San Antonio’s art scene is both vibrant and accessible, unfolding in galleries, on street corners, and across neighborhood festivals. For decades, First Friday and Second Saturday have drawn residents into studios and galleries in Southtown and downtown, and have been the standard Date Night for me and my husband for many years. My favorite part of these events is that the artist is probably in the room with you, even if they are opening a show in a gallery in Manhattan next month. They are always willing to tell you about their work, which adds a layer of understanding and appreciation to their process or message.
The City of San Antonio promotes the arts by awarding grants to artists, funding public art pieces, and maintaining a database of artists on their website. Director Krystal Jones has done a fantastic job of nurturing new artists like Kaldric Dow while also elevating the work of well-established artists such as Luis Lopez, Joe Villarreal, and Joe Lopez in public art projects all over town. The Department of Arts and Culture also operates two free galleries, Culture Commons and Centro de Artes, which showcase both local and international voices.
Beyond city initiatives, Andi Rodriguez directs the Art Everywhere Project at Centro San Antonio. Under her leadership, the organization has installed over 175 pieces of artwork in the downtown area in just a few short years. By working directly with artists and businesses, the program transforms walls and overlooked corners into striking expressions of culture. The results have reshaped the look and feel of downtown, signaling art’s role not just as decoration but as civic transformation.
The San Antonio Street Art Initiative is another agency that has had a profound impact on San Antonio. Back in 2018, artists Burgundy Woods and Shek Vega, decided to form the Largest Outdoor Gallery in Texas. SASAI began with murals on highway pillars at St. Mary’s and Quincy and has since expanded in phases across the city. Their large-scale projects are paired with public celebrations, turning art into community events. Today, Vega and his partner Burgundy Woods run the Brick by Brick program of SASAI, which nurtures young artists by teaching them to take their art to the next level with professional training in how to run a business and market themselves in the art world. They just launched Third Friday artwalks in their D.R.E.A.M. Mural District along Chestnut Avenue, and their website documents the 100+ murals they have helped to install in 7 years.
Of course, you can’t write an article about the San Antonio art scene without mentioning Say Si, the nationally-recognized brilliant after-school arts education program that has nurtured generations of artists since 1994. It was started by Jon Hinojosa in 1994 and currently occupies a building on Brazos Street. Their Muertitos fest in October is not to be missed.
Living in San Antonio, we can go to the wonderful McNay Art Museum and see Picassos (for free on Thursday nights) or to the amazing San Antonio Museum of Art (free on Tuesdays and Sunday mornings for Bexar County Residents) and see ancient works of priceless art. The Briscoe, The Witte, and galleries all over our city have fantastic exhibits. But the real beauty of the art scene is that it exists at so many different levels, and is accessible to everyone.
Here in San Antonio, we have artists with Masters degrees in Fine Arts from prestigious art schools. But there is also room for self-taught artists like me who take pictures with their phones. Even small potatoes can be on the menu. Supporting these efforts by attending openings, following city programs like @GetCreativeSA, or simply noticing the murals and installations that surround us is one of the most direct ways to strengthen community.
To learn more about the photography work of Mitzi Moore, visit www.sanantoniospots.com, send an email to mitzi@sanantoniospots.com, or follow @SanAntonioSpots on TikTok.