Late artist Jesse Trevino, shown in his studio in 2017, was commissioned to design the first Fiesta poster in 1981.
Alma E. Hernandez / For the San Antonio Express-News
John Treviño says his late brother, acclaimed Chicano artist Jesse Treviño, was especially proud to have been chosen to create the very first Fiesta poster in 1981.
“His was commissioned, and ever since, the posters have been competitive, chosen by a panel of experts,” said John Treviño, the artist’s older brother. “He’d mention that whenever the subject of the poster came up.”
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GALLERY: See every Fiesta San Antonio poster, 1981-2026
1981 Fiesta Poster by Jesse Treviño
Fiesta San Antonio Commission
Jesse Treviño’s poster, both minimal and elegant, depicts a traditional Mexican dancer, eyes closed as she spins her vibrant, floral-patterned dress. It remains one of the most popular Fiesta posters, and copies can be found in homes, offices and restaurants throughout the city.
Following the success of Jesse Treviño’s work, the annual Fiesta poster quickly became a Fiesta tradition, with a new one appearing every year. A number of other events, such as Night in Old San Antonio, Fiesta Del Mercado and Taste of New Orleans, also have occasionally produced their own posters.
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Jesse Treviño, whose large-scale public works include the nine-story mural on what is now the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and “La Veladora,” a three-dimensional, four-story-tall votive candle bearing the likeness of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the side of the Guadalupe Theater, died in 2023 at age 76.
Many of his more modest works have a realistic yet dreamlike quality and depict every day life on San Antonio’s West Side. Three of his pieces are in the Smithsonian Institution’s American art collection, making him one of the first Latino artists to gain access to the institution. He is also represented in the presidential libraries of Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Jesse Trevino talks about the portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson that was unveiled at the LBJ Library & Museum in April 2008 in Austin. Trevino painted the portrait in high school, before he was drafted and served in the Vietnam War. While there, he lost his right hand in an explosion, but was eventually able to learn to paint with his left.
Kelly West/Kelly West/Austin American-Statesman file photo
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With Jesse Treviño gone, many of the details behind the creation of the inaugural Fiesta poster are vague and unverifiable.
“I think he was a student at Our Lady of the Lake University at the time he did the poster and I don’t know how the Fiesta Commission got hold of him,” said John Treviño, one of 12 Treviño siblings. “I think George Cortez from Mi Tierra might have had some input in putting them together.”
According to John Treviño, his brother and a friend retained the rights to sell the poster, charging $20 per poster unsigned, $25 or $30 signed.
These days the Fiesta Commission holds a competition to choose the annual poster, according to current president Ferne Burney.
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“There’s a lot that goes into selecting the winning artwork for the poster each year,” Burney said, explaining that the artwork has to look good on the poster but also “read” well on merch such as T-shirts and koozies and it must reflect the annual Fiesta theme, which in 2026 is “Fiesta Together.”
At Burney’s suggestion, and in hopes of attracting more young people to the process, this year’s poster competition was open only to students from the five Alamo Colleges District campuses.
“The students were vetted and coached by the art teachers at their school,” Burney said. “We received about 20 entries from each school.”
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2026 Fiesta Poster by Eva Davidson
Fiesta San Antonio
The winning design, by Northeast Lakeview College student Eva Davidson, depicts a dancing couple in traditional Mexican dress surrounded by a diverse group of Fiesta revelers.
In a statement, Davidson said she wanted to capture the concepts of togetherness, unity and joy by creating a poster through “monochromatic palettes, complementary colors and a strong composition that would be understandable from any distance.”
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The 2026 poster and a select number from past years are available at vivafiesta.com. Full-size posters are $30 signed and $20 unsigned. A smaller poster is available for $12 and postcard-size ones cost $7. Posters can also be purchased at The Prestigious Mark, 8611 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. For more information, call 210-820-0093.