Casa de la Cultura: Nuestra Mirada - Our Perspective

Roj Rodriguez starts a new photography workshop, Nuestra Mirada - Our Perspective, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Tuesday, August 18. It runs through September 29, with sessions on Tuesday evenings from 6 PM to 8 PM. Rodriguez is the author of the photography book Mi Sangre, and he'll be leading the class.

The workshop is a hands-on program that covers the basics of the craft—composition, lighting, and camera settings—and how to turn everyday moments into photos that tell a story. You'll get familiar with photography equipment and editing tools, and you'll experiment with different styles, from portraits and candid shots to nature, architecture, and abstract photography. It's designed for people who want to move beyond just taking pictures and start thinking about how to build a narrative with what they see.

The center itself is dedicated to the preservation, creation, presentation, and promotion of the cultural arts of Mexican Americans and Latino cultures. It reopened to the public on June 6, 2026, after Phase 2 of its 2018 Facility Expansion Plan, with a grand reopening called Juntos de Nuevo. Along with its exhibitions, the center offers free gallery access, cultural-arts classes and camps, the Caminos teen leadership program, and the Latino/a/e Artist Access Program (LAAP), which gives local artists space to share their work. Nuestra Mirada is one of those classes.

Registration is through Eventbrite. The sessions run from August 18 through September 29, 6 PM to 8 PM, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St., Austin, TX 78701.