T H E W I D E W O R L D O F C R A F T
“Unlike many newer large cities, San Antonio
has preserved m any o f its older buildings and
capitalizes on its cultural heritage. ”
— Ovidio Giberga
T o p : A t San A ng el F olk
A r t w e d d in g fig u rin es
b y Z e z in h a , a b ird by
P e te r G riev e, figures by
th e A g u ila r sisters an d
a m e rm aid b y S h an e
C am pbell relay th e sp irit
o f folk tra d itio n s.
A b o v e :
L a n d f o r m s
by
L u cia L a V illa-H av elin s.
T h e fiber a rtis t fell in
lo v e w ith S an A n to n io
a fte r m oving th e re from
b ack e a st. “ I to ld m y
frie n d s 1 h ad d ie d an d
g o n e to fiber heav en !”
m a jo r h a p p e n in g s in t h e a r t s c e n e t h e p a s t
f e w d e c a d e s , o n e o f t h e fir s t b e in g t h e d e -
v e l o p m e n t o f t h e B lu e S t a r A r t s C o m p l e x
in t h e m id -1 9 8 0 s . T h i s f o r m e r w a r e h o u s e
is h o m e to a f e w d o z e n g a lle r ie s , r e t a il s p a c e s
a n d s t u d io s , in c lu d in g S a n A n g e l F o lk A r t ,
J o a n G r o n a G a lle r y , a n d B lu e S t a r C o n t e m -
p o r a r y A r t C e n t e r , w h ic h a ls o o f f e r s y o u t h
e d u c a t io n s u c h a s t h e M o s a ic A r t p r o g r a m
r u n b y lo c a l a r t is t A l e x R u b io .
C o n t in u in g t h is m o v e m e n t w a s t h e
fo u n d in g , in 1 9 9 5 , o f A r t p a c e a c o n t e m p o -
r a r y a r t in s t it u t io n s t a r t e d b y L i n d a P a c e ,
a c o ll e c t o r a n d b u s in e s s w o m a n , in a n e f f o r t
t o e d u c a t e t h e p u b lic o n c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t
a n d t h e a r t is t ic p r o c e s s , a n d p r o v id e o p p o r -
t u n it ie s f o r a r t is t s . W i d e l y r e c o g n iz e d fo r
its in te r n a tio n a l a r tis t-in - r e s id e n c e p r o g r a m ,
i t h a s b e c o m e a c o r n e r s t o n e o f t h e S a n A n -
t o n io a r t s c e n e .
A n d y B e n a v i d e s , a n a r t i s t , d e s ig n e r ,
g a lle r y o w n e r a n d a r t s a d v o c a t e , c a n a ls o
b e c r e d it e d w it h s o m e o f th e r e c e n t a d v a n c e -
m e n ts . H e p io n e e r e d th e F ir s t F r id a y s a n d
S e c o n d S a t u r d a y s a r t w a l k s in S o u t h t o w n ,
S a n A n t o n io ’ s a r t d is t r ic t . H e is a ls o fo u n d e r
a n d p r e s id e n t o f
S .M .A .R .T .
( S u p p o r t in g
M u ltip le A r t s R e s o u r c e s T o g e t h e r ) , a f o u n -
d a tio n d e d ic a t e d t o r a is in g a w a r e n e s s o f th e
a r t s t h r o u g h y o u t h e d u c a t io n p r o g r a m s ,
c o n t e s t s a n d t h e
S .M .A .R .T .
F a ir , w h ic h p r o -
v id e s a d a y o f f r e e w o r k s h o p s . B e n a v id e s
is p a s s io n a t e a b o u t p r o m o t in g a r t in S a n
A n t o n i o . H e g r e w u p in t h e c i t y b u t l e f t
t e m p o r a r ily f o r s c h o o l a n d w o r k . U p o n h is
r e tu r n h e b e g a n to e x p lo r e th e c i t y ’s m a n y
p o s s ib ilit ie s . “A f t e r e x p e r ie n c in g th is p o o l
o f c r e a t iv e o p p o r t u n it ie s , I w a n t e d t o s h a r e
S a n A n t o n i o ’ s c r e a t iv e p o t e n t ia l w i t h th e
y o u t h in t h e c i t y , ” B e n a v id e s s a y s .
N o w t h e r e is e v e n m o r e o f a n o p p o r t u -
n i t y t o e x p e r ie n c e th is p u ls e o f c r e a t i v i t y
w it h L u m in a r ia , a n a n n u a l a r ts f e s t iv a l th a t
b e g a n in 2 0 0 8 . F o r t h is c e le b r a t io n o f a r t ,
m u s ic , d a n c e , lit e r a t u r e a n d t h e a te r , t h e c i t y
c lo s e s o f f t h e s t r e e t s d o w n t o w n a n d r e s i -
d e n ts a n d to u r is t s a lik e p o u r in . E v e n o n th is
y e a r ’s M a r c h n ig h t , w h e n t h e t e m p e r a t u r e >
068
american craft ju n /ju lo
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