Animation and Public Engagement Symposium (APES 2019) was held at Texas Tech University in Sept 2019 and brought together animation scholars and practitioners to share recent projects and research, and discuss myriad ways in which animation, community building, and participatory art practices come together. I was thrilled to be invited to present my own work and soak in some West Texas hospitality! Many thanks to Jorgelina Orfila and Francisco Ortega (pictured below, with presenter Chunning Guo) for inviting me and showing us a great time.