Mexic-Arte Museum opens 18th annual Mix 'n' Mash exhibition honoring influential musicians

February 18, 2026

A painted image of a smiling man in a striped suit and wide sombrero beside a guitar fills the window of the small Mexic-Arte building at Congress Avenue and Fifth Street. Inside, a large portrait honoring Mexican singer Vicente Fernández hangs on the gallery wall, setting the tone for an exhibition centered on musical influence.

Mexic-Arte opened the 18th annual Mix 'n' Mash exhibition, titled On Repeat: The Musicians Who Shaped Us, on Jan. 30. The show runs through Mar. 8 and includes 231 pieces created by more than 200 artists, all of which are available for purchase.

The museum ran Mix 'n' Mash as an invitation to the community to contribute work, distributing 200 gessoboards, each 12 by 12 inches, donated by Ampersand Art Supply. Any local age 18 or older could take a board and submit a piece, and artists were able to buy extra gessoboards if they wanted to make additional works.

As a fundraiser, the exhibition allocates proceeds with 60 percent going toward youth and adult educational programs and future Mexic-Arte exhibitions, and 40 percent returning to the artists. Curator Luisa Fernanda Perez described the event as both a revenue source and a yearly celebration that highlights Austin's artistic communities.

The scheduled opening coincided with the National Shutdown protest, prompting the museum to close earlier in the day and begin the reception at 6 p.m. For the opening night Mexic-Arte committed 50 percent of ticket sales to Casa Marianella, an Austin shelter serving displaced immigrants.

Opening night included a DJ, a dance floor and arts-and-crafts stations, drawing a large crowd. A student attendee said the reception felt packed, estimating roughly 300 people were present, and encouraged fellow students to attend with friends and use public transit to get there.

Studio art sophomore and former Mexic-Arte curatorial intern ItZel Carrizales-Aguilar said she discovered the call for pieces online and quickly signed up, calling the project her entry point into the museum's programs. Organizers say the annual show remains a distinct Austin tradition, bringing together varied artists and audiences to celebrate musical influences and community creativity.

Perez noted that while Mix 'n' Mash is complex to mount, the turnout and community participation make the effort worthwhile, reinforcing the museum's role as a local cultural hub.