Art is everywhere in San Antonio. It brightens walls and bridges, and blossoms in squares and parks. There's art in long-abandoned alleys and on columns under expressways. The city's colorful spirit shines forth in paint, tile, stone and all kinds of creative media. On a busy workday in a concrete jungle, an unexpected encounter with a work of art can be an instant reset. It asks you to stop and smell the flowers, even if the flowers are made of oversized bicycle parts. A vivid splash of art can also bring people together to celebrate in a place as barren as a neglected alley or provide a breathing space for moments of reflection.
Graffiti isn’t the only art on building walls anymore. Cities around the country have embraced public art. Big, bold outdoor murals are becoming as common as tattoos on millennials, and the results can be powerful. Public art can revitalize communities and boost business. San Antonio’s rich history and lively creative scene are fertile soil for its growth. Strong support from public and private sources keeps stimulating more creation.
The stage was set for public art long ago. In 1968, the city commissioned renowned Mexican artist Juan O’Gorman to create an epic mural to adorn the Convention Center built for HemisFair. You can still see his “Confluence of Civilizations” on the face of the Lila Cockrell Theater. The River Walk Public Art Garden is in full bloom just across Market Street. Some works represent larger pieces spread around the city, like Leticia Huerta’s “Blooms,” huge metal flowers that also bloom in several city parks. Mexico City sculptor Pedro Reyes’ powerful 16-foot volcanic stone “Stargazer” radiates serenity. Back on street level, sculptor Sebastian’s towering red steel “Torch of Friendship,” a gift from the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos, has become a familiar symbol of this city and its close ties with Mexico. For a heavenly selfie, check out Jorge Marin’s “Alas de México” near the base of the Tower of the Americas.
“Public art is becoming more popular across the country and the world,” said Krystal Jones, Director of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture. The city’s collection numbers about 600 pieces so far, and more are in the works. Artists apply to be on a “qualified” list to work on city art projects. When a proposal goes out, a panel chosen by the San Antonio Arts Commission — an independent group appointed by the City Council — works with Jones and her department to select the artists and help oversee the process.
“Folks are wanting to invest in art more than they ever have. San Antonio has been doing it for a number of years. Our funding is mostly from 1.5 percent of city capital improvement projects. In the 2022 bond election, we received 15.7 million dollars for new public artworks. We currently have 340 projects we’re working on throughout the city. Our focus now is to bring art into neighborhoods, where people can see artists working around them and learn about the arts. But the way to see a concentrated collection of it all at once is to come downtown,” said Jones.
Some recent pieces are in the city’s Zona Cultural, a 44-block area including Main Plaza, Plaza de Armas, Market Square, the Alameda Theater and San Fernando Cathedral. “Echoes of Market Square” by Mike “Comp” Arguello and Eva Marengo Sanchez has turned eight 174-foot-tall concrete pillars under I-35 by Market Square into a vivid gallery celebrating the historic market’s people, food and music. “The Spirit Within,” by Ashleigh Garza and Hailey Marmolejo, stretches 155 feet across the side of the Farmer’s Market building. Centro de Artes, an airy two-story building at the corner of Market Square, is full of work celebrating Hispanic culture and history. The city’s Culture Commons space in nearby Plaza de Armas spotlights area artists. Christopher Montoya’s “Illuminaciòn de La Plaza,” on a wall facing San Pedro Creek, conjures up spirits from the plaza’s past in a tile mural.
Jones said she’s excited about the April grand opening for “City Lights,” two large sculptures she calls a beautiful blend of nature and the urban environment that will cast their light on the corner of Houston and Flores Streets. Acclaimed ceramicist Diana Kersey is working on a very hands-on Creatures of the Creek sculpture facing the Goodwill store by San Pedro Creek — “she knows kids and even adults will want to climb on it,” she added.
Centro San Antonio’s Art Everywhere initiative has been the catalyst for part of the public art proliferation downtown in the last few years. “I want to see art everywhere,” said Centro’s Vice President of Cultural Placemaking, Andi Rodriguez. While the City Department of Arts & Culture works with city-owned property, Rodriguez works with property owners in Centro’s downtown footprint. When she locates a likely space and funding for the work, she puts out a call for proposals to area artists. Once a proposal is selected, she manages it to completion. Art Everywhere started during the dark days of COVID-19 to add brightness to downtown, attract visitors and residents, and support local artists — a win-win. Since 2020, Rodriguez has overseen the creation of 182 public artworks, and more are in the pipeline.
In January, Centro unveiled “Freedom Isn’t Free,” a mural by Greg “Ghost” Cazares honoring military veterans, on a bare building wall facing VFW Post 76. A few weeks later, artist Chris Montoya’s “Love Letter,” an epic mural honoring San Antonio’s history and HemisFair ’68 that wraps around two sides of the Magik Theatre building in Hemisfair Park, was unveiled. “Por Vida,” a 95-foot-tall image of a traditional prayer candle with a tribute to the San Antonio Spurs by artist Andy Benavides with Nik Soupe and others, looms over the street from a Houston Street Parking Garage wall. Last May, Centro opened La Zona, a pop-up gallery and super-hip event space, in a neglected alley at 337 West Commerce Street. Monthly exhibits curated by local artists and organizations draw folks from all over the city to downtown. Another Centro project — a giant, shiny steel head of former Russian dictator Vladimir Lenin with a tiny female Mao dancing on his head installed near San Pedro Creek Culture Park, generated controversy and even a feeble attempt to blow it up.
“I know we’re having an impact,” Rodriguez said. “The first couple of years of this initiative, we sometimes had to beg business people to work with us. Now I have people calling me all the time asking for art. There’s more development downtown, more people are living downtown, and we’re creating a sense of neighborhood.”
The San Antonio River Foundation has contributed fantastic art along the river. Artist Donald Lipski’s landmark giant, glowing sunfish hanging from an underpass on the Museum Reach, imaginative “portals” to each of the UNESCO World Heritage Spanish Missions along the river, and the foundation’s Confluence Park attract visitors from around the world. San Pedro Creek Culture Park is like a linear outdoor museum, with murals, mosaics and sound and light installations.
The San Antonio Botanical Center’s current installation, “Reflections of Nature,” features murals by 12 well-known local and regional artists. Artist collectives, from the venerable San Anto Cultural Arts to the San Antonio Steet Art Initiative, MASA, and many others, keep adding energy to the creative scene.
In San Antonio, art IS everywhere — and there’s more of it all the time.
Take a virtual tour of public art all over San Antonio, with maps, photos, videos, information about artists, the works and locations, and how they were created:
