Ancient Landscapes of South Texas: Hiding in Plain Sight

Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus

STC Library Art Gallery presents UTRGV CHAPS exhibition exploring 50 million years of geological and 15,000 years of cultural history

Lecture: March 3, 10 – 11 a.m. (STC Pecan Student Union, U-2.100)
Reception/Gallery Talk: March 3, 1 – 2 p.m. (STC Pecan Library) 

South Texas College Library Art Gallery presents “Ancient Landscapes of South Texas: Hiding in Plain Sight,” an exhibition developed by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Community Historical Archaeology Project (CHAPS). The exhibition opens Jan. 20 at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery and highlights the geological and cultural history of the Rio Grande Valley.

Exhibit coordinator Roseann Bacha-Garza and Dr. Juan Gonzalez will give a talk on March 3 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the STC Pecan Student Union, Building U, Room 2.100. 

The CHAPS exhibition traces a 40‑mile‑wide corridor from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Laredo—more than 200 miles of landscape shaped over 43 million years. The exhibition also documents 15,000 years of human presence in the region, illustrating how natural forces and human activity have shaped South Texas throughout time.

The display features material on ancient shorelines, volcanic ash deposits, mammoths, giant oysters, petrified forests, rare zircon crystals and thousand‑year‑old trees. It also examines how the Rio Grande has shaped life across the region and how modern activity continues to alter the U.S.–Mexico borderlands.

A reception and gallery talk will follow from 1 to 2 p.m. on March 3 at the Pecan Campus Library, Building F, as part of the Library Art Gallery’s 20th anniversary celebration. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore artifacts excavated throughout South Texas and learn about the natural landscapes unique to the Rio Grande Valley.

The exhibition’s documentary can be viewed at:
https://youtu.be/398URwHw8VU?si=6DVaUx9NSAabhE3g

More information is available at:
https://www.utrgv.edu/ancient-landscapes-southtexas/landscapes/index.htm

“Ancient Landscapes of South Texas: Hiding in Plain Sight” will be on view Jan. 20 through May 12, 2026, at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Building F, 3201 Pecan Blvd., McAllen, Texas. All events are free and open to the public.

The exhibition was developed by the UTRGV CHAPS team: Dr. Juan L. Gonzalez (Professor of Geology), Dr. Cristopher L. Miller (Professor of History), Dr. Russel K. Skowronek (Professor of Anthropology/History) and Roseann Bacha-Garza (Professor of Anthropology).

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery Program organizes exhibitions and educational events to deepen students’ understanding of art and its cultural significance, support the academic curriculum and inspire lifelong learning through direct engagement with artists, scholars and original works of art.

For more information, visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag.

Cuartitos De Sueños

Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Library Art Gallery, Technology Campus

New ceramic exhibition explores architecture through sculpture at STC
Clay Workshops: Feb. 4 & 5, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (STC Pecan Art Bldg., B-115) 
Exhibit Reception: Feb. 4, 3 – 4 p.m. (STC Tech Library, A-179)

South Texas College Library Art Gallery is proud to present “Cuartitos De Sueños,” an exhibition featuring ceramic sculptures and design-based works that explore architecture, structure and space. The exhibit showcases artwork by Rebecca Shelby, professor of ceramics at Arizona Western College, and fellow ceramic artist Larry Yáñez. Together, they introduce STC’s Technology Campus to new approaches in constructing architectural models.

Shelby and Yáñez will lead a ceramics workshop with STC ceramics instructor Chris Leonard on Feb. 4–5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the STC Ceramic Studio (Pecan B-115). The exhibition will open Feb. 4, followed by an opening reception from 3 to 4 p.m. at the STC Technology Campus Library (A-179). It will remain on view through May 31, 2026, at the STC Technology Campus Library, 3700 W. Military Hwy. in McAllen.

About the Artists

Rebecca Shelby is an Arizona-based ceramic artist with a background in dance and sculpture. She holds a BFA in dance and an MFA in sculpture from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a professor of ceramics at Arizona Western College. Shelby studied under Japanese ceramicist Setsuya Kotani and has worked in bronze and concrete. She focuses on pushing the boundaries of ceramic techniques, noting that with enough “engineering thought,” even unconventional methods can succeed.

Larry M. Yáñez, of Yuma, Arizona, is a ceramic artist whose work reflects Anglo, Mexican and American Indian influences. He earned a BFA from Arizona State University and has exhibited nationally, with work included in the Smithsonian. His cultural background shapes the tension and humor found in his pieces. Yáñez is also a musician.

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery Program organizes exhibitions and programs that foster students’ understanding of art and culture, support academic learning and encourage continued education through direct engagement with artists, scholars and original works of art.

For more information, email gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag.

