About Jon
Jon Hinojosa
Jon is an artist masquerading as an arts administrator who served as the President and Artistic Director of SAY Sí, a national award winning, creative youth development program for urban students. The tuition-free program encompasses 6 distinct multidisciplinary arts programs, including visual, performing, film, and game design.
Jon is also a producing and exhibiting visual artist and is active in professional - local, regional and national arts education initiatives.
Jon is Arts Fellow of the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders, A joint program of National Arts Strategies and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has been presented with national awards for his work in arts education.
He has presented and facilitated learning at numerous conferences and symposia on the value, tangible evidence, and the transformative power the arts have on communities, these include Grant Makers for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, and The National Guild for Community Arts Education.
Jon has served as an adjudicator for the National Endowment for the Arts, The National Arts and Humanities Program Awards, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
His new roles are focused on creative placemaking, and building partnerships with creative communities to cultivate artistic experiences and makes spaces for new and marginalized narratives.
Recently he was a finalist on the PBS cooking show "The Great American Recipe", where he captivated audiences with his innovative yet nostalgic approach to Mexican-American cooking, blending traditional recipes with a contemporary twist that reflects his heritage and personal story. His work in the culinary arts has positioned him as a vital voice in Texas’s food scene, advocating for sustainable and culturally significant cuisine
Jon was one of the founding chairs of Excel Beyond the Bell, a collective of out-of-school organizations and a founding member of CAUSA (Culture and Arts United for San Antonio), a collective of San Antonio’s arts and cultural organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Texans for the Arts and City Education Partnerships.