Mural Archives - Getcreativesanantonio.com: The Cultural Calendar for the City of San Antonio, Texas

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¡Adelante San Antonio!

Artist: Michael Menchaca, Suzy González

Date created: 2018

Category: Mural

"¡Adelante San Antonio!" by San Antonio artist team Dos Mestizx, Suzy González and Michael Menchaca, is a three part mural celebrating the rich history of San Antonio. Located in the customer service bay of the new ConRAC parking facility, it is a chronicle of the past 300 years highlighting a progression of aviation, architecture, culture and more. Dispersed among the imagery is a greeting that reads "¡Bienvenidos a San Antonio!" or "Welcome to San Antonio," as well as "¡Adelante San Antonio!" or "Let's Go San Antonio. As visitors and locals cross the sky bridge a three-dimensional rose window, "Ventana Rosada," greets them symbolizing the city and welcoming visitors and those returning home. "Ventana Rosada" takes influence from the quatrefoil pattern, a significant piece of Texas history, symbolic of peace and joy. A propeller is included signifying the importance of aviation and the history of flight. The exterior façade of the San Antonio International Airports new ConRAC facility features two large scale murals by the artist team on either side of the customer service bay. The two exterior murals represent a hybrid bird/airplane, which bring together the ideas of nature and culture and recognize the advances in aviation technology. The Golden Eagle is indigenous to the region and the Boeing 737 is a commonly used as a contemporary passenger plane. The left panel is comprised of greens and blues, representative of morning and day flights. The eagle's expression holds the excitement of adventure that comes with the ability of flight. the sunburst behind the eagle is emblematic of this moment. the left panel embodies the moment of departure. The right panel represents traveling by night, migration, and arriving home. The blues and purples are representative of moon-lit night flights. The flock returns home and speaks of the beauty of migration. Soaring above the earth, the eagles fly among the stars. The right panel embodies the moment of arrival.

American Odyssey

Date created: 1985

Category: Mosaic / Relief ; Mural

Medium(s): Ceramic ; Tile

"American Odyssey"by Massachusetts based artist Stephan Knapp is one of thelargest glass glaze ceramic murals in the world. This is one of three pieces that were produced in Shigaraki, Japan, one of the historic ceramic villages in Japan. The artist wanted the murals to emphasize the exotic flowers located in the atrium.Many of the glazes for the murals were developed just for this project, and some of the lines and colors are the result of "the magic of the fire", where a controlled reaction took place to determine the final result. Each of the tile panels here is 8'9" tall and nearly 2' wide.

Arnold Park Playground (Toturf)

Date created: 2011

Category: Architectural Detailing ; Mural

Medium(s): Recycled Materials

"Arnold Park Playgorund" by San Antonio artist Katie Pell features colorfully designed play surface pads. pad 1 is a combination of blue, orange and green organic shapes, and Pad 2 is a yellow and blue butterfly. Each surface is made out of TotTurf, a recycled rubber.

Birth of a City

Date created: 2003

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint ; Photography

"Birth of a City" by San Antonio artistAngel Rodríguez–Díaz is a large panoramic image of the city at night. The photo is a giclee print embellished with paint.

Cactus

Date created: 2016

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Vinyl

"Cactus," by Los Angeles based artist Christian Moeller is an expansive horizontal mural on the façade of the newly expanded Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Serving as an "architectural frieze," the mural depicts an endless field of native cacti along the upper section of the building's east façade. The frieze is 913 feet in length and 13 feet tall and is made of galvanized metal chain-link fencing dappled with over 100,000 white vinyl dots. The green background contrasts with the white vinyl dots to create a half-tone pattern that forms the image. The artist's inspiration came from his interest in plant-inspired motifs commonly used as decorative elements in architecture. As the "official plant of Texas," the Prickly Pear Cactus symbolizes the resilient and bountiful landscapes of the state, while serving as a reminder of how efficiently nature adapts to change.

