Curator Ruben C. Cordova lecturing at an...

Ruben C. Cordova

Literary Arts : Author/Writer ; Visual Arts : Photographer ; Curator

Cordova has a BA from Brown University (Semiotics) and a PhD from UC Berkeley (History of Art). He has curated or co-curated 34 exhibitions, most recently, “Dining with Rolando Briseño: A Fifty Year Retrospective,” 2024-25. His other major retrospectives in San Antonio include those devoted to Jesse Almazán (2007), Jesse Treviño (2009-10), Mel Casas (2004, 2005), and Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz (2017). Major survey exhibitions include “The Other Side of the Alamo: Art Against the Myth” (2018) and “The Day of the Dead in Art” (2019-20).

Cordova has written or contributed to 22 catalogues and books, including Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas (UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 2009), which was the first book on a Chicano art group. His Briseño retrospective catalogue (City of San Antonio, Department of Arts and Culture) appeared in 2025, as did an essay in A Handbook of Latinx Art (University of California Press), and a catalogue essay in Sixties Surreal (Yale for The Whitney Museum of American Art). Cordova has published more than 100 articles and reviews, which have appeared in Antiques and the Arts Weekly, Art Lies, Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, The Atzlander: Voice of the Ancient Americas, Burlington Magazine, Glasstire, Institute of Maya Studies Explorer, San Antonio Report, The New Journal of the Philosophical Research Society, Trouble Art Magazine, Voices of Art, and La Voz de Esperanza.

As an artist (primarily photogr ... view more »

Cordova has a BA from Brown University (Semiotics) and a PhD from UC Berkeley (History of Art). He has curated or co-curated 34 exhibitions, most recently, “Dining with Rolando Briseño: A Fifty Year Retrospective,” 2024-25. His other major retrospectives in San Antonio include those devoted to Jesse Almazán (2007), Jesse Treviño (2009-10), Mel Casas (2004, 2005), and Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz (2017). Major survey exhibitions include “The Other Side of the Alamo: Art Against the Myth” (2018) and “The Day of the Dead in Art” (2019-20).

Cordova has written or contributed to 22 catalogues and books, including Con Safo: The Chicano Art Group and the Politics of South Texas (UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 2009), which was the first book on a Chicano art group. His Briseño retrospective catalogue (City of San Antonio, Department of Arts and Culture) appeared in 2025, as did an essay in A Handbook of Latinx Art (University of California Press), and a catalogue essay in Sixties Surreal (Yale for The Whitney Museum of American Art). Cordova has published more than 100 articles and reviews, which have appeared in Antiques and the Arts Weekly, Art Lies, Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, The Atzlander: Voice of the Ancient Americas, Burlington Magazine, Glasstire, Institute of Maya Studies Explorer, San Antonio Report, The New Journal of the Philosophical Research Society, Trouble Art Magazine, Voices of Art, and La Voz de Esperanza.

As an artist (primarily photography), Cordova has participated in 46 exhibitions, including four solo exhibitions, the last of which was “Besos de la Muerte” (Kisses of Death) in 2014. Cordova taught art history, film, and museum studies at UC Berkeley, UT-Pan American, UT-San Antonio, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Houston. He received seventeen fellowships and grants while at UC-Berkeley and several as a professor. Cordova also wrote successful applications for institutional grants from the Judith Rothschild Foundation, the NEH, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

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MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST

Artist Type: Literary Arts : Author/Writer ; Visual Arts : Photographer ; Curator

Artist Statement of Work

Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):

EXHIBITIONS CURATED:

Exhibitions Curated in San Antonio unless otherwise noted:

"Dining with Rolando Briseño: A Fifty-Year Retrospective," Centro de Artes, September 5, 2024-February 9, 2025. 75 large, medium, and small works.

“The Day of the Dead in Art,” Centro de Artes, Oct. 2019-Jan. 2020, 114 works by 56 artists, large and small scale works.

“American History Does Not Begin with the White Man: Indigenous Themes in the Work of Mel Casas,” Bihl Haus, Sept. – Oct., 2018. 12 large and small scale works.

“The Other Side of the Alamo: Art Against the Myth,” Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Feb. – Oct., 2018. 45 works by 25 artists.

“Mexico in San Francisco: Works on Paper from Diego Rivera to Alejandro Santiago,” San Francisco, The Mexican Museum, Oct. – Dec., 2017. 42 works by 15 artists.

“Ángel Rodríguez-Diaz: A Retrospective, 1982-2014,” Centro de Artes, Feb. – June, 2017. 63 works, primarily paintings.

“Ángel Rodríguez-Diaz: El Mero Chile / The Full Monty,” FL!GHT, Feb. – March, 2017. Large scale paintings of male nudes.

“Ángel Rodríguez-Diaz: Nueva York – San Antonio,” FL!GHT, Feb. – March, 2017. Primarily paintings from New York and early years in San Antonio.

“Cordova’s Cabinet of Curiosities,” FL!GHT, Blue Star Arts Complex. July – Aug., 2016. Paintings, works on paper, film memorabilia, Mexican folk art.

“Roberto Gonzalez: Sacred Waters.” Texas A&M University—San Antonio, Centro de Artes. Contemporary Art Month exhibition. March - June, 2016. 44 large scale paintings.

