Ground Breaking on my First Public Art Project!

On Friday, the 14th, I attended a ground breaking ceremony for a bridge project on Mulberry and Ave. B (for those in San Antonio, that is the Bridge that goes over the Catalpa-Pershing ditch that starts near Ft. Sam, borders Brackenridge Park, and eventually ends up in the San Antonio River. It is on Mulberry between Lion's Field and Kiddie-land Park).

 Below are drawings of the bridge and a close up of the panels. Cast recesses will be created into which I will set and grout my ceramic murals.

Two years ago I was awarded a $30,000 commission to add artwork to the bridge. During the design process, the award was expanded to $50,000 and I now have two near-identical bridges to create public art for! The first one is on Mulberry, and will depict the lifecycle of the Gulf Coast Toad (the most common urban toad in Texas.) An amphibian was chosen because they are the "canaries in the mine" when it comes to the health of our waterways. The elongated quatrefoil shape refers to the windows of the Joskie Pavillion, located in the heart of Brackenridge Park.

The second bridge will be an art deco design which refers back to the 1920's when Brackenridge golf course was first created out of the then wilderness. It is the first public golf course in Texas, and created by one of golf's pioneering architects: A.W. Tillinghast. The shape of the ceramics refers to the eves on the clubhouse (Old 'Brack). And the vertical panels will contain a bas relief carving of the weather vane on top of the clubhouse.

It is an honor to add to the city's rich visual history. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on the progress!

Diana