Traditional painting, photography, prints and 3D pieces line the floors and walls of the San Marcos Art Center (SMAC) from March 4-27.
Texas State students and alumni displayed a variety of unique artworks at the fourth annual TXST Creative Community Show. The San Marcos Art League (SMAL) has hosted the show for four years and allows anyone affiliated with the university to submit artwork for the show regardless of skill level, medium or subject matter.
“Tiny Organs”
Hannah Sanders, studio art alumna, is the creator of “Tiny Organs.” The piece is a spun cotton sculpture depicting a mouse atop a bitten apple. As a lifelong fan of animals, they are often the subject of her work.
“I have always been obsessed with animals,” Sanders said. “As long as I can remember, I’ve always either drawn or sculpted animals. I’ve just always been obsessed with finding their forms and bringing them to life.”
Sanders began her artist journey with Texas State in 2011, and graduated with her master’s in studio art with an all-level teaching certificate in 2017.
“Tiny Organs” was the result of her recent interest in mice, with the apple as an additional, familiar element the mouse interacts with. Sanders said the title is symbolic of smaller, overlooked creatures and systems that often are ignored by humans, such as the mouse depicted in the piece.
“What I would want people to think about when looking at the sculpture is to stop and notice that there are tiny lives and worlds all around us that we maybe don’t think about and that our day-to-day actions can impact those lives,” Sanders said.
“Knightly Rabbit” and “Mace and Chain”
Robin Smith, studio art junior, has two linoleum block print pieces on display that use a limited color palette. “Knightly Rabbit” depicts a black-inked rabbit in armor with a red-inked skull beside it, while “Mace and Chain” uses gold star-shaped accents to further accentuate the black-inked mace and chain.
Smith said he experiments with many mediums, though he primarily creates pen illustrations and prints. His work includes medieval aesthetics and imagery, which he said is a point of inspiration.
“I think [I like] just the whimsy and weirdness of old medieval art,” Smith said. “Just how they’re a bit odd, they’re not really what you’d expect.”
Smith’s pieces implement a spade symbol, connecting the two works thematically. He described the symbol as one that he identifies with and incorporates in many of his pieces.
“I think of that spade symbol as not like my logo but a symbol I associate with myself,” Smith said. “So, I thought it’d be fun just to put that symbol in just to have it relate back to me.”
“ReSisters”
Lisa McPike Smith, studio art alumna and Smith’s mother, encouraged Smith to enter the show with her.
Her piece, “ReSisters,” is a ceramic assemblage of hanging crystal drops held together with a metal chain. Each crystal contains custom-made ceramic mermaids and other trinkets like brass fish and a fishing lure.
She created the assemblage using the trinkets, silver-plated serving dishes and silicone molds with resin to create a crystal effect. The final look resembles a large charm necklace, with each crystal having a unique identity.
“I added napkin rings and silverware handles that I would bend to make a hanging crystal,” Lisa said. “Then I thought, ‘How can I put these pieces together in an interesting way?’ I thought, ‘Maybe like a charm bracelet.’ So, it’s almost like making a bigger piece from a miniature idea.”
Lisa graduated from Texas State in 1992 with a master’s degree in studio art and ceramic technology. She is also a longtime member of SMAL and has contributed to SMAC since 2019.
“ReSisters” was an intentional play on words and is a commentary on AI data centers in San Marcos. The mermaids and aquatic theming serve as a connection between San Marcos and the water crisis that AI data centers contribute to.
“I know that it takes a lot of water to cool these data centers, and we’ve been in a major drought for years,” Lisa said. “So, I just don’t think it’s very good for the water consumption. Resisting all the stuff that’s going on in America and abroad, it’s just very heavy, so I’m gonna resist. And this is how I do it, it’s with my art.”
The San Marcos Art League’s TXST Creative Community Exhibition for 2026 will be open to the public Wednesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Marcos Art Center until March 27.
