No Limits

Interactive art show brings immersive exhibitions to Texas museum

An ambitious new show is blazing into San Antonio's McNay Art Museum in time for spring break excursions. Running February 25 to September 19, "Limitless! Five Women Reshape Contemporary Art" showcases five impactful artists working today, in an exhibition that spans mediums and subjects.

In curating the show, the McNay says it "focus[es] on exploring how artists of different generations manifest their ideas and make them relevant to their own and future audiences."

Letitia Huckaby's haunting wall installation in the AT&T Lobby, titled Koinonia, welcomes visitors into the show. Huckaby, who is just coming off a recent artist-in-residence at Artpace, is the only Texas-based artist to appear in "Limitless!"

Inside the gallery, Martine Gutierrez’s "four fanciful videos explore the intersections of film, fashion, and music," and are presented in a club-like setting, notes a McNay release. Massachusetts-born Sandy Skoglund, whose Cheez Doodle-crafted The Cocktail Party is part of the McNay Collection, will be on display along with a new piece entitled Winter.

Another artist using video is Jennifer Steinkamp, whose Botanic 3 is also from the McNay’s permanent collection. Botanic 3 will be showcased alongside Steinkamp's X-Ray Eyes, which appears as "swirling, wall-sized animations."

Perhaps best-known, however, is Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, on loan from the Dallas Museum of Art, and the artist's first infinity mirror room featuring pumpkins since 1991. The immersive experience, featuring acrylic yellow gourds covered in black polka dots, caused art fans to flock to the DMA when it first opened in 2018, and will undoubtedly be a huge draw for San Antonio.

“Each of these artists has carved out a path for her creative vision, rather than conforming to overriding art trends,” said René Paul Barilleaux, head of Curatorial Affairs at the McNay. “The artwork on view reflects the dynamic and dramatic shifts occurring in the visual arts over the past several decades, defying categorization and reminding us of the truly limitless possibilities contemporary art embodies.”

Along with the exhibits, patrons can partake in a series of touch-free extras meant to enhance the experience, such as a text bot that delivers artist-focused content to mobile devices, a floral wall photo-op, an in-exhibition dance challenge, and custom Instagram filters.

"Limitless!" opens February 25 with COVID-19 safety measures in place. Tickets are on sale now and priced $20 for adults; $15 for students, seniors (ages 65 and up), and active military and veterans; $10 for teens; free for children 12 and under, and McNay Members. Free admission is also available for recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP.

Entering the All the Eternal Love... room will be a timed, touch-free event in order to maintain social distancing. Timed tickets are required for all, and only two masked guests are allowed in the room at a time for a period of 45 seconds.

Guests can purchase tickets online at mcnayart.org, or in person at the Museum Front Desk.

Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins.

Dallas Museum of Art presents Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins

Photo courtesy of Ota Fine Arts and Victoria Miro

Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins.

museums openings

it's park season

Texas' 2 national parks rank among 30 best in the U.S. for 2026

Photo by Raychel Sanner on Unsplash

Leave the car behind and embrace the rugged beauty of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas offer the best views of the American wilderness in 2026, according to a new national list.

The recognition comes in HomeToGo's "2026 National Parks Report," a new "data-driven ranking" of 51 national parks located in the contiguous U.S. Parks are evaluated across various factors including their proximity to major transport hubs, annual visitor figures adjusted for seasonal accessibility, and the median nightly cost per person for vacation accommodations in the area surrounding each park in 2026.

Guadalupe Mountains ranked as the 16th best national park to visit this year, and it has the fifth-most affordable vacation accommodations out of all the parks on the list. Nearby lodging costs about $62 per person per night, but campers can stay at one of the three developed campgrounds at the park for as little as $20 per night.

Visitors can go hiking and backpacking across 80 miles of rugged trails, but don't expect to take any vehicles far into the parkland. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is almost entirely road-free, allowing for the protection of local wildlife and the preservation of the park's beautiful scenery.

Travelers on the hunt for the perfect scenic drive can instead head over to Big Bend National Park, which ranked as the 26th best must-see national park in 2026. There are over 100 miles of paved roads around the park for exploration, as well as improved and primitive dirt roads.

Big Bend National Park is a popular choice for Texas travelers. Photo by Backroad Packers on Unsplash

The National Park Service (NPS) offers route recommendations specifically for day trippers.

"Big Bend is too big to see in a single day, but a great one-day trip to the park might include a trip down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and a visit to the Chisos Basin," the NPS website says. "The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive will give you fantastic views of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape and will lead you to the banks of the Rio Grande. There are scenic overlooks and exhibits along the way, and the short walks to Sam Nail Ranch and Homer Wilson Ranch and a visit to the Castolon Historic District will give you a glimpse into Big Bend’s past."

Visitors that want to turn their day trips into overnight stays near the park can do so for about $96 per person per night, or they can camp on-site with nightly fees starting at $16. Travelers can additionally book a room at the Chisos Mountains Lodge or Big Bend Station, but Chisos Mountains Lodge will temporarily close on May 1 while the NPS completes two Chisos Basin improvement projects over the next two years.

A HomeToGo survey said about 40 percent of Americans are planning national park trips in 2026, with millennials and Gen Zers showing a higher interest in exploring the American wilderness.

"At HomeToGo, we believe vacation planning should be fun, but we know it’s not always a walk in the park," said spokesperson Eleanor Moody. "That’s why this year’s index ranks destinations based on affordability, crowd levels, and convenience in terms of nearby accommodation availability and ease of access, making it easier than ever for travelers to pinpoint an ideal destination based on what’s most important to them."

national parks ranking texas big bend guadalupe mountains travel vacations camping