Last Updated on January 30, 2024
Artists Jocelyn Van Taylor and Tyson Davis with The Art of Four founder Maria Williams (center).
Welcome to the quarterly Creative Currents series! Public art, cultural programming, and artistic design enhancements express what is authentic about today’s culture and explore the historical significance of area waterways through a contemporary art lens. This series provides an inside look at how art is incorporated into San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) projects, including the growing San Pedro Creek Culture Park.
Our last Creative Currents blog, published in November 2022, highlighted the celebrations around the completion of Phase 1 of San Pedro Creek Culture Park. This weekend event welcomed this new chapter in downtown San Antonio while celebrating the culture, art, and nature of San Pedro Creek. In today’s blog, we share exciting updates on a new temporary illustration and a virtual extension of an existing project!
New temporary Art Installation from the Art of Four
We have some exciting news! Two new murals will be installed at the Travis St. and Houston St. underpasses along the lower paseos of San Pedro Creek. The Art of Four was selected last fall to develop two design concepts to add cultural vibrancy and historical references to the bare concrete walls at these locations. This esteemed local arts initiative’s mission is to promote established, emerging, and aspiring Black artists and provide a platform to display, express, preserve, and promote their work.
The Art of Four visited the site of the murals at San Pedro Creek Culture Park.
Fabrication is set to begin soon! Artists Tyson Davis and Jocelyn Van Taylor will use “Polytab” mural cloths to paint their artworks at The Art of Four’s studio space: In the Eye of the Beholder Art Gallery & Studio. Members of the community will have an opportunity to contribute to the creation of these murals and meet the lead artists during a Community Paint Day on Saturday, March 18 (time of day TBA).
The Art of Four’s Studio Space is located at In the Eye of the Beholder.
Once completed in late March, the finished murals will be delivered to the sites at Travis and Houston Streets and adhered to the concrete walls with a heavy-duty adhesive. During this time, you can expect to see a couple of brief trail closures to allow the artist team time and space for careful installation. A celebratory reception for the unveiling of these new public art pieces will be held on Saturday, April 8 (time of day TBA). Keep an eye on the events calendar and social media to hear more details as spring approaches!
Watch Art Come Alive!
La Gloriosa Historia de San Pedro Creek On My Mind: A Story in Five Episodes is a large-scale mural along the San Pedro Creek Culture Park that tells the story of San Pedro Creek in five episodes using the Tree of Life/Árbol de la Vida. Artists Kathy and Lionel Sosa teamed up with esteemed scholars, educators, and cultural advisors, including Ellen Riojas Clark, John Phillip Santos, Jennifer Speed, Carey Latimore, Melinda Iruegas, Sergio Iruegas, and Char Miller. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see this artwork in person, we invite you to watch the figures in the panels come alive through five videos, available now in both English and Spanish. Watch these videos below to learn the story of San Pedro Creek!
In the next issue of Creative Currents …
Stay tuned for artwork and construction updates, as well as event announcements at San Pedro Creek Culture Park and other River Authority projects. See you at the Creek!
