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.
