For 58 years of marriage, Guadalupe and Aurora Olguin danced.
They were fixtures at the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival, where their love of music and each other became part of the festival’s living tradition. A work by artist Ruben Luna depicting their dance, movement and love will be part of a solo exhibition, “Puro Recuerdo: Artworks by Ruben Luna,” on display at the Institute of Texan Cultures from Oct. 1, 2026, through May 30, 2027.
For more than 25 years, San Antonio artist Ruben Luna has used music, family heirlooms, and found objects to preserve memories of the people and traditions that have shaped his life and community. The first artist chosen for a solo exhibition at the new ITC, Luna’s artistic philosophy is a resourceful, working-class approach to art, much like conjunto is to music.
“I wanted to create something that reflected the richness of culture, the energy of music, and the joy of celebration,” said Luna. “My goal was to capture the way these elements bring people together, create a sense of connection, and allow traditions and personal expression to be showcased.”
In 2023, Luna found a way to make the Olguins’ love, and love of dancing, last. He captured their dancing in an unusual way: using custom devices that held crayons to their feet. As they moved across the canvas, their steps left marks that would preserve a moment in their lives together. Only a few months later, Guadalupe died.
The exhibition brings together four artworks, two videos, and artifacts from Luna’s artistic process, offering a look at how music, movement, and everyday objects can become vessels for memory.
In 2017, Luna first prototyped the process behind “Guadalupe and Aurora” in “Un Rinconcito en el Suelo,” a play on the title of the beloved song “Un Rinconcito en el Cielo” (“A Little Place in Heaven”). Luna’s title translates as “A Little Place on the Floor.” The earlier work, along with the boots Luna used to create it, will be included in the exhibition, offering visitors a glimpse into the experimentation behind his later work.
“I want people to leave the exhibit with a sense of curiosity and a new perspective on what art can be,” Luna said. “I hope they see that art does not always have to be created through traditional methods or materials, and that there are many different ways to record and communicate our experiences.”
In one of the artworks, “Angel Wings,” Luna transforms a collection of colorful feathers into a meditation on family and cultural identity. The feathers, pressed under plexiglass, came from Penner’s, a beloved menswear store. He remembers they were originally worn as colorful accents on fedoras — the distinctive “gorrito” worn by many grandfathers and uncles.
For Luna, the feathers evoke memories of the men in his family and community and of the clothing traditions that carried identity from one generation to the next.
Another work in the exhibition serves as a portrait of his uncle Luis, a professional saxophonist in Mexico who recorded on numerous albums and performed late into the night at dances and celebrations.
Rather than depicting his uncle in a conventional portrait, Luna uses found objects as stand-ins for the treasured possessions Luis might have carried throughout his lifetime on the road.
Luis traveled with his grandmother's blessing. She often woke in the middle of the night, while he was out performing. She made the Sign of the Cross in the four directions, trusting that her blessing would find him wherever his travels took him. Luna transforms everyday objects from his uncle’s life into talismans — reminders of a musician, a family, and a life shaped by music.
“By using non-traditional approaches, I want to show how everyday moments, memories, culture, and personal experiences can be transformed into meaningful works of art,” said Luna. “Most importantly, I hope people leave feeling inspired to look at their own experiences differently and consider new ways of expressing and preserving them.”
Two videos on artistic processes and inspirations, presented with additional artifacts, reveal how he creates these works, offering visitors a closer look at the objects, movements and memories behind the finished pieces.
Together, the works in “Puro Recuerdo” show how memory can live in unexpected places: in a pair of dancing feet, a pair of worn boots, feathers from a favorite hat, or objects carried by a traveling musician. Luna’s art turns those fragments of everyday life into records of family, music, and community.
“Conjunto has long been the soundtrack of South Texas’ musical heritage, bringing people together across generations,” said Bianca Alvarez, head curator at the ITC, who sought out an artist to accompany the museum’s 'Puro Conjunto' exhibit. “Ruben Luna approaches this tradition with creativity, care, and deep respect, capturing the way music connects us to our families, histories, and one another. “Puro Recuerdo” demonstrates how art can preserve these collective memories in powerful and universal ways.”
Visit “Puro Recuerdo”
“Puro Recuerdo: Artworks by Ruben Luna”
Oct. 1, 2026 – May 30, 2027
Institute of Texan Cultures
The Institute of Texan Cultures is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays are reserved for school field trips.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, youth and military with ID. Admission is free for the UT San Antonio students, faculty and staff with an ID.
For additional information, visit texancultures.utsa.edu/exhibits/puro-conjunto-borderless-sound