A new public art installation was dedicated last week. I spoke to the city’s Jimmy LeFlore, who describes the new two-part installation.
“The piece is called 'Crossroads of Enlightenment' and it is a Luminaria that is two towers that are lit from within, cut metal design, and really set off the intersection.”
That intersection is Blanco Road at Basse Road. And those two towers are big.
“The 20-foot towers are hollow, and they’re cut metal design, and they’re painted red with a green band that is very reminiscent of old steel work, with riveting. And the cut metal designs have that kid of papel picado feature.”
Papel picado is the traditional ornately cut paper designs that come from Mexican tradition.
“The imagery reflects things about that neighborhood. That includes the industrial, kind of engineered gears and machinery.”
Those gears and the towers themselves reference the Cementville smokestacks and factory of the area’s history, that area we now know as the Quarry shopping area. Angel Rodriguez-Diaz created this, and several other artworks for the city including ‘The Beacon’ at the roundabout at Blanco and Fulton.
“But also a great mural is on Alamo and Flores, that is called ‘Birth of a City.’ And then Angel painted the official portrait of the mayor that hangs at city hall.”
We've more on the city's public art program here.
