Last month, TPR is held a panel with local artists that designed five public art installations in San Antonio, in collaboration with the San Pedro Creek Culture Park and the San Antonio River Foundation.
The Canopy by Rikkianne Van Kirk
Van Kirk was inspired by the poetry of scholar and filmmaker John Phillip Santos who has written about the creek. She collaborated with the San Antonio River Authority to develop a canopy design that features herons and other wildlife found along the creek. Van Kirk advised engineers who produced the structure. Once the canopy wears in about 10 years, another artist will be selected to design another canopy to replace hers.
Location: Mustard Seed Plaza at San Pedro Creek Culture Park, at Camp Street
Creek Lines by Cade Bradshaw and Stuart Allen
Principles of Bridge Projects Cade Bradshaw and Stuart Allen are the creators of “Creek Lines” situated in the Plaza de Fundación. The sculpture canopy represents the path of the creek from San Pedro Springs to the San Antonio River. The 30 poles upholding the canopy each represent a decade of San Antonio’s 300-year-old history. With its faceted mirror finish on the underside of the canopy, the installation creates a reflection of light and motion dependent on the activity underneath.
Location: The Plaza de Fundacíon at San Pedro Creek Culture Park, at N Santa Rosa Street
Tile Design Project by Leticia Huerta
Huerta’s tile art at San Pedro Creek Culture Park is inspired by four native wildflowers of Texas. This includes the Esperanza, Texas Thistle, Prairie Celestial, and Firewheel. She selected these flowers because of their vibrant colors and beauty. Her distinguished tile designs often include a flower and a visiting butterfly.
Location: San Pedro Creek Culture Park between El Paso and S Laredo Streets
Crawfish Sculpture by Diana Kersey
The large crawfish sculpture serves as a beacon for people visiting San Antonio. It has a diameter of 30 inches and a height of 36 inches. Kersey decided to design the crawfish after talking to community members who shared they had fond memories of playing with crawfish at San Pedro Springs Park. The sculpture includes several textures and representations of other animals found in the creek.
Location: San Pedro Creek Culture Park Parking, 723 S Flores, 78204
Papel Picado by Elizabeth Carrington
With a background in graphic design, Carrington worked to create vibrant metal screens to depict papel picado, a signature of San Antonio’s yearly Fiesta event. She is originally from California and felt inspired to highlight the culture of San Antonio through her public art.
Location: San Pedro Creek Culture Park between Guadalupe and Camp Streets
Guests:
Rikki Van Kirk is an artist and illustrator with a background in theater. Her work emphasizes the power of the line in an effort to relay posture and emotion.
Cade Bradshaw has completed dozens of projects in the US and abroad. His work is heavily influenced by atmospheric science and biology. It is driven by themes of perception and the natural world.
Leticia Huerta is an artist that utilizes painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and ceramics to explore ideas of personal struggle. The majority of her work in the last few decades has been public art.
Diana Kersey is a visual artist working exclusively with clay. Her work has become identifiable due to the muscular qualities of the material that is enhanced with her colorful, translucent glazes.
Elizabeth Carrington is an artist specializing in public and environmental art, graphic design, fine art, and textile design.
