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Rock art center coordinator brings together past, present through programming


February 17, 2014

Anthropologist Casandra Hernandez juggles issues of identity, culture and social engagement in her career. As the interpretation and programs coordinator at the Arizona State University Deer Valley Rock Art Center, she helps create a diversity of programming that makes the ancient site relevant to a contemporary audience.

Hernandez recently appeared on KAET's Horizonte to discuss her work at the center, which is part of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Speaking with host José Cardenas, Hernandez outlined the history and mission of the archaeological site and 47-acre desert preserve, as well as its role as “an urban oasis where we can learn about our past.”

The segment featured recaps of recent center events, including ‘Desierto Remix,’ a joint production with ASU Performance in the Borderlands. The outdoor performance brought together Columbian street theater troupe Nemcatacoa Teatro and spoken-word artists Verbobala for an exploration of the desert landscape, art, politics and cultural identity.

Also covered on Horizonte were symposia and ‘Native Now,’ an annual festival of indigenous art and culture.

In addition, Hernandez discussed ‘City Life: Experiencing the World of Teotihuacan,’ currently showing at the ASU Museum of Anthropology. The immersive exhibit is designed to reconstruct daily life in one of the first urban centers in the Americas. Hernandez traveled to Teotihuacan in 2012 with an ASU media team to gather video footage and aerial photographs for the exhibit.

‘City Life: Experiencing the World of Teotihuacan’ runs through May 9 at the ASU Museum of Anthropology on the Tempe campus.

The Deer Valley Rock Art Center is located at 3711 W. Deer Valley Road in Phoenix.

Article source: Horizonte

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