SAN ANTONIO — A new exhibit is on display downtown at the Mexican Cultural Institute located Hemisfair Plaza Way. It showcases work from San Antonio's former Poet Laureate Octavio Quintanilla. It is called 'Frontextos.'
"I am beyond myself," Quintanilla said. "And that is how it all begins with I want to be here. One day, I want to be here, and the day came. It is part of the dreaming, part of the manifesting and then doing the work to get here."
The exhibit full of his work is inside the Diego Rivera Gallery for the entire month of April, which also happens to be National Poetry Month. He described his work Frontextos, and what it means.
"It is a word that describes where I come from, which is the borderlands of Texas," he said. "Texto is what my work is made of, it is made of text, made of words whether it is on canvas or paper."
The exhibition curator UTSA Art Specialist Arturo Infante Almeida said Quintanilla fuses poetry and painting to break free from the usual rules of art and storytelling. The project has been a part of Quintanilla's life since 2018.
In an interview with KENS 5, he pointed out a specific piece he said is one of his favorites. It is called: 'Ask The Unwritten Poem.'
"It is a way of reminding myself there's always something to be done," he said. “There is always something to be written. There is always a story to tell."
As for those who come and see his work he wants people to look at his creations and connect.
"Literally you are not going to see your reflection, but I think metaphorically you might be able to," he said.
Quintanilla will be having an artist reception at the Mexican Cultural Institute on April 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.