SAN MARCOS ARTS
El Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos is hosting an opening reception for “Mi Vida y Lotería” by artist Courtney Enriquez on Sunday from 3-5 p.m. The show will feature paintings inspired by the Mexican Lotería, a game of chance similar to bingo.
“Mi Vida y Lotería” represents another step forward in Enriquez’ rising profile in the Central Texas art world. In 2025, she received the Emerging Artist Award of Excellence from the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin.
“My work is inspired by cultural, spiritual and lifetime memories and experiences,” she said in her artist’s statement for a solo show at the La Peña gallery in Austin last year. “My passion for vibrant color, creating and Christ is what I aspire to share in my artwork.”
The show at El Centro will be a homecoming of sorts for Enriquez, a return to the town where her parents married, and where much of her extended family continues to live.
“My grandparents from both sides of my family were originally from San Marcos, so it’s like coming back home to my roots,” she said. “It’s going to be nice to be able to have my relatives and my peers at the reception. … A lot of my family don’t even know that I paint like this.”
Enriquez was born in Austin, where her parents had moved after their marriage. She loved art while she was growing up, even winning a statewide Gold Key award for a watercol- or painting she created in high school. But having children put her art aspirations on hold.
“When you’re raising boys, you’re going from baseball game to baseball game, all of that creative energy goes into your children. And so my passion went kind of dormant for a while, and so now is an exciting time for me. … Now that my boys are all grown up, I’ve come back to art.”
Her career reboot began in 1997 with her first show at the El Sol y La Luna restaurant in Austin. Enriquez was a single mother who needed money for a downpayment for her first home, so her mother suggested Lotería cards as the basis for a series of watercolors. The owners of El Sol y La Luna were family friends, and they worked with Enriquez to set up the show, which turned out to be a big success. Fast forward to 2025 and she has a show at La Peña and an “Emerging Artist” award from the Mexican American Culture Center in Austin.
The Lotería which inspired her first solo show continues to be her favorite subject.
“I’ve quickly become the ‘Queen of Lotería,’” she said. “I’ve always loved the Lotería because it’s part of our culture. Families of all ages can sit at the table and share a game of chance.”
“In Mexican families, we like to nickname our family members,” she said. Her family nicknamed a cousin “El Barril” because his physical characteristics reminded them of the “El Barril” card. “Each Lotería image resonates differently,” she said.
Enriquez said that at times, she finds herself imagining strangers as an image from a Lotería card. She often thinks of the La Dama (Woman) card, but El Gallo (Rooster) is also one that frequently comes to mind. In fact, La Dama and El Gallo are two of the most popular subjects with her fans, along with La Sirena (Mermaid).
“I’ll see a woman in a suit, she’s all put together,” Enriquez said. “And I’m like, oh yes, you’re La Dama.”
For her Lotería series, she puts her personal spin on the Lotería designs, including her El Pescado card, which she based on a cellphone photo of her grandson proudly showing off a very small fish.
“It’s an ironic piece, because it’s a little bitty fish, but he was so happy to have caught it,” she said. “I like to use a little bit of humor to recreate stories.”
Currently Enriquez lives between Lockhart and Maxwell, but will be spending more time in San Marcos after the opening to work on a mural project at Cuauhtemoc Hall. She said her great great grandfather was one the founders of the Hall.
“I’m very, very excited to be doing this mural project through the city of San Marcos,” she said. A series of community meetings will determine the subject of the mural.
In 2025, Enriquez worked with the Indigenous Cultures Institute to host the Annual Back to School Bash at Cuauhtemoc Hall, which included Lotería games Enriquez and her mother had included in their LoteriaFest events.
Artist Courtney Enriquez at a previous exhibit of her “Lotería” works. Photo courtesy Courtney Enriquez
“El Barril” by Courtney Enriquez is part of the “Mi Vida Y Lotería” show at El Centro. Photo courtesy Courtney Enriquez
“As we remember our roots, I believe this mixed media piece is a great representation of Maria Tallchief, the first American Indian Prima Ballerina,” said artist Courtney Enriquez. “Many people are unaware of her legacy and how she never denied her indigenous roots. Photo courtesy Courtney Enriquez
“El Torito” painting by Courtney Enriquez, who is hosting a reception Sunday at El Centro for her “Mi Vida Y Lotería” show. Photo courtesy Photo courtesy Courtney Enriquez
