Artistories on KXCI – January 18, 2021
Betty Villegas — Mexican American Heritage & History Museum
Betty Villegas, Dr. Lydia Otero and Neto Portillo
In this episode of Artistories, we hear from Betty Villegas, Director of the Mexican American Heritage & History Museum. She tells us about the historic Sosa Carrillo House in which the museum is currently housed, and how Los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucson founded it in order to promote and preserve the rich heritage of the Old Pueblo. She talks about sharing the space with Borderlands Theater and a little about the history of the TCC area, how it was violently transformed during urban renewal and the work Borderlands Theater created around this history in their multiperformance project, Barrio Stories. We also talk about historian Dr. Lydia Otero‘s essential work documenting the trajectory of this area. We talked about museum exhibits and events passed, such as those honoring the contributions of Neto Portillo and the Mariachi musicians of Tucson. We talk about the museum’s struggles under COVID-19 but also about plans for the future. Finally, Betty Villegas tells us a little more about her personal and professional trajectory, in which she has thread together health, housing and culture in Tucson and Pima County for a lifetime.
