March is Contemporary Art Month (CAM) in San Antonio, Texas. Did you know that the San Antonio River Foundation has helped bring dozens of public artworks by living artists to our waterways?
These works come in all shapes and sizes, from Riley Robinson’s Yanaguana, a functional bench that uses the sun to cast shadows on the sidewalk, to Margarita Cabrera’s Arbol de la Vida: Memorias y Voces de la Tierra, a colossal treelike sculpture adorned with community-made ceramic objects.
To date, the San Antonio River Foundation has commissioned and installed 43 public art projects along the river. You’ll find many of them along the Museum Reach near the Pearl and the San Antonio Museum of Art, as well as throughout the Mission Reach, which begins at Confluence Park and extends south to Mission Espada.
Click below to explore all our public art locations. Have you seen them all?
New Artworks in 2026
Looking ahead, the River Foundation will welcome a powerful new addition in 2026. Presence of the Past and Culture Crossing Pavilion by artist Gordon Huether will debut at San Pedro Creek Culture Park, featuring a poem by former poet laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. This piece commemorates the rediscovered historic site of the St. James AME Church (the second oldest AME church in the state of Texas) into a public memorial and gathering space that honors the African American community’s vital contributions to the city’s cultural, civic, and spiritual history.
Join a Free Art Tour!
If you haven’t experienced these public artworks in person, consider joining one of our FREE Monthly E-Bike Art Portal Tours. Along the way, expert guides share stories that educate, inspire, and spark imagination about the art, history, and ecology of the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek.
Art in the Open Program
Beyond our permanent installations, the San Antonio River Foundation also supports temporary projects through our annual Art in the Open program. These site-responsive installations transform outdoor spaces in partnership with parks along the river, demonstrating the power of artists to activate public places and spark meaningful community connections. Through Art in the Open, the River Foundation invites creatives to respond directly to the river’s ecology, culture, and history. Our most recent call has closed, but new opportunities are open throughout the year—stay tuned!
Stories of the San Antonio River, Told in Sound
This year we are also excited to introduce River Tapes, an open call for audio works that will culminate in a curated cassette release featuring music, field recordings, spoken word, and soundscapes inspired by the San Antonio River. We invite musicians and community members alike to interpret the river through sound—capturing its currents, stories, wildlife, and neighborhoods. Keep an eye out for River Tapes and future open calls on our website and Instagram, or join our newsletter to be the first to know when artists are invited to apply.
Together, these projects demonstrate how contemporary art can engage communities, honor culture, and deepen our relationship with the river.
Share Your Story!
Do you have a favorite piece along the water? We invite you to share your story through our new “I FOUND” campaign and tell us what you discovered at the river.
This piece is contributed by the San Antonio River Foundation (River Foundation), which supports scientific and educational activities that promote and encourage the conservation, stewardship, restoration, preservation and enjoyment of the land and water resources of the San Antonio River Basin.
Disclaimer: The River Foundation is a separate entity from the San Antonio River Authority. Any donations would be solely to the River Foundation, which is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
