San Antonio’s Spanish colonial past can be traced back to the Central Mexican city of Querétaro.
Spanish missionaries from Querétaro traveled over 700 miles on foot to the South Texas region to convert the native people to Catholicism and establish a Spanish presence over three centuries ago.
The city’s missions, including the Alamo, are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ties between San Antonio and Querétaro and their shared histories are highlighted in the international exhibition, Al Otro Lado del Espejo / The Other Side of the Mirror.
Nearly two dozen Latino artists have their art displayed as part of the exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Querétaro.
San Antonio-based artists Lionel and Kathy Sosa co-curated the exhibition.
Kathy Sosa explained the historical tie between the two cities has long been understood on the Mexican side of the border.
“It's a centuries-old relationship, it's a centuries-old history of moving borders and territories and cultures and crossing imaginary and real lines and drawing lines across communities,” she said. “It's about time to talk about the whole history from the beginning all the way through."
Lionel Sosa said the San Antonio artists highlighted their cultural heritage in the exhibition.
“We found something very, very interesting about the Latino artists in San Antonio, and that is that it doesn't make any difference how long they've been painting, or if they know Spanish, or if they've ever visited Mexico, or if they’re fifth-generation or first-generation,” he said. “If they are of Mexican heritage, and they are artists, they are going to paint their culture.”
The exhibit is on display at the Museo de Arte de Querétaro through Jan. 31.
The story of the two cities will also be featured in a four-part documentary series on public television that examines the exhibition artists, Spanish colonial missions, and the Latino identity.
It airs Oct. 17 on KLRN in San Antonio and can be screened after at klrn.org.
View a virtual tour of artwork on display at the exhibit below.
