We’ve got some seriously colorful characters in our coastal community, and not in the most obvious ways. When attempting to capture the full spectrum of what makes Corpus Christi special, the big-picture icons are easy to point out: the beachfront, the music venues and our lively downtown. As a publication rooted in small-town storytelling, we want to paint a picture of our home using all the unique colors we can, because a big picture doesn’t tell the whole story—you have to zoom in closer for that.
“Arts and Culture” sounds like a broad umbrella, but in the context of our region, it’s a necessary one. The range of talent thriving in the Coastal Bend refuses to be boxed into a single genre, medium or discipline.
What ties this selection of accounts together isn’t aesthetics, but a deep-rooted appreciation for the Coastal Bend. Each profile feels personal, a labor of love that opens the windows into small slices of life here. Jesus Hilario, host and creator of the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, put it best when he described his mission as “giving a voice to the people building our city.” That ethos runs through all of these projects.
Whether tuning in to a podcast featuring a beating heart of our community, scrolling through vintage photos of old Corpus, digging into the history of the land we stand on, uncovering the music scene tucked beneath the surface or engaging directly with creators shaping the culture in real time, there are plenty of personalities to follow if you know where to look.
CC Originals Podcast
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An offshoot of the CC Originals (@ccoriginalspodcast) brand, creator and main host Jesus Hilario passes the podcast mic among those he considers “the people making our city unique but not always getting the spotlight.” Find clips of his longform podcast series here, where interviews range from politicians and business owners to comedians and ghost hunters.
Vintage Corpus
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Started as a way to share her late father’s “old Corpus” memorabilia, Charlotte Pitts’ page (@vintagecorpus) has since amassed thousands of loyal followers to become, as she describes it, “a great place for people who grew up in Corpus to reminisce.” Her profile features vintage photos, inside jokes for Corpus locals and, as a huge Legend of Billie Jean fan, all things Sunrise Mall.
Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend
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Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend (@indigenous_peoples_361), an intertribal community group advocating, preserving and uplifting Indigenous voices in South Texas, gives us a chance to use social media intentionally. As organizer Love Sanchez puts it, the work isn’t just about advocacy or education, but about “showing that Indigenous peoples are still here, living, organizing and caring for the land. Not something frozen in the past.” As residents of a coastal city where Indigenous, land and water rights all intersect, the information shared on this page is of crucial importance.
CC Riffs
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Sergio Elizondo has dedicated his free time over the last few years to documenting the lengthy history of underground and live music in the Coastal Bend. Now boasting an extensive collection of photos, demos, zines and band memorabilia, Elizondo created CC Riffs (@ccriffs) to act as their digital home. Follow Elizondo’s journey as he posts new archive arrivals as well as updates on when and where his next pop-up exhibit will be.
El Dusty
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It’s not every day you get to see a Latin Grammy-nominated DJ right in your hometown, so wouldn’t you want to know about it? El Dusty (@eldusty), a self-proclaimed “cumbia virtuoso,” can be found performing all over town—at ArtWalks, festivals or even just a casual set at his brainchild soundbar OK HiFi. Wherever you prefer to catch a set, follow to stay on top of performances, hear snippets of new music and travel alongside him and fellow collaborators as they spread the good word of cumbia around the world.
Freddie Records
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A cornerstone of the music industry in Corpus Christi since 1969, Freddie Records (@freddierecordsofficial) adapted well to the digital age. Still representing dozens of working Tejano artists, its socials keep those interested updated on performances, new releases and acts as a way to keep artists connected with their fans.
Art Museum of South Texas
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Sharing info on ways to get involved, the Art Museum of South Texas’ IG page (@artmuseumsouthtexas) makes for a good boredom buster to have in your back pocket. Following its socials makes certain you’re the first to know of upcoming classes, and new exhibits. A bonus: The page makes some pretty good joke content, too.
K Space Contemporary
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Primarily focused on sharing close-up pieces from its current exhibits, K Space Contemporary (@kspacecontemporary) offers valuable content for aesthetic reasons as much as for informative ones. Be the first to know when a new exhibit cycles in through tasteful, close-up photos alongside a caption with additional information on what exactly you’re looking at.
Ritz Theatre
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As the Ritz Theatre (@ccritztheatre) inches closer to completing its full restoration, its social media is changing along with it. Follow its journey on Instagram to make sure you don’t miss out on special events hosted in the lead-up to its reopened doors, as well as nuggets of fun facts to remind you just how extensive of a historic restoration this is.
