Mia Lopez Will Speak About the Renaissance of Latino Art
Mia Lopez, the McNay Art Museum's first Curator of Latinx Art, will speak about the renaissance of Latino art on Thursday, Oct. 23, at Northwest Vista College. The event will be held in the NVC Palmetto Center for the Arts Theatre from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and is co-sponsored by the Northwest Vista College Humanities Speakers Series and the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program. Lopez has received national attention for bringing to the mainstream artistic movements that have been overlooked by many and can be seen throughout the communities of San Antonio. For instance, spaces like Market Square or the restaurant Mi Tierra have a blend of eclectic art, murals, and cultural ornaments - a style coined by San Antonio artist Tomás Ybarra-Frausto as “rasquachismo.” Lopez brought that distinct perspective to the exhibit she curated, “Rasquachismo: 35 Years of Chicano Sensibility.” This garnered national praise by the art world and established the concept as part of the canon of American art - which has an array of influential artists. The Rasquachismo exhibition also made headlines in Artforum magazine, a decisive voice and tastemaker in the art world. With her recent accolades, Lopez hopes to have a conversation with students and the public about bringing visibility to the McNay. “One of the things I want to emphasize is that the McNay is a place of belonging and you can see reflections of your own culture and lived experiences,” she said. “I want to remind students not to be afraid of putting themselves out there as creatives. We have very rich and diverse art ecosystems and great nonprofits, pop-ups, and galleries.” Another project that Lopez will highlight at her NVC talk is titled “La Feria: A Celebration of Public Space,” which will be on display at the McNay in January 2026. The exhibition will bring together art from the McNay collection that captures the vibrancy of city and village life and the culture that is created in communal spaces. "This is an incredible opportunity for Northwest Vista College to welcome a leader from the McNay Art Museum to our campus," said Craig Coroneos, NVC Humanities faculty and Program Coordinator. "Mia Lopez's talk will allow our students and the community to take a fascinating look at the rich history and future of art in San Antonio." The event is open to the public. To learn more, visit Alamo.edu/NVC/Speakers. To register for the 6 p.m. discussion, go here. For questions regarding the event, please contact: Craig Coroneos at CCoroneos@alamo.edu Speakers Series - About Stacey R. Johnson
Mia Lopez, the McNay Art Museum's first Curator of Latinx Art, will speak about the renaissance of Latino art on Thursday, Oct. 23, at Northwest Vista College. The event will be held in the NVC Palmetto Center for the Arts Theatre from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and is co-sponsored by the Northwest Vista College Humanities Speakers Series and the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program.
Lopez has received national attention for bringing to the mainstream artistic movements that have been overlooked by many and can be seen throughout the communities of San Antonio. For instance, spaces like Market Square or the restaurant Mi Tierra have a blend of eclectic art, murals, and cultural ornaments - a style coined by San Antonio artist Tomás Ybarra-Frausto as “rasquachismo.” Lopez brought that distinct perspective to the exhibit she curated, “Rasquachismo: 35 Years of Chicano Sensibility.” This garnered national praise by the art world and established the concept as part of the canon of American art - which has an array of influential artists. The Rasquachismo exhibition also made headlines in Artforum magazine, a decisive voice and tastemaker in the art world.
With her recent accolades, Lopez hopes to have a conversation with students and the public about bringing visibility to the McNay.
“One of the things I want to emphasize is that the McNay is a place of belonging and you can see reflections of your own culture and lived experiences,” she said. “I want to remind students not to be afraid of putting themselves out there as creatives. We have very rich and diverse art ecosystems and great nonprofits, pop-ups, and galleries.”
Another project that Lopez will highlight at her NVC talk is titled “La Feria: A Celebration of Public Space,” which will be on display at the McNay in January 2026. The exhibition will bring together art from the McNay collection that captures the vibrancy of city and village life and the culture that is created in communal spaces.
"This is an incredible opportunity for Northwest Vista College to welcome a leader from the McNay Art Museum to our campus," said Craig Coroneos, NVC Humanities faculty and Program Coordinator. "Mia Lopez's talk will allow our students and the community to take a fascinating look at the rich history and future of art in San Antonio."
The event is open to the public. To learn more, visit Alamo.edu/NVC/Speakers.
To register for the 6 p.m. discussion, go here.
For questions regarding the event, please contact:
Craig Coroneos at CCoroneos@alamo.edu
About Stacey R. Johnson:
Dr. Stacey R. Johnson has dedicated more than 40 years to higher education to empower students for success. She has served as interim vice president for Academic Success at Northwest Vista College and helped launch NVC’s first baccalaureate degree. Prior to NVC, she was a president at Valencia College in Florida. She has deep roots in San Antonio and worked at Palo Alto College in many leadership roles. An Olympian in fencing, she founded “Dreams for Youth” of the San Antonio Sports Foundation and was inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame and the Institute for International Sport.
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