By Edmond Ortiz
The city of San Antonio recently dedicated a local artist’s sculpture, which is designed to celebrate the connections between generations and cultures that have helped to shape the South Side.
What is happening
The city’s arts and culture department World Heritage office held a Nov. 14 event to unveil Ashley Perez’s display, “Kindred,” near the intersection of Huff Avenue and Mission Road.
“Kindred” features two outstretched hands joined by rippling water — a symbol of unity across time and culture, according to a press release.
City officials said the design is inspired by the hands of Mission San José descendant Vincent Huizar, who recently died, and pays tribute to the people and the heritage that make up south San Antonio.
Perez’s art work sits in an area where the city and local neighborhood leaders have spent years collaborating to preserve the community and its history, which includes Mission San Jose, Mission County Park, Padre Park, Mission Marquee Plaza, the Hot Wells hotel ruins, and the San Antonio River and surrounding trailways.
Mission San Jose is part of the network of Spanish colonial missions that are now protected by UNESCO’s World Heritage designation.
According to the release, Perez and the project team worked with organizations as Mission San José Neighborhood Association, Mission Descendants, National Parks Service and others to make sure the art installation authentically represents the evolution of the community.
“‘Kindred’ is a powerful reflection of the connections that bind our community together,” San Antonio District 3 City Councilmember Phyllis Viagran said in a statement. “It honors the people, families, and traditions that continue to shape the history and spirit of District 3, the South Side, and the World Heritage trail.”
Also of note
City officials said the unveiling of ‘Kindred’ is part of an ongoing effort to enhance the World Heritage trail through public art. They added that ‘Kindred’ helps to highlight San Antonio’s identity, creativity, and relationship to place.
According to the release, Perez developed the ‘Kindred’ sculpture by leaning on cultural and natural symbols that demonstrate San Antonio’s heritage, including a Native American medicine wheel intertwisted with a radial family tree, and images of mesquite pods, corn, and wheat, all of which represent the area’s agricultural roots.
“We are honored to dedicate this work during Native American Heritage Month as a tribute to the city’s deep indigenous roots,” Krystal Jones, the city’s arts and culture director, said in a statement. “It also celebrates the vision of a talented local artist whose work reflects the identity of San Antonio.”
