San Antonio’s story begins long before the Alamo — and the Briscoe Western Art Museum is telling it in full color. “Tejano Legacy / El Legado Tejano,” the museum’s sweeping exhibition celebrating four centuries of Tejano heritage, is now on view on the River Walk through January 18, 2027.
Who are the Tejanos? They are the descendants of the earliest Mexican settlers who came to inhabit what is now Texas, long before the Alamo or statehood. Carrying stories, rituals, and resilience into a challenging land, these pioneers forged a culture that still shapes San Antonio today. The exhibition traces their struggles and triumphs, their profound connection to the land, and their enduring faith, culture, and traditions across four centuries.
Visitors will discover remarkable treasures, including the mid-19th-century oil painting “Fandango (Fiesta de pueblo),” an 18th-century polychrome wood “Saint Anthony of Padua” from the Bandera Natural History Museum, and a 1928 lithograph of Sam Houston in a folk-art frame from the Witte Museum’s permanent collection.
With the holidays and a new year ahead, there is no better time to gather the family and celebrate the roots of San Antonio. “Tejano Legacy” is included with museum admission.
Photo: The Briscoe Western Art Museum
