SAN ANTONIO, TX.- McNay Art Museum debuts two new presentations this summer by San Antonio-based artists Kelly O’Connor and Ruben Luna. Kelly O’Connor: Multifaceted Woman is on view through January 17, 2021 and Artists Looking at Art: Ruben Luna is on view through January 3, 2021.

Multifaceted Woman welcomes visitors into a fanciful façade of wonder as the ninth monumental installation in the Museum’s AT&T Lobby. Inspired by the It’s a Small World ride at Disneyland, the candy-colored collage features iconic movie characters, including Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and Veruca Salt from Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Beyond the fantastical imagery, O’Connor’s work pulls back the curtain on the idyllic, artificial stereotypes that have been presented in popular culture for decades. O’Connor studied at the University of Texas at Austin, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2005.

"I am honored to have been chosen for this site-specific commission, having the opportunity to work on this scale in a public forum is a dream come true,” said O’Connor. “I am deeply appreciative of the McNay's support of my vision as an artist over the years."




Kelly O’Connor: Multifaceted Woman is organized for the McNay Art Museum by René Paul Barilleaux, Head of Curatorial Affairs. This exhibition is a program of The Flora Crichton Visiting Artist Fund.

The McNay’s latest Artists Looking at Art (ALA) presentation features three intimate works from artist and McNay Art Installation Manager, Ruben Luna, who draws inspiration from the creative challenge of working with resources at hand. Luna assembles readily available objects into symbolic portraits that pay tribute to people in his life. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and Criticism from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has worked as a museum art preparator for the past 20 years. The McNay’s ALA series salutes the vitality of the contemporary art community in the San Antonio area.

“My artwork incorporates everyday objects that, configured together, represent specific facets of my loved ones’ lives,” said Luna. “These objects are daily reminders of who my loved ones were and what they meant to me. The significance lies not in the fact that my loved ones carried these items in their lifetime but that their legacies continue to be carried within me.”

Artists Looking at Art: Ruben Luna is on view in the Garden Level Gallery.