As part of the generous grant awarded to the San Antonio Museum of Art by the Art Bridges Foundation this spring, SAMA has selected three local artists to create community murals celebrating the vibrancy and community of the Alamo City. Positioned on San Antonio’s eastside, westside and onsite at SAMA’s campus, the artists will begin creating their works this July and will showcase their completed murals this August. The community is invited to participate in the process through voting this June and sharing their ideas starting this week. The purpose of the initiative is to celebrate the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)

The mural curation project is a joint effort between SAMA’s education department, the San Anto Cultural Arts, and the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum

About the Artists:

Suzy González – Mural Location: San Antonio Museum of Art Campus
Suzy is an artist, curator, zinester, educator, and organizer based in San Antonio, Texas. She has had solo exhibits at Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. Suzy co-publishes the Yes, Ma’am zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is half of the collective Dos Mestizx, who recently curated XicanX: New Visions in New York and Texas. She has created public art with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Street Art Initiative, Centro San Antonio, and the City of San Marcos, and is currently working on a project with the City of Pasadena.

Victor Zarazua – Mural Location: Wicho’s Mexican Deli on the Westside
As a practitioner of the Graffiti Art Subculture, Victor started painting at the age of ten. Victor used this medium as an escape from outside influences in his neighborhood and schools. As a youth, he began to appreciate art, what it could do, and where it could lead him to. During high school, Victor found himself looking for like-minded youth and found SACA & SAY Si. Those two programs opened the door further for him to delve further into the arts and the “lowbrow” art movement. 

Sandra Gonzalez; Mural Location: Tony G’s on the Eastside (Mural to be created in partnership with Malachy McKinney)
Sandra is an active muralist in South Texas and an art educator at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, who has also participated in numerous art exhibits throughout the U.S. In 2013, Sandra received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Sandra learned about engaging with the community through her work for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program where she worked for over a year and  assisted with various large-scale murals, involving different communities such as inmates, mental health patients, students, and several artists.

From Saturday, June 26, 2021, to Saturday, July 10, 2021, the San Antonio community will have the opportunity to vote on one of three themes designed by each artist to create for each mural location. Those interested in voting may do so by visiting SAMA’s website where a landing page will be available for voting or in-person at SAMA using the onsite voting box; both will be available starting in late June. Each mural will be constructed throughout the summer starting July 12, 2021, and the completion of each will be revealed on Sunday, August 15, 2021. The San Antonio community is also invited to join in a special conversation between the mural artists and committee panel that Sunday.

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.

Art Bridges is a nonprofit arts foundation whose mission is to expand access to American art across the U.S. Founded by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art around the country by partnering with institutions of all sizes and in all regions on projects that deeply engage communities via thematic traveling exhibitions, long-term loan sharing collaborations, among additional initiatives.

“Murals have always been a powerful tool to educate and commemorate local histories. By asking for community input and having residents of San Antonio be a part of the mural selection process, we are emphasizing that art is for all and that art can be enjoyed anywhere. Communal relationships are the foundation of any society, so we must continue to build and grow with the people of San Antonio. We hope that the selected businesses continue to be an anchor in their community, and that these murals shine a light on how San Antonio is a beautiful, culturally rich city.” – Yohanna Tesfai, Public Programs Manager for San Antonio Museum of Art.