You are invited to the opening reception of Smile, Mija on Saturday, September 12th from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
For Press Release:
Smile, Mija, a tribute to resilience: faking it, facing it, and finding beauty along the way.
Rooted in years of personal journal entries, family stories, memories, and recurring symbols, Smile, Mija explores the shifting landscape of grief, faith, family, care, and healing. Through the exhibition, Moreno considers the quiet resilience that emerges as we learn to ... view more »
You are invited to the opening reception of Smile, Mija on Saturday, September 12th from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
For Press Release:
Smile, Mija, a tribute to resilience: faking it, facing it, and finding beauty along the way.
Rooted in years of personal journal entries, family stories, memories, and recurring symbols, Smile, Mija explores the shifting landscape of grief, faith, family, care, and healing. Through the exhibition, Moreno considers the quiet resilience that emerges as we learn to carry loss while continuing to move forward.
The phrase Smile, Mija holds many voices. It echoes the encouragement, humor, tenderness, and hope passed between generations—simple words that can comfort, challenge, and remain with us long after they are spoken.
Raised in a close-knit Mexican American Catholic family in rural Texas, Moreno draws from the everyday expressions, stories, traditions, and humor that become part of a family’s inheritance. Her work brings together moments of vulnerability, remembrance, playfulness, and love while examining the ways these experiences shape how we move through both joy and sorrow.
Rather than documenting grief as a linear experience, Smile, Mija follows its emotional terrain, where healing is rarely straightforward and hope can quietly exist alongside heartbreak.
“Creating this work has become an act of self-soothing. It is a way of holding space for tenderness while honoring the memories that continue to shape me. More than a reflection on loss, it is a reminder that resilience is not the absence of grief but the willingness to keep choosing beauty, faith, and love. Even in life’s heaviest moments, lean into the love that continues to speak. Pick that head up and… Smile, Mija.”
— Tiffany Moreno
Curated by Hannah Niño Harris
Exhibition Catalogue: Click here to view
This event is free & open to the public.
Thrd Space Studio is located inside 1906 South Flores Street, San Antonio, TX 78204
About Thrd Space Studio:
Thrd Space Studio is an artist-run contemporary studio and gallery located in the 1906 South Flores Art Incubator rooted in the idea of a “third space” for creative exchange. Focusing on contemporary craft and material-driven practices, the studio presents rotating monthly exhibitions featuring local and visiting artists, alongside statewide and national open calls. Through Second Saturday Art Walks and collaborative programs, Thrd Space Studio supports artists while fostering connection within and beyond the San Antonio community.
For more information:
https://www.instagram.com/thrd_space_satx
Email: thrdspacestudio@gmail.com
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