Encinal Childhood Memories Exhibit on Display at TAMIU

The history of Encinal, a small community north of Laredo, comes alive with the presentation of "The Childhood Memories of Encinal: Stories of South Texas Exhibition," currently on exhibit through Oct. 31 at Texas A&M International University's Student Center Upper Rotunda.

The exhibit, based on a project led last year by Dr. Jaclyn Jeffrey, assistant professor of anthropology at TAMIU, consists of a booklet featuring stories from interviews Dr. Jeffrey conducted at Encinal and photographs depicting the lives of people who grew up in that community between the 1930s and 1970.

Dr. Jeffrey's project was funded in part by the Texas Council for the Humanities and the Stockmen's Bank in Cotulla and was conducted for Hecho en Encinal, a non-profit arts and cultural organization founded in 1999 that is dedicated to bringing the arts and cultural activities to rural South Texas.

Exhibit photos include images of community activities, people and buildings. A reception scheduled for Oct. 3, from 6-8 p.m in the Student Center Upper Rotunda, west, and sponsored by the College of Arts and Humanities, will honor the interviewees. It is free of charge and the public is invited to attend.

Donna Lednicky, director of Hecho en Encinal, said her organization plans to conduct a follow-up project in 2003 focusing on food and cooking in Encinal. Plans include a series of cooking demonstrations of local food customs, such as tamales at Christmas, interviews with local people who cook, and a publication of a booklet with local recipes, photographs, and cooking stories.

For further information, please call Jeffrey at 326-2001, e-mail jjeffrey@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, 419D. University office hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu