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The City of San Antonio has expanded its public art collection with the addition of three large birdhouse sculptures that feature a variety of feathered residents.
The artwork, named “Feathers in the Wind,” is housed in the Oak Park-Northwood neighborhood of District 10 at the intersection of Albin Drive and Brookside Street. The sculptures honor local backyard birds.
These metal pieces are a fitting tribute to backyard bird feeders, which are popular across San Antonio for both enjoyment and as a life-saving practice for the bird population.
East side San Antonio native Luis “Chispas” Guerrero designed the three sculptures using Corten steel and stainless steel. The Corten is a warm, rust color that will age naturally and take on a reddish patina. The stainless steel reflets sunlight and movement as the sun slowly changes position throughout the day. Atop each birdhouse, different backyard birds perch.
“These sculptures honor our city’s natural wildlife and remind us that we share our home with species that have lived here for centuries,” said Krystal Jones, director of the Department of Arts & Culture, in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for Luis’ talent and dedication as an artist, a professional, and a cherished member of the San Antonio community.”
Guerrero chose a diverse cast of familiar birds for his artwork, including a cardinal, hawk, mockingbird, owl, sparrow and hummingbird — all creatures that San Antonio birders and nature enthusiasts will recognize.
“I hope the sculptures spark creativity, conversation, and bring a happy, fun presence to the community,” Guerrero said in a statement. “It’s a good feeling to know how much the City cares throughout the whole process and involves the community in the decision along the way. It makes the process more rewarding knowing that it is a team effort to make it happen.”
And contribute to bringing public art into District 10 residents did. Beginning with a community engagement survey and participating in the Artist Selection Panel, District 10 residents offered feedback on the artwork design at Neighborhood Association meetings.
Councilmember Marc Whyte expressed pride and thanks to the community for their effort.
“The civic engagement of our residents is essential to ensure that public artworks truly reflect our community. Thank you to everyone who contributed input to this project and to our own District 10 artist Luis ‘Chispas’ Guerrero for making it come to life,” Whyte said. “Public art promotes economic growth, enhances community engagement, and beautifies our improvement efforts, and we are excited to see more projects come to District 10.”
“Feathers in the Wind” joins hundreds of other artworks installed across the city. To visit the City of San Antonio’s art collection online, or to search by artist, artwork type and location, check out the city's database of art.
