Artpace, Fox Tech to Dedicate New Campus Mural

06.01.09

Media Contact: Celina Emery
t 210 212 4900 x323
f 210 212 4990
cemery@artpace.org
www.artpace.org

San Antonio, TX-Artpace San Antonio announces the unveiling of its tenth Semester Program public art project on the campus of Louis W. Fox Academic and Technical High School. In collaboration with San Antonio artist Adriana Garcia, Fox Tech senior art students created a 30' x 10' mural to commemorate their personal high school experiences and the impact of art in their lives. A public dedication ceremony is planned for Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 10:30am and will feature remarks by the Honorable Judge Daniel Guerrero, a recognized local artist and 2005 Semester Program mentoring collaborator, and the Honorable Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl, noted Fox Tech alum. Live performances by local Spanish-language musician Azúl and noted accordion soloist will also help to celebrate the dedication of the public artwork.

The completion of this mural marks a significant achievement more than six months in the making. Over the course of the spring semester, Adriana Garcia and the Fox Tech students conducted extensive research in preparation for the mural. Guided by their teacher Anel Flores, the students visited mural sites around the city and learned the use of the grid system, a common practice for creating large scale paintings. Following popular themes of commemoration and memorializing historic or prominent figures in mural artwork, the students researched Fox Tech alumni who had gone on to make a difference in San Antonio and other cities. The stories they uncovered shed light on both future possibilities for their own career paths and empowered them with the knowledge that they were part of a rich community of individuals who have made enduring contributions to society. Ultimately, in a moving tribute to their art teacher and the significance of art education in their school, the students selected a portrait of Anel Flores as the centerpiece of their mural. The students explained that their art teacher had been such a positive motivating force for them they wanted to honor her in a lasting way.

Artpace's Semester Program puts a local artist "in residence" in the classroom to mentor students and create a publicly-sited work for their campus. The program gives teens access to unique mentoring opportunities with professional artists-offering practical experience in their field of study, while encouraging creativity resulting in long-term aesthetic enhancements for the communal spaces on their campus. Since 2005, the program has engaged students from classes in a diverse range of subject areas from English and Technology to Law and Art, and has worked with recognized San Antonio artists Justin Boyd, Juan Miguel Ramos, Daniel Guerrero, Nate Cassie, Cathy Cunningham, David Jurist, Jason Jay Stevens, and Ethel Shipton, and Gary Sweeney. This mural is a part of a growing collection of collaborative works by students and local artists which are permanently installed on the Fox Tech campus as a result of Artpace's Semester Program.

The students' public art project will be dedicated on Thursday, June 4, 2009 from 10:30am-11:30am with a presentation and unveiling in the courtyard of Building C on the campus of Louis W. Fox Academic and Technical High School, 637 N. Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78205.

The public and media are welcome to attend. Please contact Celina Emery at 210.212.4900 or cemery@artpace.org to RSVP.

About the Program
The spring 2009 Semester Program was underwritten by Dan Parman and an anonymous donor with support from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art.

About Artpace
Artpace San Antonio serves as a laboratory for the creation and advancement of international contemporary art. Artpace believes that art is a dynamic social force that inspires individuals and defines cultures. Our residencies, exhibitions, and education programs nurture the creative expression of emerging and established artists, while actively engaging youth and adult audiences.

Artpace is located downtown at 445 North Main Avenue, between Savings and Martin streets, San Antonio, Texas. Free parking is available at 513 North Flores Street. Artpace is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 PM, and by appointment. Admission is free.

Artpace exhibitions are made possible by the Linda Pace Foundation; the City of San Antonio's Office of Cultural Affairs; National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.; Nimoy Foundation; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; and Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy; with additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

© 2009 Artpace San Antonio

445 North Main Avenue San Antonio TX 78205 t 210 212 4900 f 210 212 4990 www.artpace.org