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The City of San Antonio is expanding accessibility at one of the city’s “hidden gem” parks, Miller’s Pond. The expansion is part of the city’s 2022-27 Bond.
Visual artist Angela Weddle, who lives with multiple disabilities, says she took her own experiences to inspire the project. She herself uses braces on her legs, and, at other times, uses a power wheelchair.
“When the city chose an artist and happened to be me to design it, I was especially happy to be a disabled artist to work on a project about accessibility because often we're not included in conversations about accessibility,” said Weddle.
The accessible project consists of an ADA walkway and specially designed benches with mosaics of wildlife that are frequently spotted at Miller’s Pond.
Weddle says the mosaic benches are spaced to make it easier for people in wheelchairs to feel like they’re part of the environment and not just assigned to designated spaces.
“We also have this wonderful fishing pier and this walking trail, which is, I think, about a mile long. So you have a lot of people (who) fish here. You have a lot of elderly people come also. So (there are) a lot of reasons to have some seating where people have a great view of the lake and a place to stop,” she said.
David De Los Santos of Blazing Laser Art & Engraving said his team will be carving Weddle’s artwork into the accessible walkway.
“We use a direct pressure blast system, which is a form of sandblasting, in the sense that, a filet mignon is a form of beef, which is a very high-quality form of beef, versus like a hamburger, which would be what we would consider general sandblasting,” said De Los Santos. “So it's a direct pressure blast system, essentially sand-carving, that we use to mark concrete, glass, stone, all kinds of different substrates.”
De Los Santos is an advocate for accessibility, and this is not the first time he has worked on engraving for an accessible project in San Antonio.
“It means that we have to watch for how deep we do our engravings,” said De Los Santos. “I know that the ADA standard is a quarter inch, and we try to stay within an eighth of an inch, just (to) make sure there's no tripping hazards or anything like that.”
Weddle said the city has been very accommodating to her physical and cognitive disabilities. Weddle is traditionally a 2-D artist. She says her cerebral palsy can create challenges in designing something in three dimensions.
“It's something that I really wasn't sure would happen,” said Weddle. “But I'm also autistic, and so I focus on a lot of detailed work. I mostly work in drawing and painting, so pen and ink, watercolor, water media, mixed media drawing, sometimes acrylic and oil paintings, printmaking, and even digital art drawn on the iPad and animation occasionally. And I'm not supposed to be able to draw because I really lack the motor skills. But for whatever reason, my brain said we're doing this anyway, and it's something I am really blessed to be able to do.”
The project came at a difficult time for Weddle. She found out her mother was terminally ill on April 29, right after she was awarded the Miller’s Pond project.
“And she died on Sept. 14 last year. And I was taking care of her while she was terminal,” said Weddle. “I've been working as an artist my whole life. I've been drawing almost every day of my life since I was three years old, and I'm 43. And being disabled, it's hard to fit into traditional jobs, into traditional employment when you have an unpredictable body, and you have unpredictable conditions, when you have unpredictable transportation, even when using paratransit. It's not always predictable. And my mother always hoped that I would be self-sufficient, and this has allowed me to take risks and chances as an artist that I never thought.”
Weddle is grateful that she’s been able to contribute to a community that has embraced her through several tragedies, including losing everything in Hurricane Katrina in her hometown of New Orleans.
As Weddle gives back, she hopes residents will also pay it forward by supporting accessible local art.
“Public art helps to support people in your community and to show that disabled people, we absolutely contribute to the community,” said Weddle. And it's not just important to have accessible design so we can use the community, but (that) we understand the community we live in and (can) bring that vision to life so that more people can benefit.”
The Miller’s Pond Park accessible project is expected to be finished next year.
