SAN ANTONIO – Considered by some as the San Antonio art world’s power couple, Kathy and Lionel Sosa are each respected artists in their own right. Together, they’ve created “La Gloriosa Historia de San Pedro Creek on My Mind: A Story in Five Episodes.”
The five-panel mural lines the wall between W. Commerce and Cesar Chavez Blvd., one of the newly completed sections of San Pedro Creek Culture Park.
They said the panels are more of an artistic blend of history as life evolved around San Pedro Creek.
“These episodes overlap greatly in history,” Kathy Sosa said.
They range from the earliest days when it was a lush environment through the current restoration of San Pedro Creek.
Before the Sosas began, they sought input from community members and consultants to ensure the depictions were historically accurate.
Dr. Carey Latimore, the late chair of the history department at Trinity University who passed away in July, was among those consulted for the artwork.
“He gave us so much wonderful input, especially on the AME Church and the African American contribution to San Antonio and its history,” said Lionel Sosa. “He won’t be here to see the product of his work. So we’re dedicating this to him.”
Lionel Sosa said retiring Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and his wife, Tracy, best known for her interest in historical preservation, deserve recognition for their roles in the project.
“If it wasn’t for them dreaming up this whole thing and bringing this creek to life, none of this would happen,” Lionel Sosa said.
Kathy Sosa said she hopes people will see themselves in what they’ve created and “everybody who comes by feels welcomed.”
Their mural will be illuminated in the evenings starting at 6 p.m. Friday during a lighting ceremony. It will begin a two-day celebration marking the completion of phase one of the San Pedro Creek Park project.
