SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.- On Thursday, October 6, the McNay Art Museum opened two original exhibitions—True Believers: Benny Andrews & Deborah Roberts and Margarita Cabrera: Blurring Borders. Both remain on view through January 22, 2023.

True Believers: Benny Andrews & Deborah Roberts provides a historic and contemporary view of the Black experience in America through nearly 50 artworks. The exhibition reveals the formal and thematic connections between the work of two artists separated by a generation, Benny Andrews (1930-2006) and Deborah Roberts (born 1962), highlighting their shared embrace of collage and dedication to representations of family, activism, and racial equity.

Andrews was born into a large family in Plainview, Georgia. Throughout a nearly fifty-year career, he worked primarily in painting, collage, and drawing, rooting his practice in a wholehearted commitment to both creative exploration and social advocacy.

Born in Austin, Texas, where she still lives and works, Roberts utilizes painting, collage, and drawing, to call attention to the ways in which society values certain notions of childhood, beauty, identity, and the Black body.




“The McNay is committed to being San Antonio’s destination for beauty and belonging,” said Richard Aste, McNay Director and CEO. “True Believers is the latest example of that commitment to the diverse community we proudly serve.”

Programming
Free Family Day: I Believe | Sunday, November 6, 1–4 p.m.
Poetry, music, and artmaking inspired by the art of Benny Andrews and Deborah Roberts.

True Believers: Benny Andrews & Deborah Roberts is organized by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs; and Lauren Thompson, Assistant Curator. Lead funding is most generously provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc. Major funding is provided by Alturas Foundation and the McCombs Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Flora Crichton Visiting Artist Fund, The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc., Semmes Foundation, Inc., Forrest & Cynthia Miller, and the Host Committee, chaired by Robert K. Brown & Dennis B. Karbach.

Margarita Cabrera: Blurring Borders presents a range of work by artist Margarita Cabrera, which focus on border relations and celebrate Mexican heritage. The exhibition highlights Cabrera’s practice of engaging communities in the artmaking process. The artist’s work documents the experiences, struggles, and achievements of those who have found their way, often through migration and exceptional sacrifice, to new places where they now contribute meaningfully within their communities.

“Cabrera’s work within the community empowers individuals from all backgrounds and with varied experiences to tell stories of resilience. As a result, all visitors to the McNay can see themselves in the personal, yet universal, narratives that unfold through her art,” said René Paul Barilleaux, McNay Head of Curatorial Affairs, and co-organizer of the exhibition.

Programming
Community Workshop | Saturday, November 19, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Collaborate and co-create with the artist in a one-of-a-kind workshop.

Margarita Cabrera: Blurring Borders is organized for the McNay Art Museum by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs; Lauren Thompson, Assistant Curator; and Edward Hayes, Exhibitions Senior Manager/Registrar. Lead funding is most generously provided by Ben Foster in memory of his wife, Raye B. Foster. Major funding is provided by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992 and Rick Liberto.