One of the main night attractions in the artsy San Pedro Creek Culture Park downtown is named "STREAM," a waterfall with colorful lights that change to match different pitches of a human voice.
A tall chrome microphone passersby could talk into or sing into and watch the lights dance became a popular target for vandals and eventually was taken down by the San Antonio River Authority, which manages the waterway.
For months after the microphone was removed, there was just the waterfall in front of Texas Public Radio's headquarters.
But now the nightly shows can continue. A new microphone was designed and installed. It is encased in a sturdy metal block.
"The STREAM microphone has been installed and is fully operational as designed," said Tommy Mitchell, watershed and park operations manager for the river authority. "Adjustments were made to enhance durability against vandalism and to improve accessibility for children and visitors with disabilities. An interpretive panel will be added soon to explain the artwork and guide interaction, with a permanent version of the panel to follow."
"STREAM" is the work of New York artist Adam Frank.
One of his historic motivations was the Alameda Theater across the creek from the waterfall. With that in mind, Frank recreated an iconic image from the Alameda’s yesteryear.
“This is a very unusual piece in the history of American public art," he explained to TPR at the time it was completed. "It's a new type of interactivity in a public space in a park. So, I really appreciate getting the opportunity to do something like this.”
He further explains his vision in video below, which features the first microphone design.
The $300 million San Pedro Creek Culture Park runs for more than two miles through the west part of downtown. It also includes several other public art installations, paved paths with interpretive signs, water features, murals, sculptures, shade structures, and native plants and fish.
There are also public performance areas. It also honors Bexar County's 300-year-old cultures, including the African American Methodist Episcopal Church that sat on its banks after the Civil War.
The creek and culture park passes under several major streets, including Houston, Commerce, Dolorosa, Nueva, and Cesar Chavez.
The park runs along the creek from I-35 and the Alazan and Apache Creeks to the flood inlet at I-35 and Santa Rosa. The widened creek also serves flood control purposes.
