THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 (San Antonio, Texas)

AL RENDON (Lead Artist), OSCAR CASTILLO, RUBEN CHAVEZ, GLORIA CRUZ, CHRIS HERNANDEZ, NOE HERNANDEZ, RAMON HERNANDEZ, DESTINY MATA, VICTORIA MARTINEZ, ENRIQUE NAVARRETE, DAVID ORTEGA, JOEL SALCIDO, MONICA SALDANA, KATHY VARGAS (Texas)
Cultural Imagination Across Generations
Curated by Ricardo Romo PhD
Centro Cultural Aztlan
1800 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 432-1896 | https://centroaztlan.org

Opening reception: Thursday, September 3, 2026, 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit on display: September 3 – 24, 2026
Viewing hours: Mon – Thu, 10 am – 4 pm, except holidays
Contact: Malena Gonzalez-Cid or Ruth Guajardo (210) 432-1896 | centroaztlan@sbcglobal.net
Free and open to the public

This photographic exhibition at Centro Cultural Aztlan, Cultural Imagination Across Generations, presented in conjunction with FOTOSEPTIEMBRE, offers a powerful meditation on Mexican American life as lived, remembered, and continually reimagined. Rooted in everyday experience, the works on view illuminate the intimate textures of Tejano and Chicano communities –moments often overlooked, yet deeply embedded in the cultural imagination across generations. Through images of quinceañeras, birthdays, religious observances, and quiet scenes of domestic and communal life, the exhibition captures both the extraordinary and the everyday, revealing how cultural values such as family, resilience, cooperation, and continuity are actively lived and sustained.

These photographs function as more than visual documents; they are acts of preservation, affirmation, and storytelling. Collectively, they form an alternative chronicle of Mexican American familial and cultural practices –a lifelong endeavor for many of the photographers represented. As visual historians and cultural workers, these artists construct narratives that challenge historical absence in mainstream representation while expanding the scope of American art. Their work transforms fleeting moments into enduring records, creating a visual archive that complements written histories and ensures that lived experience is neither forgotten nor marginalized.

San Antonio emerges as a central presence throughout the exhibition –a wellspring of memory, identity, and meaning. Viewed through a South Texas lens, the images ground broader cultural themes in specific places, faces, and traditions, reflecting how the community sees itself and wishes to be seen. At the same time, the works foster empathy and cultural understanding, inviting viewers into a dialogue between past and present. Especially for those unfamiliar with these cultural worlds, the exhibition opens a space for recognition and learning.

Ultimately, this exhibition underscores photography’s vital role in shaping cultural memory. These images do not simply record; they speak. They carry forward stories of identity, place, and belonging, contributing to a broader, community-rooted, culturally affirming arts movement. In doing so, they help ensure that Mexican American life is seen, valued, and understood within the evolving narrative of American art.–Ricardo Romo PhD

In addition, Centro Cultural Aztlan is honoring Al Rendon with the Aguila Aztlan Lifetime Achievement Award. Al Rendon, a San Antonio-born photographer, is being honored for his extraordinary contributions to documenting the cultural life of South Texas. Over a distinguished career spanning more than five decades, Rendon has captured the spirit of Mexican American and Tejano communities through powerful images of music, tradition, and everyday life. From his early work photographing rock concerts in the 1970s to his iconic portraits of Selena, conjunto musicians, and charreada participants, his photography reflects both artistic excellence and cultural stewardship. His work, featured in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and exhibited internationally, affirms his role as a vital visual historian. The Witte Museum’s retrospective further recognized his enduring impact. Through his lens, Rendon preserves the stories, resilience, and identity of San Antonio, leaving an invaluable legacy for future generations. 

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