McAllen News, McAllen TX News, arts and culture, South Texas College, International Museum of Arts & Sciences
Staff Report
McAllen, TX - The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) will open three exhibitions in spring 2026, while South Texas College (STC) will host at least two new exhibits, according to an article published by Glasstire, the oldest online-only art magazine in the United States and a leading source of visual arts coverage in Texas.
The information was reported by Glasstire in its Dec. 27, 2025 article highlighting museum exhibitions coming to East and South Texas in spring 2026. Founded in 2001 by Houston writer Rainey Knudson, Glasstire is widely regarded as the journal of record for the Texas visual art community and is the only publication in the state producing daily, in-depth art criticism.
Multimedia piñata art takes center stage
Opening Feb. 14 and running through July 26, 2026, Piñatabstract is a solo exhibition by Rio Grande Valley artist Josuè Rawmirez (Editor’s note: both Glasstire and IMAS spell the artist’s last name as “Rawmirez”). The exhibition explores the traditional piñata form through wearable sculptures, large-scale installations, ceramics and video works.
According to Glasstire, Rawmirez’s practice emphasizes community participation. A Día de los Muertos-themed mural created with museum visitors is currently on view at IMAS, and the artist is scheduled to lead a community-built piñata during the museum’s Olmec Day celebration on Jan. 17, 2026.
Mexican folk art examined through research
Voces del Arte Popular: IMAS Mexican Folk Art Collection will be on display from March 8 to Sept. 27, 2026. The exhibition is the result of a two-year research collaboration between IMAS and scholars and curators from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Glasstire reported that the exhibition examines regional Mexican arte popular through an anthropological lens, focusing on materiality, cultural continuity and community traditions.
Birds inspire global textile exhibition
The exhibition Aviary, on view March 21 through June 21, 2026, will bring together 60 works of art celebrating birds from around the world. The show is based on the 2023 book Stitched Journeys with Birds: Inspiration to Let Your Creativity Take Flight by Martha Sielman, executive director of Studio Art Quilt Associates.
IMAS has also planned an exhibition titled “Lowrider Culture in the United States.” Scheduled for August 15, 2026 – November 15, 2026, no specifics about the exhibit have been released by IMAS as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Early 2026 exhibitions at South Texas College
Glasstire also reported on upcoming exhibitions at South Texas College in McAllen. The Lessons of the Empress, by Edinburg artist, designer and educator Leila Hernández, will run from Jan. 20 to Feb. 13, 2026. The exhibition draws inspiration from The Empress tarot card and incorporates artworks alongside transformed personal belongings of the artist’s late mother.
An additional exhibition opening Feb. 23, 2026, will feature work by College Station-based artists Dana Younger and Felice House, pairing Younger’s wood and bronze sculptures with House’s feminist portrait paintings.
Source -- Glasstire; International Museum of Art and Science; South Texas College.