SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio River Authority is calling for Bexar County artists to apply for a unique opportunity to create a mural for the San Pedro Creek Culture Park downtown.
The five-panel mural will be a permanent piece for “one of the most culturally significant sections of the park,” according to SARA. The segment of the creek, which is the second for the park, is currently under construction.
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The opportunity is open to artists who live in Bexar County and are at least 18 years old. They must apply in teams of two to five, and at least one team member must be a visual artist.
Carrie Brown, the public art curator for SARA, said the team would be responsible for creating the largest mural — about 1,600 square feet — in the park
“This approach allows for multiple voices to participate,” she said. “One key aspect of all of the artwork at the park is storytelling. The artists selected for this opportunity must embody this quality in their work.”
The mural can be made from hand-glazed or digitized porcelain tile, glass, ceramic, stone mosaic tile or other materials suitable for the environment.
The total budget for this project is up to $400,000, and will include materials, creation and installation. Brown said up to four finalists will be selected and paid a $1,500 honorarium to develop a proposal for the project.
The selected team will have to review designs with SARA and Bexar County officials, and it will be voted upon by the Bexar County Commissioners Court.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 17 applications, according to Brown. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. March 24.
SARA officials said the artwork should depict the history of San Pedro Creek.
“The interweaving of peoples and destinies that formed the foundation of San Antonio and Bexar County, as we know it today, will be the central focus of the mural’s content,” the project descriptions states, adding that it should reference Native Americans, Presidiales, Canary Islanders, Bexarenos/Tejanos and Texicans.
“Also, in light of recently discovered historically significant foundations, the artwork should also consider the contributions of freed slaves to the development of San Antonio along San Pedro Creek, specifically the African Methodist Episcopal Church community.”
Artwork installation is slated for December, and the opening of that segment of the creek is slated for Spring 2022.
For more information on how to apply, click here.
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