SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio’s public art collection has grown to about 800 installations across the city, giving residents and visitors free access to artworks in neighborhoods, parks and city facilities.
Krystal Jones, director of the city’s Department of Arts and Culture, said the program marked its 30th anniversary this year, prompting the department to create a video that combines public art with poetry.
“National Poetry Month this year timed out with the 30th anniversary of our public art program here in San Antonio,” Jones said. “We thought it would be a perfect fit to blend poetry with our public art program.”
The department worked with San Antonio Poet Laureate Eddie Vega, who wrote an original poem about public art and its role in telling the city’s story. Local filmmaker Sam Lerma of Screenville Films produced the accompanying video.
The video features about 50 public art installations, a small portion of the city’s collection.
“That’s just 50 of 800 pieces that we have in total throughout the city, whether it’s in a city building or whether in a park or built as a part of the building,” Jones said.
Jones said public art allows residents to learn about different parts of San Antonio while bringing communities together.
“You get to learn more about your city through public art because each piece is so unique to the particular neighborhood it’s installed in, and it helps build community because it brings people together,” she said.
Artists selected for public art projects work with neighborhood residents to incorporate local history and community experiences into their designs.
The city’s Department of Arts and Culture also maintains a public art map that allows users to locate installations by search terms, ZIP code or neighborhood.
Jones encouraged residents to use the map to discover artworks throughout San Antonio.
“You can find the pieces by search terms. You can find them by ZIP code,” she said. “You can also pull up a map function, find your neighborhood, and see all of the locations where there is public art.”
Unlike museum exhibits, the city’s public art installations remain accessible around the clock without an admission fee.