Flaco Jimenez: A South Texas Music Virtuoso
Flaco Jimenez’s music journey has been as imposing as a Texas Tornado, as sizzling as a Super Seven Texas sun, and as dramatic as a rocking Rolling Stone. The magical reference in those names reveals different moments that brought Flaco Jimenez added music fame. With...
Armando Sanchez: A Latino Borderland Artist
Latino art came to the U.S-Mexico Borderlands in the 17th century with the founding of several missions in Texas by the Franciscan order. In the 1680s, Mestizos, a blend of Spanish and Mexican Indian ethnic groups, constituted the majority population in Mexico....
Hello Darkness My Old Friend
It was their first week at Columbia University in New York when Sandford “Sandy” Greenberg and Arthur “Art” Garfunkel met. As roommates, they made a pact to always be there for each other in times of trouble, no matter the extreme. A few months later, Sandy began to...
Porfirio Salinas: A Pioneering Latino Artist
Texas painter Porfirio Salinas is among the first Mexican American artists to gain national recognition. In 1964 The New York Times described him as “L.B.J.’s Favorite Painter.” The famed bluebonnet painter is also undoubtedly one of the most famous personalities who...
Osmar Alaniz, First Latino Olympic Boxing Coach
with Dr. Mario Longoria Osmar Alaniz arrives early every day at the Lackland Air Force gym, a routine he has followed for the past forty-nine years. He may well be the only Latino coach in any sport who has participated in three Olympic games. A resident of San...
Carmen Tafolla: A Prize-Winning Latina Poet
Carmen Tafolla’s contributions to American literature are multifaceted and profound. Her readers already knew this when Alex Haley called her a “world-class writer.” Literature teachers and students celebrated her selection as San Antonio’s first Poet Laureate in 2012...
Verónica Castillo: Award-Winning Artist and Clay Sculptor
A Smithsonian Museum gallery dedicated to the Latino experience opened on June 18, 2022, at the Washington, D.C. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Verónica Castillo, a Southtown San Antonio resident, is one of the selected artists featured in the...
The Life and Art of Marta Sanchez: Impressions of Chicana Culture, Tradition, and Memory
In 1984 Marta Sanchez, a young Chicana artist from San Antonio, was selected for the “Mira” exhibit which was the first national Chicano/Latino art exhibition in America. Sponsored by Canadian Club, a beverage powerhouse in the United States and Canada, the exhibit...
Juan de Dios Mora: Borderland Artist and Master Printer
In June of 2019, the Smithsonian American Art Museum notified Juan de Dios Mora of their purchase of four of his art prints. To be a part of the Smithsonian collection is a special recognition, and only a few Texas artists have ever realized that goal. Mora’s...
Liliana Wilson: An Immigrant Latina Artist
Several years ago I wrote about Liliana Wilson, a remarkably talented Latina immigrant artist who has spent her entire adult life in Texas. I wrote that Wilson represents the quintessential ideal for International Women's Day, a day when women are recognized for their...