Highlight of the RGV

The Rio Grande Valley is a place with all kinds of people and cultures. However, people in the Valley have the mentality that the RGV has nothing to offer to its community.  

It’s a Valley thing to believe that the Rio Grande Valley is a boring place to live in. People commonly think that the Valley does not offer any opportunities to grow and that it lacks in the arts, restaurant and business departments. 

Tired of this Valley mentality, Ramiro Gonzalez has decided to tackle the problem with his own hands. He graduated last December with a mass communication degree from UTRGV. Gonzalez was a psychology major but after working for Student Media with UTRGV–TV, he realized that communication was what he wanted to do. 

“I was a psychology major and I enjoyed the experiments and the readings in general,” Gonzalez said. “I switched over due to Karen Gonzales who is not the weather girl for Channel 5. … She introduced me to UTRGV–TV and that’s just how I started.” 

Gonzalez decided to create a webpage titled OutInThe956. The page is dedicated to promoting any local artist, businesses, restaurants and vendors.  

Raised in Palmview, Gonzalez has noticed since childhood that the RGV has its imperfections like any other place but it also has its good.  

“The RGV can have its flaws, but it also has its beauty on the other side,” Gonzalez said. “The Valley just has so much. … If you are not from here and you move here, it’s just an experience.” 

OutInThe956 highlights the “hidden gems of the RGV.” Gonzalez writes stories about artists, the meaning behind their art, the reason why he likes the art and how he stumbles upon these artists. This also applies to local restaurants, vendors and musicians.  

“The reason I decided to create this platform was due to the individuals who say there’s no talent in the Valley or the Valley sucks,” Gonzales said. “I just want to showcase some of the hidden gems within the 956. There is a lot our community holds that just takes a lit bit of searching and you’ll find your next favorite artists or musician.” 

From artists that post their art on Instagram to T-shirt designers, Gonzalez has interviewed many people from all across the Valley. Gonzalez said that after graduating he wasn’t doing much with his time and after working for some time at AmeriCorps, he received a call from his career adviser. After mentioning that he likes the idea of giving back to the community, his adviser gave him the idea to start a webpage. From there, he called his adviser back, and step by step, they built the page. 

“I really didn’t care about the followers,” Gonzalez said. “I just liked that people enjoyed it … because I had my doubts.” 

If any artists or business gets Gonzalez’s attention, he will contact individuals via Instagram or their email. Most of the time these people are interested in being featured in a blog and from there, Gonzalez interviews them via email or whatever way they feel most comfortable. 

“It takes me maybe three to four hours [to finish a blog],” Gonzalez said. “I am also adding in … my own thoughts … my experience or just commentary on what they are sharing.” 

Dulce Clarissa Mendoza, Alejandra Martinez and Daniel Louis Villareal are some of the local artists Gonzalez has interviewed. Gonzalez has also interviewed musicians such as PLAY, Pillowsnake and Monodyssey. Although the webpage was created this year, Gonzalez has had a great start with OutInThe956. He likes to include the featured artists’ likes and dislikes to create a better understanding of them as a person. 

“I’ll usually get in contact with the artists on Instagram,” Gonzalez said. “Some of them I knew through [Vaquero] Radio.” 

After the COVID–19 situation ends, Gonzalez has expressed his interest in collaborating with a venue and having an art exhibition for the Valley community to enjoy. That aside, he also hopes to give back to the UTRGV community by starting his own grant. 

“I am working on something right now that can help artists or like anybody who makes crafts … like for the university,” Gonzalez said. “I got a grant for my old job for, like, $4,000. … So, I have the idea of making my own grant.” 

Gonzalez hopes that his page will continue to grow as more people start to realize the hidden talents and everything the Rio Grande Valley has to offer.  

“There’s a lot our community holds … and you’ll find your favorite artist or musician just by searching,” he said. 

People interested in learning more about Gonzalez or OutInthe956 may email outinthe956@gmail.com or message @outinthe956 on Instagram.