“Mel Casas: Art about Art, 1975-1981.” San Antonio Public Library, Central Library. July, 2015. 12 large scale paintings.

“Sex and Cinema with Mel Casas, 1965-1968.” FL!GHT, Blue Star Arts Complex. June – Aug., 2015. 10 large scale paintings.

“Mel Casas: The Southwestern Cliches, 1982-1989.” Texas A&M University—San Antonio, Educational and Cultural Arts Center. June - Sept., 2015. 30 large scale paintings.

“Getting the Big Picture: Political Themes in the Art of Mel Casas, 1968-1977.” Museo Guadalupe, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. June - Oct., 2015. 21 large scale paintings.

“Mel Casas Memorial Exhibition: From First to Last.” Texas A&M University—San Antonio, Dec. 6, 2014. Paintings surveying the artist’s career, including small and large scale works.

“Jesse Treviño: Mi Vida.” Museo Alameda. San Antonio. Oct. 2009 – Feb. 2010. Retrospective with paintings, drawings, prints, and personal photographs and objects.

“Día de los Muertos.” ArteReyes Contemporary Art Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, San Antonio. Oct. 2009. Exhibition of paintings, drawings, and constructions by Adriana Garcia, Xavier Garza, and Enrique Martinez.

“Thus Spoke the Enigma of Desire: The Art of Enrique Martinez.” One9Zero6 Gallery. June 2007. Exhibition of prints, drawings, paintings, artist books, and one installation.

“Counterculture by 3: Shephard, Rubio, Stout.” Vtrue Artspace. June 2007. Exhibition of paintings, drawings, and prints by Regis Shephard, Alex Rubio, and Jason Stout.

“Jesse Almazán Memorial Exhibition.” ArteReyes Contemporary Art Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. March 2007. Exhibition of 157 works, primarily watercolors.

“Metropolis Sur: Photographing Mexico City.” Magical Realism Studio Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. Feb. 2007. Exhibition of 65 photographs taken by my Mexico City seminar students in the Fall of 2006.

“Barrio Dogs and the Cholo Landscape.” July 2006. ArteReyes Contemporary Art Gallery, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. Contemporary Art Month exhibition of mixed media works by Felipe Reyes.

“10th Anniversary of San Antonio’s César Chávez March.” Institute of Texan Cultures, San Antonio. Feb. – March 2006. Co-curator of photography and artifact exhibition, with Exhibition Project Managers Patricia Dunn (Educational Specialist III at ITC), Meg Gibson (Curator at ITC), and committee members Antonio Diaz, Tony Mandujano, Ron Rocha, Pedro Ruíz, Jaime Martínez. Also lent vintage UFW artifacts to exhibition.

“Mestizaje.” ArteReyes, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. Oct. 2005. Curator of painting and mixed media exhibition featuring work by Andy Benavides, Melody Fernandez, Adriana Garcia, and Luis Valderas.

“Arte Contemporaneo.” Centro Cultural Aztlán. July – Aug. 2004. Curated and wrote catalogue text for Contemporary Art Month exhibition featuring thirty-two artists.

“Latino Expressions I.” Art Gallery, Central Library. April 2004. Co-curator with Arturo Almeida, Ellen Clark, and Angelika Jansen-Brown of benefit exhibition and auction featuring 40 Latino artists to benefit Library Latino Research Center. (I initiated this annual exhibition.)

Exhibition curated in Houston:

“Day of the Dead.” Nov. – Dec. 2010. Altar constructed at the Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Houston.

Exhibitions curated at Mexican Museum, San Francisco:

“Day of the Dead. “Oct. 1997 – Feb. 1998. Co-curated, co-designed, and co- wrote wall texts with Tere Romo for exhibition featuring pre-Hispanic, folk, and contemporary Mexican and Chicano art.

“Fantastic Creatures: Demons, Dragons, Mermaids, and Monsters from the Permanent Collection.” July 1997 – May 1998. Curated, designed, and wrote wall texts and handouts for exhibition of pre-Hispanic and Mexican folk art featuring 102 works.

“The Community Collects: Latin American and Latino Art from Private Bay Area Collections.” Feb. 1997 – May 1997. Curated, designed, and wrote wall texts and handouts for exhibition of 95 paintings and graphic works by 57 artists from 17 countries.

“Trees of Life: Symbols of Fertility and Regeneration.” Nov. 1996 – June 1997. Curated, designed, and wrote wall texts and handouts for exhibition from The Mexican Museum permanent collection featuring 48 trees of life and two trees of death.

“The Margaret Cruz Latina Breast Cancer Foundation Benefit Exhibition.” Oct. 1996. Curated benefit exhibition of Mexican folk art and contemporary Mexican and Chicano art from The Mexican Museum permanent collection.

“Rodolfo Morales: Games and Recollections.” Sept. 1996 – Feb. 1997. Co- curated. Mexican works organized by Arte de Oaxaca. Made final arrangements and wrote the wall texts for the first major U.S. retrospective of Rodolfo Morales featuring paintings, graphic works, and collages drawn from Mexican and Californian collections.

“Francisco Zúñiga: Highlights from the Permanent Collection.” Aug. 1996 – Sept. 1997. Curated, designed, and wrote wall texts and handouts for exhibition of sculptures and works on paper.