By: Daniela Cervantes and Camryn Blackmon
If Walls Could Talk is a digital exploration of community murals in San Antonio that reflect Latin American cultural identity, heritage, and history. San Antonio is home to artists and art pieces that make up the changing city’s culture and population and reflect defining moments and movements of the past.
Why Murals?
Have you ever looked at a painting in a museum and wondered what the painting was saying? Because we wondered the same thing as self proclaimed art enthusiasts. And I am sure many of our fellow enthusiast feel the same exact way. Thankfully, there are art historians who study the history behind famous paintings such as the political and social climate of the years in which the painting was both conceived and completed. Because the truth is art is so much more than what meets the eye. Historic background and cultural context act as variables for what a work of art represents.
However, what about the art that isn’t found in museums? Can these methods also be applied to works of art displayed outside of a museum for the everyday individual and not necessarily specifically for the art enthusiast? Yes! And that’s where we thought about picking up the gaps in San Antonio. Murals can tell a lot about a city and we wanted to know what San Antonio murals said about their own city.
The way that we look at art is subjective but there is no denying that art is shaped by the artists’ life experiences. We chose to specifically look at LatinX murals because we believe that San Antonio is home to a beautiful LatinX community and we thought it was important to showcase that here. Each mural can tell a message and has meaning beyond the artists intent, some murals remain the homes of businesses, clinics, and homes while others become places of protests, prayer, and blessing.
Start Your Tour Here
Join us on our journey! To start the tour first learn about the brief history of the Chicano movement to better understand the connection between social justice and LatinX art. Then follow along the tour stops to a few iconic murals residing in the Westside by learning from the San Anto Cultural artists and the significance of its location and themes. Lastly, we have our discussion page to debrief the mural tour and reflect.
Recognition and Gratitude
In this project, we discuss the work of artists local to San Antonio. We are grateful for their work and respect their concepts and designs that have transformed neighborhoods and buildings into galleries.
We want to thank San Anto Cultural Arts for allowing us to use their images and information from their website. If you want to learn more about San Anto you can learn more about their youth programs and upcoming murals on their website and social media!
