Who We Are

​

Founded in 2019, Daphne Art Foundation is a 501c(3) nonprofit arts organization based in the South Texas United States-Mexico border in Laredo that focuses on improving the quality of life through transformative cultural experiences.

​

We are artists, educators, administrators, stewards, advocates, writers, and creatives.

 

Our Mission
 

Our mission is to advance the visual, performing, and media arts in the Laredo border region by: providing residencies to artists and creatives, exhibiting and promoting artists, and cultivating arts appreciation and participation.

​
 

Our Vision
 

Our vision is a vibrant Laredo border region where the arts are central to our cultural and socioeconomic vitality.

​
 

Our Home

 

Located in the south Texas county of Webb on the United States-Mexico border, Laredo, Texas is beautiful, rich in history, complex, and full of contradictions (this allows our work to thrive!). Out of the 15 largest metro areas in the State of Texas, Laredo ranks last in the amount of local sales tax generated by the arts and culture industry, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

​

At Daphne Art Foundation, we are committed to make the arts more accessible and expand our community’s awareness about visual, performing, and media arts.  Laredo not only inspires our work, it serves as a canvas for creative perspectives to shape a better, more colorful future.

 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Daphne Art Foundation has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. As an organization, we acknowledge the complexities that result from advantages certain groups have over others. We challenge ourselves to constantly grow in awareness and develop and implement practices that advance equity in the arts. 

​
 

Our Team

​

Alyssa Cigarroa, Founder and Board President

Linda LaMantia, Board Vice-President

Mary Lamar Leyendecker, Board Secretary

Francisco Javier Garcia, Board Member

Keith Franklin, Board Member

Regina Portillo, Board Member

 

Maritza Bautista, Executive Director

Jacqueline Hinojosa, Operations Manager

​