cristina rosas and sarah swinford

GRABANDO: PARA NO OLVIDAR

September 14–25, 2026

opening reception: Wednesday, september 25 | 5 PM

TXST FL3X Gallery

Our identities are shaped by inherited traditions as well as our own lived experiences. Grabando: Para No Olvidar records our shared cultural experiences as Mexican American women in Texas while celebrating the individuality each of us brings to our practice. Through vibrant color, intricate patterns, and imagery inspired by Mexico’s diverse landscapes and wildlife, we explore the ways cultural heritage and personal experience intertwine. By creating a space that celebrates Mexican American heritage while recognizing that culture is only one part of our multifaceted identities, we hope to open a dialogue with visitors and reflect the rich history of cultural interconnectivity in Texas.

In Grabando, we present a variety of prints, mixed-media sculptures, and illustrations that draw on Mexican imagery and textiles to tell our own stories. Working across multiple media, we incorporate unexpected materials—including found fabric, papercrete, and a variety of printmaking techniques—to offer a fresh perspective on what Mexican American art can be. Familiar visual traditions appear alongside contemporary materials and processes, inviting viewers to find moments of recognition while discovering new ways of seeing.

Across generations, cultures evolve and adapt alongside the people who sustain them. Recording moments in time creates living codices that inform the future, just as records of the past continue to shape us today. Grabando is Spanish for “recording” and also references the tradition of grabados, or relief prints, connecting the exhibition’s themes to our shared printmaking practice. Created during a time when xenophobia continues to shape public discourse, Grabando is a defiant celebration of joy, creativity, and cultural persistence. Just as cultures endure, so will we.

Cristina Rosas [ @cris.tina.crea ] creates art that reflects on her personal experiences. Through printmaking, sculpture, and drawing, she explores themes of identity, memory, and connection. By experimenting with materials and process, she gives visual form to ideas and emotions, creating space for viewers to reflect, wonder, and question. She will receive her BFA in Communication Design from Texas State University in December 2026.

Sarah Swinford [ @saritafresita.art ] uses printmaking and sculpture to reflect on her Chiapanecan-Texan heritage, the power of community, and ancestral art practices. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley, she moved to San Marcos to study art at Texas State University. Her work has been exhibited in Amor Eterno at Quimera Gallery ATX, and she has served as the commissioned poster artist for San Marcos’s 2026 Mardi Gras and as an assistant teacher at The Contemporary Austin—Laguna Gloria. Swinford will receive her BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University in December 2026.

ABOUT THE TXST FL3X PROGRAM

The Texas State Galleries’ FLEX space invites Texas State Art and Design students, faculty, staff, and alumni to envision and assemble well-considered, visually engaging, and conceptually stimulating exhibitions and events. Through these programs, FLEX highlights the unique creative vision of our community and its relevance within the larger art world. 

For details regarding the application process, including application deadlines, see Opportunities.