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Late artist Jesse Trevino, shown in his studio in 2017, was commissioned to design\u00a0the first Fiesta poster in 1981.<\/p>\n
Alma E. Hernandez \/ For the San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
John\u00a0Trevi\u00f1o says his late brother, acclaimed Chicano artist Jesse Trevi\u00f1o<\/a>, was especially proud to have been chosen to create the very first Fiesta poster in 1981.<\/p>\n “His was commissioned, and ever since, the posters have been competitive, chosen by a panel of experts,” said John Trevi\u00f1o, the artist’s\u00a0older brother. “He’d mention that whenever the subject of the poster came up.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n GALLERY: See every Fiesta San Antonio poster, 1981-2026<\/a><\/p>\n 1981 Fiesta Poster by Jesse Trevi\u00f1o<\/p>\n Fiesta San Antonio Commission<\/p>\n Jesse Trevi\u00f1o’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.<\/p>\n Following the success of Jesse\u00a0Trevi\u00f1o’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\u00a0Del Mercado and Taste of New Orleans, also have occasionally produced their own posters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Jesse Trevi\u00f1o, whose large-scale public works include the nine-story mural on what is now the Children\u2019s Hospital of San Antonio and \u201cLa Veladora,\u201d a three-dimensional, four-story-tall votive candle bearing the likeness of the Virgin of Guadalupe\u00a0on the side of the Guadalupe Theater, died in 2023 at age 76.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u00a0H.W. Bush.<\/p>\n Jesse\u00a0Trevino talks about the portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson that was unveiled at the LBJ Library & Museum in April 2008 in Austin.\u00a0Trevino 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.<\/p>\n Kelly West\/Kelly West\/Austin American-Statesman file photo<\/p>\n ALAMO HEIGHTS NIGHT ‘PAUSED’: Popular Fiesta event canceled for 2026. Here’s what we know.<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n With Jesse Trevi\u00f1o gone, many of the details behind the creation of the inaugural Fiesta poster are vague and unverifiable.<\/p>\n “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 Trevi\u00f1o, one of 12\u00a0Trevi\u00f1o siblings. “I think George Cortez from Mi Tierra might have had some input in putting them together.”<\/p>\n According to John Trevi\u00f1o, his brother and a friend retained the rights to sell the poster, charging $20 per poster unsigned, $25 or $30 signed.<\/p>\n These days the Fiesta Commission holds a competition to choose the annual poster, according to current president\u00a0Ferne Burney.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “The students were vetted and coached by the art teachers at their school,” Burney said. “We received about 20 entries from each school.”\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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