Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –

Freeway underpasses are not exactly attractive places but thanks to the World Heritage Mural Trail project, at least some of those spaces are getting beautified. More than 80 murals created by San Antonio artists Oscar Alvarado and David Blancas now adorn the supporting columns of US 90 underpasses, specifically at Roosevelt Ave., Mission Rd., Steve’s Ave., and S. Presa St. Called “Windows to Our Heritage” these artworks are not just pretty pictures. They depict specific aspects of the history of the area which encompasses the treasured San Antonio missions. The five missions, including the Alamo, were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2015.

Before launching the project, the city’s World Heritage Office in collaboration with the San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, conducted a series of public meetings to get input from the surrounding community. “Because the idea was not only to beautify the underpasses but also to tell the stories of the neighborhood,” said Colleen Swain, the World Heritage Office director. “At the very first public meeting, the people told us where the artwork should be placed and they told us what the inspiration for the art should be.”

Subsequently, the two artists enlisted the help of URBAN-15 co-founder George Cisneros and went to work researching and collecting photos and stories of life along the mission trail, starting with the indigenous Indian tribes such as the Payaya. The finished murals depict a wide range of subjects, which in addition to Native Americans, also focus on the Spanish period and the Catholic missions themselves as well as important development from more recent history. Among the latter, you’ll find a mural of Sidney Brooks who gave his name to the Brooks AFB, and murals depicting Theodore Roosevelt on a horse, the pioneering woman aviator Katherine Stinson, and labor organizer Emma Tenayuca. The San Antonio River is there, too, of course, native trees, street names, important buildings and more. Each of the four locations features a different color palette.

Next time you have out-of-town guests, you may want to include this unique outdoor art gallery in your sightseeing. The column paintings/mosaics are placed into historical context with short informative captions written by Elda Silva.