Witte Museum hosts exhibit by UTSA President Ricardo Romo

"Waring General Store" by Ricardo Romo

(Aug. 19, 2009)--The Witte Museum will participate in Fotoseptiembre 2009 with "Small Town Texas: Photographs by Ricardo Romo" on view in the Focus Gallery from Aug. 22 to Oct. 4. The exhibit examines the historical nature of small towns in Texas through photographs taken by Ricardo Romo, president of UTSA and historian.

Exhibition curator Arturo Almeida, also UTSA art collection curator, said, "As a dedicated observer of the small communities that dot the Texas horizon, Romo embarked on a photographic journey to more than 75 small towns with the goal of documenting the cultural and social features of a fading way of life."

"Small Town Texas" presents poetic landscapes captured in communities including Floresville, Devine, Pearsall, Kingsbury, Cuero, Yoakum and Nixon, exploring the distinct local histories of people and places in Texas.

Romo became the fifth president of The University of Texas at San Antonio in May 1999. A native of San Antonio's West Side, he graduated from Fox Tech High School and earned a bachelor of science in education degree at the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a master's degree in history from Loyola Marymount University and a Ph.D. in history from UCLA.

Fotoseptiembre is an international photography festival, which celebrates photography and photography-based art forms. Since it began in 1996, the festival has sparked a surge in the interest of South Texas photographic arts. People ranging from well-established artists to local activists to young amateurs display their work during the festival, which has grown to include exhibits not only in San Antonio, but also in Austin, Houston, Boston, New York City and Mexico City.

"Small Town Texas" is included with museum general admission. For more information, visit the Witte Museum Web site or call (210) 357-1900.