Canopy

Date created: 2018

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

"Canopy" by San Antonio artist Joey Fauerso is a public art project located on Fulton Avenue between Beacon Hill and Alta Vista at the Fulton Ave Railroad Underpass. The mural transforms the underpass into a cool grove of Cypress trees that can be found lining nearby San Pedro Springs. The mural uses a palate of greens and blues to depict the flora, fauna, and native South Texas birds populating a dense forest. The hand painted mural incorporates student observations from nearby Agnes Cotton Academy, taken from an artist lead nature observation workshop with the fourth and seventh grade classes. The design allows visitors to experience the mural through multiple viewings and invites viewers to literally ‘find’ themselves in the forest.

Confluence of Civilizations (O'Gorman)

Date created: 1968

Category: Historical ; Mosaic / Relief ; Mural

Medium(s): Marble/Stone

The Juan O'Gorman mosaic mural commissioned for the 1968 World's Fair, known as HemisFair, is located on the exterior façade of the Lila Cockrell Theater. The 130-foot long mural is titled "Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas" and it was one of three murals that still remain installed at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The mural illustrates the theme of HemisFair 68' and includes imagery such as Adam & Eve, European immigration to the United States and Mexico and indigenous cultures of the Mesoamerican civilization. It was created with about 500 panels equaling approximately 400,000 pieces of colored stones. The mural was renovated and repaired in 2022. O'Gorman was a muralist, painter, mosaic artist, professor and architect whose career was spent mostly in Mexico.

Confluence of Civilizations (Samuelson)

Date created: 1968

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

Confluence: Flowing Together

Artist: Ansen Seale

Date created: 2010

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

"Confluence: Flowing Together" by San Antonio artist Ansen Seale is comprised of four niches in the lobby of the Lila Cockrell Theater. Each of the four photo/sculptures is lit from behind using LED panels for long life, low power consumption and limited UV radiation. The images themselves are multilayered within the 2.1-inch depth of the acrylic, giving a 3-D sculptural effect. especially when the viewer is moving past the piece. The artwork is all about flow--the flow of water and the flow of time, and the confluences of people in this area over time.

Cuentos Grotto

Date created: 2007

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

"Cuentos Grotto" by San Antonio artist David Zamora Casas is a colorful representation of maps and history.Cuentos means stories; referencing the story of San Antonio is the poem "The Voices of Yanaguana" incorporated into the mural.

Culture, Colors, and Traditions of San Antonio

Artist: Sandra Gonzalez

Date created: 2023

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Acrylic ; Paint

Culture, Colors, and Traditions of San Antonio by San Antonio artist Sandra Gonzalez features collaged landscapes, reflecting some of the city’s cultural destinations and icons — from the Urrutia Arch, which once marked the entrance of Miraflores Park and is now at the San Antonio Museum of Art, to the North Star Mall boots, in mural 1. Nods to some of San Antonio’s signature events and recreation take the form of a Fiesta floral crown setting over the horizon, as well as a giant star with the San Antonio Spurs’ signature colors. In this composition, the sky is replaced with the illusion of rippling waters that speak to the city’s prominent creek system. In mural 2, some of the city’s cultural destinations and icons include the McNay Art Museum and the San Fernando Cathedral. In this design, we have a marriage of graphic elements and Spanish Colonial-style architecture with the Rose Window found at Mission San Jose presented as a portal to our city. Local flora ground the composition with other references to the city’s rich cultural identity dancing in the background. These murals can be found in Terminal A of the San Antonio International Airport. Project Team: Sandra Gonzalez and Malachy McKinney *Images shown are artist renderings, photos will be taken upon artwork completion (October 2023).

Fall, Mesquite, Deer

Date created: 2017

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

"Fall, Mesquite, Deer" by San Antonio artist Chris Montoya is a muralpaying tribute to the native plants and animals along with the seasonal migrations of the Coahuiltecan clans that populated this area for thousands of years. The artwork features a heard of orange silhouetted deer. Silhouettes of mesquite trees, nopal cacti, and birds are also featured. The background is comprised of reds and pink stripes evoking fall. The mural draws inspiration from mesquite, a vital resource for the Coahuiltecans. Mesquite was utilized for food, fuel, medicine and making various implements. "Fall, Mesquite, Deer"is part of the series "Four Seasons" located along Villamain Road at the Loop 410 these murals were created by four San Antonio artists and local nonprofit SMARTSA. To discover more information about "Four Seasons" please visit : https://www.smartsa.org/public-art">here.</a>"Four Seasons" is part of a series of murals for the World Heritage Mural Trail. This series is located in San Antonio's World Heritage Corridor and is a collaboration with the City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture and the World Heritage Office.

