DAM! A Song of Water at Espada Dam by Pamela Martinez/Teletextile

SAN ANTONIO — Join us for an exploration of sound and ceremony at the historic Espada Dam. This free public event invites participants to preview new musical works by composer Pamela Martinez, create audio field recordings with artist Mark Menjivar, sit in a sound bath meditation at the San Antonio River or drop in for all morning nature painting and water ceremony.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park hosts Artist Pamela Martinez, recipient of the 2022 Individual Artist Grant in the Performing Arts from the City of San Antonio, in the debut Teletextile’s DAM! Series. This series includes three immersive performances inspired by the Espada Dam and Espada Acequia system from the San Antonio River. The first performance in the series will be “DAM! A Song of Water” at the Espada Historic Dam. Individuals will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the dam, sneak preview new music by Pamela Martinez for her spring performances, set intentions for themselves and our communities with a water ceremony, learn about field recording, and record the sounds around the Espada Dam with our audio gear.

“DAM! A Song of Water” will take place Oct. 9, 2022, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outdoors.  Registration and parking are at Acequia Park, 8500 Mission Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78223 with activities in the surrounding areas. Admission is free, please RSVP through Eventbrite. Participants should be prepared to walk between the different stations of the event, a half mile radius. Individuals or partners can reserve an audio recorder via this form for a 30 min time slot that includes a 15min orientation of the technology.  Please bring your own wired headphones if possible. All ages and levels are welcome.  We encourage participants to bring refillable water bottles.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

10:30 a.m. Espada DAM! Musical Opening & Meditation with composer Pamela Martinez/Teletextile, a welcoming from San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and land acknowledgment and blessing by an elder of the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation.
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Drop-in Personal Water Ceremony and Group Sound Meditation and Field Recording Instructions with Mark Menjivar
11:00 a.m. Field Recording Reservation 1
11:45 a.m. Field Recording Reservation 2
12:30 p.m. Field Recording Reservation 3

The DAM! Performance Series is an original music theater work that highlights our waterways in San Antonio, TX. It was specifically inspired by the Espada Dam as a historical landmark the acequia system created in Spanish colonial times. The kickoff event at DAM! – Espada Dam Oct 9, 2022, will be followed by the two performances happening in Spring 2023: DAM! – Lake Elmendorf (March 4, 2023) and DAM! – Roosevelt Tunnel Outlet (March 22, 2023, on World Water Day).  Teletextile’s goal for DAM! is to give our community new ways to interact with local historic landmarks and the natural environment around them, while highlighting the rich history of San Antonio’s central, south and west-side neighborhoods. Teletextile will include the following artists for DAM! – Espada: Mark Menjivar, Tanesha Payne, Meredith Shuman, Zach Sokoloski and Olivia Roybal.

Creation of this work was made possible in part by an award from the Department of Arts & Culture of the City of San Antonio.