the museums’ websites and open-source tool, Mexican American Art Since 1848, that progressively links US libraries, archives, and museums. We propose to 1) enhance and implement the Protocol for Partnering with Small-Budget Cultural Institutions; 2) test digitization workflows for various media; 3) develop cataloging practices to support dissemination of these museums’ knowledge; 4) with students, increase community engagement with the portal and scale-up overtime; and 5) enrich sustainability plans. Our work empowers Mexican American cultural institutions and artistic heritage.