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50 Years of Urban-15

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Urban-15 drum and dance at a San Antonio Fiesta parade
Urban-15
Urban-15 drum and dance at a San Antonio Fiesta parade

It was on July 21, 1974, that Urban-15 first performed a work “Six Point Gestures” in the outfield of Clark Stadium, which was slated for demolition later that summer. Fifteen musicians and dancers formed the first core of URBAN-15’s multimedia ensembles.

50 years later Urban-15, the community arts organization perhaps best known for its vivid drumming and dance performances, is going strong and still making art in San Antonio.

In addition to the drumming and dance performances of the group, for five decades Urban-15 has been creating public art, providing education programming, concerts, film series and the Holiday Laser Show.

The efforts have been the work of many supporters and volunteers, but at the center of it all has been the couple, George and Cat Cisneros.

For a half-century Urban-15 has been a dynamic community arts organization that has indelibly shaped San Antonio's cultural landscape. Blending traditional Latino heritage with contemporary aesthetics and technology, they have ignited the city’s arts scene with a unique and infectious energy.

Through music, dance, multimedia, and public art, Urban-15 has fostered a vibrant community of artists and audiences alike. Their innovative performances, often staged in unconventional spaces, have challenged traditional notions of art and brought creativity to unexpected corners of the city. By merging diverse artistic disciplines, they have created a truly immersive experience that resonates with people of all backgrounds. Urban-15’s commitment to inclusivity and education has made the arts accessible to everyone, enriching San Antonio's cultural fabric and inspiring future generations of artists.

There is an exhibit of photographs documenting 50 years of Urban-15 at the Magical Realism Studios, at 107 Lone Star Boulevard. The exhibit presents images of Urban-15’s evolution captured by San Antonio photographers. It documents their work, from their experimental performance ensembles to community-based events, including their crowd-favorite participation in parades and other public events.

The "Images of Motion" exhibition is free to the public until July 30,

Guests:

George and Catherine Cisneros are the co-founders of Urban-15.

"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.

This interview will be recorded on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

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David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi