This year, we partnered with the Museum of South Texas History (MOSTH) for their annual Preservation Week programming. Our collaborative efforts with MOSTH have grown over the last couple of years, and we were excited to design special programming for the public highlighting the importance of moving image preservation, access, and narrative change.
We hosted a two-day magnetic media workshop with Tim Lake, Co-Director of Preservation at BAVC, where participants received hands-on training on how to assess and repair VHS tape. This workshop is part of BAVC’s efforts to provide access to media preservation resources to communities across the US. As a host site, ENTRE staff has broadened their knowledge using the kit’s educational modules and equipment, and it was crucial that we were able to share this unique and rare resource with the greater RGV community. This specific knowledge and skillset is greatly needed to assess and preserve magnetic media in our region and beyond!
BAVC’s kit is designed as a learn-on-your-own workshop, with individuals visiting a host site to complete the 6 online modules at their own pace, with a certified facilitator on site to help troubleshoot. However, ENTRE and BAVC decided to try a new way of facilitating the workshop through a two-day in-person training session, the second of its kind (the first was held at Queens College in January 2024).
Through a combination of targeted outreach (local libraries and academic institutions) and a social media open call, we hosted 8 individuals from across the Rio Grande Valley! We met in MOSTH’s Courtyard Gallery from 10AM - 4PM on May 2 & 3 for a group learning session facilitated by Tim. Through a series of video lessons and hands-on activities such as splicing and cleaning a VHS deck, participants learned about video signals, how to assess and repair tape media, and identifying video signal errors. Coffee, tea and lunch were provided on both days for participants, which allowed for the small cohort to connect with one another.
ENTRE’s time with the kit is coming to a close, but we are excited to have it remain in the Valley for another year. We will be announcing the kit’s next location soon, so if you are interested in signing up for this workshop, email us at info@entrefilmcenter.org.
Closing out our Preservation Week programming at MOSTH, we hosted a panel conversation featuring RGV artists, archivists and activists whose work is shifting the cultural and historical understanding of our region. The conversation was held on Saturday May 4th from 11AM to 1PM, and was live streamed to provide access to folks outside of the Edinburg/RGV area.
The panel featured the work of Gabriel Sanchez (Pansy Pachanga, South Texas Equality Project), Nansi Guevara (Nuestra Delta Mágica), Melissa Peña (MOSTH), Juan Pablo Mancias (Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas), and Monica A. Sosa (Boca Chica, Corazón Grande). The conversation was facilitated by ENTRE Co-Founder and Archive Project Manager, C. Díaz and covered themes of power, access, and sustainability.
The key takeaway from this conversation was the fact that many people in the Rio Grande Valley do not feel that their lived experience is important to document and preserve. Panelists discussed how the influence of colonization, institutional gatekeeping, and the continued narrative of “there is nothing here” have negatively impacted how people value themselves and their lived experiences. Each panelist contributed to the conversation from their specialized lens, providing context and opportunities for public engagement through the design and implementation of their work. Attendees were invited to ask questions, and the conversations that sparked from these interactions created a shared experience that felt timely, historical and poignant for the RGV community. The full recorded conversation can be watched on our YouTube channel.
Before and after the panel, attendees were able to enjoy a cafecito provided by CafeTele and pan dulce from La Morenita while exploring mini-exhibitions of the panelists’ work.
We are proud to have hosted this conversation at an institution such as MOSTH. We feel it’s important that cultural and educational institutions remain critical of practices and perspectives that perpetuate oppressive systems of power. Our goal is to continue these conversations to illuminate the censored and forgotten histories of our region.
These events couldn’t have been possible without the support of MOSTH staff especially Pamela Morales, Francisco Guajardo, Tony Peña, Alicia Garza, ASL interpreters Paul Villarreal and Mariana Hdz-Segovia (One Handy Interpreter), and Spanish interpreter Daniel Muñoz (Davila & Associates). Additionally, this programming was supported by INCITE at Columbia University and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
