He made his projects to last, and he knew his art would be around for another hundred years.

Treviño’s family moved from Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, in 1948. Treviño earned an A.A. from San Antonio Junior College, a B.A. in art from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In 1987 he was honored with the National Hispanic Heritage Award as Artist of the Year.

Jesse broke down barriers against Latinos by getting his art into galleries and museum shows, and he redefined how Texas art was perceived by the rest of the country. He accomplished both by putting the faces, buildings, cars, and trucks of his neighborhood on canvas. He documented the West Side in deep detail with photorealist paintings, and then he beautified it with murals celebrating Mexican American heritage and culture, San Antonio history, and some of the local people whose social contributions might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Jesse’s art is everywhere in San Antonio—in cafes, churches, and businesses. San Antonio was his home, his muse, his inspiration, and his canvas. He made his projects to last, and he knew his art would be around for another hundred years.