Beginning Nov. 6, The City Arts Center in Downtown Round Round Rock will be home to “Dialogues with Picasso,” an international exhibit featuring works by Pablo Picasso on loan from the Museo Casa Natal in Málaga, Spain, the artist’s birthplace.
How did this come to be?
A chance meeting on a Texas Main Street. An unexpected connection. A shared passion for the arts. And the serendipitous opening of a new arts facility. What began as a simple conversation between strangers on the sidewalk of Downtown Round Rock grew into an extraordinary opportunity to bring works by one of the world’s most celebrated artists to Central Texas, creating a remarkable cultural moment for Round Rock.
“Dialogues with Picasso, Season One” will open with its first season of two six-month-long exhibits featuring Picasso in the City Arts Center. Through an immersive presentation, visitors are invited to step into Picasso’s world and imagine themselves in Málaga, the coastal city where he was born. The interactive structure, inspired by his birthplace, serves as an entry point into the sights and sounds of the artist’s world – and into the exhibit itself.
The exhibit comprises 23 works by Picasso and 20 by other artists, some from America, Ecuador, Mexico, Spain, and England. Each of works by these international artists are each presented next to a Picasso, creating the artistic conversation about inspiration, composition, and creativity.
Notably, by bringing works from the Museo Casa Natal, the birthplace museum of Picasso, to Texas, “Dialogues with Picasso” offers audiences an opportunity to encounter this iconic artist in the personal and approachable setting of an art gallery in a mid-sized city, rather than in a large museum in a large urban center.
Scot Wilkinson, Director of the City of Round Rock Arts and Culture, the city department which oversees the City Arts Center, elaborates:
“Bringing Dialogues with Picasso – Season 1 from Málaga, Spain, to Round Rock is an extraordinary moment for our community and for the City Arts Center. Picasso is a name that changed the course of art, and having an exhibition connected to his legacy presented here demonstrates just how far Round Rock has come as a cultural destination.
For me, this exhibition represents exactly what we envisioned for the City Arts Center—a place where our residents can experience art of international significance right here in the heart of Downtown Round Rock. It also represents something larger: a cultural bridge between Round Rock and Málaga, bringing people together across countries and generations through the universal language of art.
Most importantly, I hope someone walks through our doors who has never had the opportunity to experience an exhibition of this caliber before—especially a young person—and leaves inspired to look at art and the world a little differently. That is what makes this so meaningful. We are not simply bringing an exhibition from Spain to Texas; we are creating experiences, expanding access to the arts, and continuing to establish Round Rock as a community where art, culture and creativity truly belong.”
The exhibition further expands this dialogue through the work of Texas-based artist Nick Ramos. For Ramos, the exhibition holds a deeply personal connection to Spain and Picasso, with family, history, art, and personal experiences woven together. Ramos will present his solo exhibition of new works created specifically for his “The Art of Nick Ramos” exhibit, that will also include selected works by his father. Ramos’ exhibition reflects the City Arts Center’s commitment to championing regional artists and bringing their work into conversation with broader art-historical narratives.
Together, Ramos’ and Picasso’s works create a compelling dialogue between contemporary local artistry and Picasso’s enduring legacy as one of the most influential figures in modern art.
“Dialogues with Picasso, Season One” and “The Art of Nick Ramos” will be on view to the public at the City Arts Center in Downtown Round Rock, Texas, from November 6, 2026, through March 21, 2027.
About This International Cultural Partnership
The exhibit “Dialogues with Picasso” is part of a new cultural partnership formed between the City of Round Rock and the City of Málaga, Spain, designed to foster continued cultural exchange and bring exhibitions and programming from Picasso’s hometown to audiences in Central Texas. Through this agreement, a concept spearheaded by innovative entrepreneur Francisco Guitard of Overlab Intelligence, Round Rock’s City Arts Center will serve as the United States’ exhibition space connected to the Museo Casa Natal Picasso, the museum located in the home where Picasso was born in Málaga.
About the City Arts Center
The City Arts Center was created to inspire, educate, and bring people together. Opened in January 2026, the City Arts Center is a two-story gallery designed to showcase exhibitions by local and internationally recognized artists, all while supporting Round Rock’s flourishing creative community. The City Arts Center is the permanent home for “Ruby Sunstone Pineapple,” an art installation by Dale Chihuly. This arts facility, located at 216 East Main Street in Downtown Round Rock, TX, is managed and operated by the City of Round Rock Arts and Culture.
“Dialogues with Picasso” is on view starting November 6, 2026 through March 21, 2027 at the City Arts Center in Downtown Round Rock.
- Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Extended hours on Wednesday nights until 8 p.m.
- Closed Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
- Closed Thursday-Friday, November 26-27, for Thanksgiving holiday.
