A Five-Decade Visual Journey Through San Antonio, Texas, and Beyond

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Dock Space Gallery is pleased to present Ricardo Romo : 50 Years of Photography, an exhibition celebrating five decades of photographs by historian, educator, and former University of Texas at San Antonio President Dr. Ricardo Romo.

Opening Saturday, September 12, 2026, the exhibition brings together photographs spanning 50 years of Romo's life, travels, and observations. From San Antonio and communities throughout Texas to Mexico, Guatemala, and other places he and his wife, Dr. Harriett Romo, have visited, the collection offers a deeply personal record of people, places, traditions, and everyday moments.

For Romo, photography has always been closely connected to his work as a historian. His interest in photography grew while he was a graduate student at UCLA, where he became particularly interested in documenting the murals and public art of East Los Angeles. Recognizing that much of this work was temporary, Romo began photographing murals as a way of preserving a visual history of artwork and communities that might otherwise disappear.

That same instinct—to look closely and document what might be overlooked—has remained central to his photography for five decades.

Romo's photographs capture the cultural and social character of the places he encounters. His work has explored everyday life in San Antonio, small towns across Texas, Latino culture, public celebrations, architecture, markets, and communities abroad. Rather than simply photographing familiar landmarks, Romo approaches his subjects with the eye of both a historian and an artist, searching for unusual perspectives, symmetry, gestures, details, and moments that reveal something deeper about a place.

His photographs have been exhibited through Fotoseptiembre USA, the Witte Museum, the Institute of Texan Cultures, and other venues. His previous photographic projects have included documentation of Easter celebrations at Brackenridge Park, small towns throughout Texas, and communities in Guatemala.

A Historian Behind the Camera

Ricardo Romo earned a B.S. degree from The University of Texas Austin; a M.A. degree in American History from Loyola University Los Angeles; and a Ph.D in American History from the University of California Los Angeles. A recognized urban historian, Romo has taught and published in the field of civil rights, Mexican American history, and urban history. His book, East Los Angeles: History of a Barrio, is in its 9th edition. He served as the fifth president of the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1999 to 2017. Romo currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Southwest Research Institute, Board of Directors for the Brackenridge Park Conservancy, and Board of Directors for Humanities Texas. He is a member and past Vice President for The Philosophical Society of Texas. He is also active as the cultural and political writer as well as editorial board member for La Prensa Texas, a bilingual newspaper in San Antonio. Among the awards and recognition that Romo has received are: Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies at Stanford; the Clark Kerr Award for Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education from the University of California-Berkeley; the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the United States Army North; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Texas Exes.

For Dock Space Gallery & Lone Star Gallery, the exhibition highlights the important relationship between photography and cultural memory while celebrating a San Antonio figure whose work has contributed significantly to the city's academic, cultural, and civic life.

EXHIBITION INFORMATION

Ricardo Romo: 50 Years of Photography
Dock Space Gallery & Lone Star Gallery
107 Lone Star Blvd
San Antonio, TX 78204

Opening Reception
Saturday, September 12, 2026
4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Exhibition Dates
September 12 – September 24, 2026

Gallery Hours
Tuesday & Thursday
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Appointments outside designated gallery hours may be scheduled by contacting:
Bill FitzGibbons
(210) 723-3048

MEDIA CONTACT
Emma Garcia
Gallery Manager
Dock Space Gallery & Lone Star Gallery
admin@billfitzgibbons.com
(210) 887-9744