In memory of

Victoria "Vickie" Betancourt De La Rosa

Seguin, TX

December 19, 1947 - April 13, 2023

Dec 19, 1947 - Apr 13, 2023

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In memory of

Victoria "Vickie" Betancourt De La Rosa

Passed

April 13, 2023
Born

December 19, 1947
Resided

Seguin, TX

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Please consider a gift to Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin Theatre of Arts Ofjuan Seguin.

$2,655.00

Raised by 24 people

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Teatro de Artes de Juan Seguin is Vickie's love letter to her children and community. Co-founded with her beloved husband Homer De La Rosa and her cherished sister, Maria Guadalupe Betancourt.

Vickie was instrumental in the formation of Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin, a non-profit cultural arts organization that is a revered cultural, educational, and humanities institution in Seguin, Texas. Teatro recently celebrated its 40th anniversary of serving Seguin and surrounding communities’ youth, adolescents, adults, and seniors through its three pillars of Community Based, Center Based, and School-Based programming. She touched the lives of thousands. For all 40+ years, Vickie volunteered her services and expertise to Teatro in the following capacities: costume coordinator, Ballet Folklorico De La Rosa instructor, program coordinator, grant writer/administrator, executive director, and dedicated 41 years to serving all who sought knowledge in learning more about the Mexican American culture through all forms of art and humanities. She was instrumental in bringing artists, many programs, and many cultural experiences to the community of Seguin and beyond; this also includes private and public schools and universities. She cultivated the love of teaching in youth who now serve and served in many capacities within Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin throughout the United States and abroad. She was also very instrumental in starting the “Grow Your Own” project within Teatro, which has developed fierce Mexican American arts administrators. She served on many Boards of Directors for various organizations and was often asked by Texas Commission on the Arts to serve as Advisory Review Panelist. She was revered in the arts community throughout Texas and nationally and remained dedicated to the mission of Teatro: To promote a better understanding of the Mexican American culture through the teaching, study, practice, and performance of the arts.

In their youth in México, Vickie and Maria curated shows that incorporated the arts and people came to watch their shows in the courtyard behind their home. Their brother, José Betancourt, dubbed their shows, “El Teatro de las Locas” (Theatre of the Crazy Girls). Decades later, Vickie and Maria were educators in the same school district (Seguin Independent School District) and noticed the lack of students’ acceptance of their own Mexican American cultural roots. Maria, who loved her country of México, did not quite understand what had happened in Seguin for this lack of acceptance to occur.

Through research, focus groups, church, and their experiences as teachers in the school system, Maria and Vickie learned about the injustices that happened to the Mexican American adults and children in the Seguin community. This information helped solidify their need to incorporate an organization such as Teatro. On July 9, 1982, Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin was incorporated as a non-profit arts organization with its mission being to promote a better understanding of the Mexican American culture through the teaching, study, practice, and performance of the arts. Teatro not only supports the cultivation of the performing arts for children and adults, it provides adult education opportunities through artistic workshops and guest lecturers on various topics; supports and sponsors Hispanic artists who, in turn, serve as artists in education; and provides opportunities for individuals to develop their artistic talents. These mission-driven activities and goals are instituted to support and strengthen la comunidad (the community), build confidence, propagate cultural pride, foster the acceptance of different cultures, and to help la comunidad move
past the structural inequities placed upon them.

To learn more visit: https://www.teatrodeartes.org/
To read Ahora Puedo Respirar by Dr. Yvonne M. De La Rosa Ph.D, Executive Director of Teatro de Artes de Juan Seguin and daughter of Vickie De La Rosa download here: https://bit.ly/teatro041323 Contribute to Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin Theatre of Arts Ofjuan Seguin

Victoria “Vickie” Betancourt De La Rosa, age 75 of Seguin, went on to be with our Heavenly Father on April 13, 2023. Vickie was born on December 19, 1947, in Crystal City, Texas, to Victoria (Perez) and Jose Betancourt-Chavez. She moved to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, at the age of 3 until the age of 15. She traversed two countries in language, customs, traditions, and education and never skipped a beat.

Vickie is preceded in …

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