Author Talk

“We Want Better Education!”: The 1960s Chicano Student Movement, School Walkouts and the Quest for Educational Reform in South Texas

Library Events, Virtual Event

Join us for a special event with author and STC faculty member James B. Barrera. His book We Want Better Education! explores the Chicano Movement in Texas, student activism, and the rise of La Raza Unida Party. Professor Barrera will share a reading and answer questions in a Q&A session.

This talk will be held at Pecan Campus Library in F102 at 6PM on October 7th. Can’t make it in person? Register for the simultaneously online session below!

Event Title: “’We Want Better Education!’: The 1960s Chicano Student Movement, School Walkouts and the Quest for Educational Reform in South Texas”
Speaker: James B. Barrera
Date: Tuesday, October 7th 2025
Time: 6 PM CST
Register here: Link

Colors We Dream / Colores Que Soñamos

Previous Exhibits

STC Library Art Gallery to Host Two New Exhibitions Beginning Oct. 1Colors We Dream Banner

Reception: October 1, 2025, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library, Bldg. F

Artist Talk: October 1, 2025, from 10 – 11 a.m. Pecan Student Union, Bldg. U, Room 2.100

The South Texas College Library Art Gallery invites the community to the opening reception of two new exhibitions on Oct. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Bldg. F, 3201. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen.The exhibitions—”Familiar Horizons” and the thematic community showcase “Colors We Dream / Colores que Soñamos”—will feature work by artist Elena Rodriguez and contributions from STC students, alumni, faculty, staff and local community members.

“Colors We Dream / Colores que Soñamos” centers on the theme of “alebrijes,” fantastical creatures first imagined by Mexican artist Pedro Linares in the 1950s. These vibrant, dreamlike beings combine features of real and mythical animals and are meant to reflect the spirit and imagination of their creators.

The exhibition includes artwork and poetry inspired by this magical realist tradition and will feature a short awards ceremony during the Oct. 1 reception. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. The event is free and open to the public.

Rodriguez’s “Familiar Horizons” explores the beauty in everyday and often overlooked aspects of life.

“My art is an exploration of the beautiful mundane—asphalt, weeds and suburban banality,” Rodriguez said. “I create the sensation of déjà vu for a place one has or never has been.”
A native of Chalk Mountain, Texas, Rodriguez earned her Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the New York Academy of Art. She now teaches in the Department of Art and Drama at Del Mar College and was recently recognized in the “Corpus Christi 40 Under 40” list.

In addition to the evening reception, Rodriguez will give an artist talk earlier the same day, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Pecan Campus Student Union, Building U, Room 2.100. She will discuss her work, artistic process and creative influences.

For more information, visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag or email gotvos@southtexascollege.edu.

Ruth K Featured Image

Bright Room/Silver Moon: Ruth A. Keitz

Library Art Gallery, Mid-Valley Campus, Previous Exhibits

New Exhibit at STC Transforms Everyday Materials into Art.Bright Room/ Silver Moon Banner

Exhibition opens Oct. 2 at STC Mid-Valley Library Art Gallery | Reception and Artist Talk: Nov. 11, 10 – 11 a.m. 

The South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery presents “Bright Room / Silver Moon,” a mixed media exhibit by Ruth A. Keitz, Ph.D., from Oct. 2 through Dec. 1 2025.

An artist talk and reception will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery, located at 400 N. Border in Weslaco. Admission is free and open to the public.

Keitz’s work explores the transformation of everyday, often discarded materials into imaginative compositions through mixed media collage and construction.

“I enjoy the uncommon and unexpected beauty found in materials that are used for packaging–and usually thrown away after a single use. These materials may be in their pristine manufactured state or aged by the elements of nature or transformed by my hand,” says Keitz.

Ruth Keitz FlyerIn her latest series, Keitz uses materials like envelopes with cellophane windows and security tints to create implied spaces that focus on celestial imagery, particularly the moon. These architectural compositions evoke intimate, imagined environments through innovative layering of textures and mediums.

About the artist
Ruth A. Keitz is a mixed-media artist who reimagines found and discarded materials. She holds a Ph.D. and M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and has taught art across the country, from the Rio Grande to Alaska.

The STC Library Art Gallery curates exhibitions and educational programming to enhance student learning, support academic curriculum and encourage engagement with original works of art and artists.

For more information, visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag.

Refusing to Forget

Refusing to Forget: Seeking Dignity for the Victims of La Matanza

Library Events, Previous Events

Refusing to ForgetThis webinar explores the history and lasting injustice of la matanza (1915), in which hundreds were murdered in South Texas. Join us as we focus on the importance of recognition, record keeping, and public memory.

Join virtually on Zoom Webinar.

Event Title: “Refusing to Forget: Seeking Dignity for the Victims of La Matanza”
Speaker: Trinidad Gonzales
Date: Tuesday, September 16th 2025
Time: 1:30 PM CST
Register here: Link