JANUARY 26, 2024 — The UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) and UTSA Arts present Boundless: Storytelling in Texas Book Arts. This compelling exhibition, open through February 23, 2024, features an array of contemporary artist books, illustrations and ’zines.
"This exhibition unites a multitude of works, many of which will be displayed for the first time,” said Kristy Masten, professor of instruction at the School of Art and curator of the exhibition. “It includes 'zines, commissioned artist books from UTSA Libraries Special Collections and an installation by local artist-illustrators. This collection shines a spotlight on picture book illustrations, artist books and 'zines, celebrating them as art objects and showcasing the cultural narratives crafted by Texas artist-illustrators."
UTSA Libraries Special Collections plays a crucial role in the exhibition, offering a selection of rare books and 'zines. Steph Noell, special collections librarian, has been instrumental in curating these materials.
Featured here is Daniel González's "The Eight Omens of Misfortune," handset type and linocuts on rag paper, 2005 and "llustrations for Remembering" by Xelena González and Adriana M. Garcia, acrylic on paper, 2023. Loaned by the UTSA Libraries Special Collections and Adriana M. Garcia.
Among the various works, one standout piece is "The Real Tejano Accordion Book" by Peter and Donna Thomas(2022). Commissioned by UTSA, this book delves into the history of conjunto music in Texas and is making its debut at the exhibition.
Another stand out work in the exhibition is “Embedded Stars from Sifted Scars” by Kallie Cheves (2023). This cut paper installation is one that she wrote, designed, and constructed specifically for this exhibition. It incorporates a 12-foot snake made from paper with a poem embedded in the snakeskin. The words of the poem glow red and pulsate. Above, a full moon glows yellow and giant moths float around the space, creating shadows on the surrounding landscape and walls. The sculptural installation represents a genesis point in the illustration process where Cheves is working out and conceptualizing ideas and images to explore in her next picturebook.
The exhibition features original artworks from Texas artist-illustrators such as Zeke Peña, Terry Ybáñez, Xavier Garza Adriana Garcia, and Thelma Muraida among others. Many of these featured artists also contribute to the community as educators, striving to achieve visual and written literacy goals.
The exhibition is one of several events taking place as part of DreamWeek San Antonio. DreamWeek is a 17-day summit of events to foster the exchange of ideas on universal issues in an environment curated for successful civil and civic engagements. The city-wide summit takes place in and around downtown San Antonio.
Established in 2022 by COLFA, UTSA Arts is dedicated to community arts education, public-facing performances and exhibitions, arts-based research and partnerships that enhances the accessibility of and the community’s needs for high-quality arts education.
This event has been made possible through the generous support of the the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992, the Texas Commission on the Arts, COLFA, the School of Art and the UTSA Departments of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, English, and Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching.
Visitors can experience this captivating showcase of Texas culture and art from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, at the UTSA Main Art Gallery, located on the second floor of the Arts Building (ARTS 2.03.04).
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