Harmony en La Esquina

Date created: 2002

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Aluminum

"Harmony en la esquina" by El Paso artist GasparEnríquez is a large airbrushed portrayal of young men and women gathered en la esquina (on the corner) of their neighborhood.

Hill Country Water Cycles

Date created: 2005

Category: Architectural Detailing ; Mosaic / Relief ; Mural

Medium(s): Tile

"Hill Country Water Cycles" by San Antonio artist Oscar Alvarado is a tile mural depicting Crownridge Canyon area's natural history and themes of water. The murals include a wall mural and a floor mosaic mural.

Homage to Shigaraki

Date created: 1985

Category: Mosaic / Relief ; Mural

Medium(s): Ceramic ; Tile

"Homage to Shigaraki "by Massachusetts based artist Stephan Knapp is one of thelargest glass glaze ceramic murals in the world. This is one of three pieces that were produced in Shigaraki, Japan, one of the historic ceramic villages in Japan. The artist wanted the murals to emphasize the exotic flowers located in the atrium.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px;">Many of the glazes for the murals were developed just for this project, and some of the lines and colors are the result of "the magic of the fire", where a controlled reaction took place to determine the final result. Each of the tile panels here is 8'9" tall and nearly 2' wide

Illuminados

Date created: 2016

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

"Illuminados" by El Paso based husband and wife artist team "Los Dos", Ramon and Christian Cardenas, is a mural located under the Hays Street Bridge. The artwork is inspired by the U.S.-Mexico border and the people who live there. It depicts a figure wearing a folkloric mask seated on a magic carpet "flying across borders." This public art project was commissioned by Public Art San Antonio and was supported in part by the 2012-2017 Bond Program and the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grant Program.

Iluminación de la Plaza

Artist: Christopher Montoya

Date created: 2023

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Image transfer on porcelain tile mural ; Tile

Iluminación de la Plaza by San Antonio Artist Christopher Montoya draws inspiration from the history of the nearby area, Plaza de Armas, or Military Plaza. This contemporary artwork references the extensive history this space holds. Some of the key elements featured come from architectural details from the building itself. The painted brick façade and round window at the top become a portal to the 1870’s and 1880’s. This is echoed by the historic lantern hanging in the center which illuminates the plaza’s history. Framing the scene is a serape border which surrounds the piece like curtains. These flowing bands of color pay homage to the billowing and colorful garments commonly seen throughout the historic plaza. In the top register is a map which helps ground viewers in the location of the area. To the left, a covered wagon and cattle march down the Plaza. To the right, you will find fruit and vegetable vendors. The central focus show two tables of people eating and enjoying the tastes and sights of the Plaza. Between the two tables, stand Chili Queens, preparing tortillas and chili con carne. The figures in the foreground become clearer and start to break from the window frame showing how the contemporary and past can blend and merge. Click here to learn more about the area's history. Project Team Artist: Christopher Montoya General Contractor: Con-Cor Incorporated Fabricator: Tile Artisans Digital Imaging Installers: High Quality Tile

Interwoven

Artist: Jennifer Khoshbin

Date created: 2018

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Paint

San Antonio artist Jennifer Khoshbin worked with the Center for Refugee Services to create Interwoven, a mural depicting five refugee and immigrant women who are an important part of our San Antonio community. These women, often working as seamstresses, are from all across the world and now reside in San Antonio. They have come from Afghanistan, Turkey, Honduras, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Haiti. The colorful portraits highlight the culture of each woman through her clothing style and patterns, while the new tree growth mirrors her new life in San Antonio. In addition to the mural, Khoshbin collaborated with a seamstresses to create a series of nylon flags featuring an expression of their culture through textile art. The intent of the project is to celebrate the different cultures that create the fabric of our city.

