Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
LAREDO, Texas — Don Quixote will return to downtown Laredo this September as the Laredo Center for the Arts presents The Quest to Dream III: A Rare Collection of the First Printed Don Quixote Illustrations, an exhibition combining art, history, literature and education.
The exhibition opens Friday, Sept. 4, during September’s CaminArte and continues through Oct. 31, 2026.
Building on its inaugural presentation, this year’s exhibition expands the experience with new immersive elements, community artwork and educational programming designed to introduce students and visitors to Miguel de Cervantes’ enduring story.
The exhibition will display more than 65 photographic reproductions of original Don Quixote illustrations first printed in 1738. The works come from Cliffe Killam’s personal rare book collection.
The collection will be presented in the Main Gallery of the Laredo Center for the Arts. An adjacent Community Gallery will feature works submitted through an open call for artists inspired by Don Quixote, allowing contemporary artists to present their interpretations of Cervantes’ work.
Visitors will also encounter large-scale installations and other enhancements intended to create a more immersive experience. The Sept. 4 opening will coincide with CaminArte and include beverages, light food and Don Quixote-inspired festivities as part of the downtown celebration.
Education is central to the exhibition. Schools and classrooms throughout the region are encouraged to schedule field trips, allowing students to explore Cervantes, Don Quixote, the history of illustration, and themes from the novel through visual storytelling, interactive elements, and printmaking activities.
“Sharing this collection is an opportunity to turn curiosity into learning,” Killam said. “Stories have the power to connect us to not just another time but also help us to see how we are connected to each other.”
Killam said the collaboration with the Laredo Center for the Arts is intended to make the collection accessible to students and the community while encouraging visitors to examine the works closely, ask questions and discover new perspectives.
Alejandra Urrabazo-Martinez, a board member of the Laredo Center for the Arts, said the project has developed beyond the boundaries of a traditional exhibition.
“We are creating a place where students can see literature, history, art, language, and imagination intersect, and where the Laredo community can experience something truly distinctive,” Urrabazo-Martinez said.
The Laredo Center for the Arts hopes the exhibition will continue evolving each year by bringing together educators, artists, students and families around the legacy of Cervantes and storytelling.
The Quest to Dream III will be presented at the Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Avenue. Admission is free, with donations encouraged to support future educational and cultural programming. Schools interested in arranging educational field trips may contact Alejandra Urrabazo-Martinez at aumartinez@killamco.com.
About The Laredo Center for the Arts
The Laredo Center for the Arts fosters a vibrant arts community in Laredo and the surrounding region. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events, the Center connects people of all ages with art and ideas that enrich and inspire.
