Category Archives: Current & Upcoming Exhibits

Twenty Years in Retrospect: The STC Permanent Art Collection

Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Permanent Art Collection

South Texas College celebrates the 20th anniversary of the permanent art collection

South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery presents “Twenty Years in Retrospect: The STC Permanent Art Collection,” an exhibition showcasing both the earliest works and the newest additions to the collection. Since its beginning in 2006, each piece has been contributed by artists who have exhibited in the library’s galleries, reflecting two decades of artistic collaboration and community engagement.

An anniversary reception will be held on March 3 from 1–2 p.m. in the Pecan Campus Library, 1st Floor Gallery.

Jerry Lyles Painting
The collection includes works by Deborah Roberts, Carmen Lomas Garza, Luis Corpus, and Jerry Lyles, among many others.

The exhibition will be on view at the Pecan Campus Gallery from January 20 – May 15, displayed on the second floor and first floor south lobby.

The STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, located in Building F at 3201 Pecan Blvd., McAllen, TX, offers free admission to both the exhibition and all related events.

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

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

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.