Jaguar Spirit

Artist: Suzy González

Date created: 2022

Category: Mural ; Painting

Medium(s): Paint

The mural titled Jaguar Spirit is made up of a variety of Texas A&M University-San Antonio student and staff portraits in an abstract gradient landscape with native plant life. It is a snapshot of those who have been on campus from 2021-2022 who also represent this particular generation of academics at this institution. Student and staff portraits include those from an Art Appreciation class, A&M SA Spirit, Mr. & Mrs. A&M SA, the Mexican-American Student Association, graduates from El Espejo magazine, the National Coming Out Fair, Black Student Union, members of the women’s soccer team, and TU CASA’s summer camp program. They are surrounded by native plant life to acknowledge the roots of this land that the school sits on. Sacred elements rendered in the traditional style of the surviving codices of Mesoamerican tlacuilos include images of flowers, copal, nopales, grass, water, and maíz. Plants rendered with a style reminiscent of European dimensionality include sunflowers, bluebonnets, and the coneflower. Painting both flat and dimensional elements illustrates the various cultural aesthetics that we gain from Art History, and how each is equally important to the next. Lastly a jaguar figure, an iteration of the TAMUSA mascot, was pulled from the Codex Borgia and is made up of the school colors. The jaguar emanates zigzags throughout the figures and plants. Tepeyóllotl, in Mexica traditions, is the deity of jaguars, and connects the mural to TAMUSA as a Latinx-serving institution. This reference comes from one of the few surviving pre-Columbian painted manuscripts known as the codices. Like the scaled-up image of this jaguar, I want to tie in the persistence of this generation of students to commit to their education in the midst of a life-altering pandemic, who should be very proud of their accomplishments.

La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date created: 2006

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Mixed Media ; Tile

"La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe" by San Antonio artist Jesse Treviño is a ceramic mural including a 3-dimensional votive candle, or veladora, with an eternal flame facing Guadalupe Street. The flame is intended to serve as a neighborhood beacon.

Lackland Terrace Skate Park

Date created: 2012

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Concrete ; Paint

"Lackland Terrace Skate Park," by San Antonio artist Katie Pell features a brightly colored Dia de Los Muertos design made from stained concrete.

Maverick Tile Mural

Date created: 1930

Category: Mosaic / Relief ; Mural

Medium(s): Tile

Maverick Tile Mural" by San Antonio based company Mexican Arts and Crafts depicts romantic images of village life in Mexico are set on a colorful tile mural crafted in the 1930’s. The company was owned and ran by Ethel Wilson Harris.

Motivated Community and Joyful Momentum

Artist: Adriana M Garcia, Manola and Maria Ramirez

Date created: 2022

Category: Mural ; Painting

Medium(s): Paint

Motivated Community and Joyful Momentum are the City’s first collaboration with local arts nonprofit San Antonio Street Art Initiative. Led by local artist team Adriana Garcia, Manola Ramirez and Maria Ramirez, the project is the first painted murals with a sports and recreation theme in the City’s collection. Both murals were designed to relate to one another by showcasing a motivated community while also featuring native foliage. The whimsical artwork features a juxtaposition of two artistic styles—graphic design and portraiture. Motivated Community, the larger mural (22 feet tall by 90 feet wide) showcases images of real individuals who use the facilities engaging in various types of recreational activities enjoyed at the center and connecting park. The transforming athletic equipment becomes a type of sunset conveying the variety of activity in the area. This mural is joined by companion mural Joyful Momentum, located on the side of the building facing Zarzamora Street. Joyful Momentum features undulating colors accentuated with bright images of native foliage and is punctuated with a smiling boy swinging, inviting the passing public to join the fun!

Nani Falcone Skate Park Mural

Date created: 2011, Restored in 2021

Category: Mural

Medium(s): Concrete ; Paint

Inspired by the skate park’s layout, which includes a linear and structured center ramp, San Antonio Artist Katie Pell designed this brightly colored painted mural of a curvilinear two-headed snake that extends from one end of the park. To create this long mural (completed in 2011), Pell outlined the shapes for the design by hand using white chalk and following a rendering on an 8.5 x 11-inch paper sheet. The vibrant colors are a result colored concrete dye and acid stain. In 2021 the City of San Antonio's Department of Arts & Culture and Artpace San Antonio collaborated on a restoration of the mural to include cleaning, re-staining and application of a surface guard.

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