By Amanda A. Taylor-Uchoa
McALLEN, TEXAS – FEB. 18, 2025 – The UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts invites art enthusiasts and community members to a special roundtable event to discuss the historical, cultural and contemporary significance of Spanish American artwork.
Titled “Dialogues of Collecting and Display: Art of the Spanish Americas in the Rio Grande Valley,” the roundtable will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 3 to 5 p.m., at International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) in McAllen.
This engaging panel discussion is part of the newly opened exhibition, “Paintings of Spanish America (1600-1800) from the Thoma Collection,” currently on display at IMAS through May 25.
The exhibition itself, which showcases 17th- and 18th-century paintings from Spanish America, aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the region’s artistic legacy. The discussion will highlight how historical narratives intersect with modern perspectives, illustrating the enduring impact of these works both globally and in the local community.
Katherine Moore McAllen, director of the UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts, and Verónica Muñoz Nájar, curator of Art of the Spanish Americas at the Thoma Foundation, will moderate the conversation, ensuring an insightful dialogue about the artworks’ rich cultural contexts, current research, and relevance to the Rio Grande Valley.
Scholars and art professionals participating in the roundtable include Tom Cummins, director of Dumbarton Oaks and professor at Harvard University; Kristopher Driggers, curator of Latin American Art at the San Antonio Museum of Art; Carmen Fernández-Salvador, professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador; Rosario Granados, Marilynn Thoma curator at the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin; and Carlos Limas, department chair at South Texas College. Special guests Carl and Marilyn Thoma, founders of the Thoma Foundation, will also attend, offering further insight into their vision for collecting and sharing Spanish American art.
Admission to the roundtable is free, however access to the public gallery is included in regular admission prices to the IMAS.
For more information about the roundtable and exhibition, visit the IMAS website or contact the UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts.
ABOUT UTRGV
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.
UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.
