he San Antonio Museum Association's dedication to collecting Latin American art dates from the 1920s and was inspired by our city's strong Spanish Colonial roots and rich Latino heritage. In 1931, San Antonio was one of eight cities to host the historical exhibition, Mexican Arts, which was organized by The American Federation of the Arts in cooperation with the Mexican government. The trade and culture fair HemisFair `68 also generated widespread interest in Latin American art.

When the San Antonio Museum of Art opened in 1981 to house the San Antonio Museum Association's art collections, art of the Americas was emphasized. The museum exhibited small but significant collections of pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial, and Mexican folk art. The collections were dramatically enlarged and enriched by important gifts including the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection (1985), the Robert K. Winn Collection (1985), and the Elizabeth Huth Coates Collection (1997). Other important contributions of Folk Art were given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Del Baker, the Mexican Government, Joe Nicholson and Ted Warmbold.

In 1991, the museum hosted the exhibition Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries, which drew a record 270,000 visitors. This pioneering exhibition, which toured the United States and Mexico, made a major impact on the region and simultaneously launched numerous special programs and initiatives that were highly successful. As a direct result of the overwhelming popularity of this exhibition, the Board of Trustees resolved to build the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art.

The 33,000-square foot Rockefeller Center houses collections of pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial, and Republican periods, as well as folk art, modern, and contemporary art objects. The center has been designed by the architectural firm of Overland Partners and the exhibits were designed by Clifford La Fontaine. The center is dedicated to serving as an important cultural resource for the city of San Antonio which is a major link between the United States and our Latin American neighbors. It is hoped the center will contribute to establishing a better understanding of the art, history, literature, religion, customs, and other aspects of Latin American culture.