SAN ANTONIO (October 1, 2025) – Two concurrent exhibitions have opened at the Department of Arts & Culture’s Centro De Artes Gallery in Historic Market Square. The first-floor exhibit is “Madre_Land: South Texas Memory & the Art of Making Home” and is curated by Bonnie Ilza Cisneros. With artwork from 27 South Texas artists and scholars, including Dr. Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, “Madre_Land” explores the beauty of borderland culture and serves as a portal into the art of making home. Viewers will feel like they are walking through a family home with a front porch, kitchen, kids’ patio, and more.
“We hope visitors feel all the love that went into this project, that the exhibition sparks memories of family and home, and that they leave the gallery inspired to start a memory project of their own,” Cisneros said.
The second-floor exhibit is “Cuentos y Arte: Mexican Folktales of the Southwest” and is curated by Rebecca Gomez. The five featured artists are all women connected to South Texas and the Southwest. Cuentos, or folktales, include stories like La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) and El Hombre, el Burro, y el Perro (The Man, the Donkey, and the Dog). This exhibition is inspired by these stories and by the book “Cuentos: Tales from the Hispanic Southwest.” The artwork in the show includes paintings, prints, drawings, soft sculptures, textiles, and installations.
“I grew up hearing my late father read these cuentos along with folktales passed down through our family aloud, and those bedtime stories revealed how oral tradition carries memory, morality, and wonder—an energy I wanted to translate into the visual dialogue of this exhibition,” Gomez said. “I hope visitors leave feeling that folklore is alive and evolving, and that these artists show how stories remain living archives that shape identity and community across generations.”
The public is invited to the opening reception on Thursday, October 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Centro De Artes (101 S. Santa Rosa). The reception will include food from La Familia Cortez and refreshments by Dorcól Distilling & Brewing Company. This event is free and open to the public. Plan your trip with VIA.
Both exhibits will be on display until February 22, 2026. Centro de Artes is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and on the weekends from 12-5 p.m. Learn more at the Centro de Artes webpage.