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For the Common Thread exhibit

Curating a Framework for Connection

As we settle into our new home, one of the most noticeable changes—beyond the square footage—is the way our exhibitions are organized. Before you explore the exhibit floor yourself, I would like to share the thinking behind our new approach and how it is designed to shape your experience.

Stories in the Objects We Keep

What will you discover when the Institute of Texan Cultures reopens in early 2026? Perhaps a steamer trunk that carried a family’s hopes across the ocean, a guitar that brought Texas Blues to life, or a canoe carved from cottonwood that carried people along Texas rivers. Everyday objects become extraordinary when they connect us to the lives, memories, and people who built Texas. For more than 50 years, the Institute has cared for thousands of these treasures, each one a piece of the larger Texas story.

Texas: Our Common Threads

Texas: Our Common Threads is the premier central exhibition for the UT San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures at its new temporary home at Frost Tower, featuring thematic presentations of artifacts and archival materials that reveal the threads that bind us to weave a dynamic, living cultural tapestry. This display bridges three collections under the UT San Antonio umbrella, with selections from the ITC Collection, Special Collections, and Art Collection, as well as loans from our community. Our goal is to tell a fuller story of all Texas peoples, connecting our past with the present, and inspiring the future.

The objects and the stories will change over time, mirroring the movement and impact of people who call the Lone Star state home. From small towns to large cities and through festive celebrations and forms of service, Texans foster connections through expressions of unity and resilience that is reflected in this space. Join the conversation and explore the rich legacy of Texas.

A Sneak Peek

When the Institute of Texan Cultures reopens in early 2026 at Frost Tower, visitors will be welcomed by a treasured piece from the UTSA Art Collection: A Plaza in Texas in the 1930s by renowned Chicana narrative artist Carmen Lomas Garza.
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