Students, politicians, architects, and art patrons have turned an ordinary parking garage into a brand-new public art destination designed to capture the colorful spirit of San Antonio.
On May 11, students from the University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Architecture, Construction, and Planning joined City Councilman Roberto C. Treviño, the Center City Development & Operations Department, the American Institute of Architects San Antonio, and Centro San Antonio to unveil "El Baile de Lucia," a dynamic new sculpture located on the Houston Street Garage downtown.
Designed by UTSA students, "El Baile de Lucia" is inspired by a traditional Mexican folk dance called Jarabe Tapatio. "The art piece, inspired by the rhythmic movement of a ballet dress, is a representation of the city’s cultural blending," the city said in a release. "The traditional Mexican dresses are highly detailed with bright colors that represent native, regional flowers, enhancing the visual movement of the fabric."
The result is a whimsical, 3-D sculpture that turns an ordinary cement wall at 240 E. Houston St. into a must-see destination. (After all, isn't that what public art is about? Turning the mundane into the extraordinary?)
Part of CCDO's overarching plan to add vitality and color to this stretch of Houston Street, "El Baile de Lucia" is the third public art piece to be installed on the garage beginning in 2015. “We are proud to showcase their artwork downtown as public art adds to the vibrancy of our lives and make us a city in which people want to live and work,” said Trevino.
"El Baile de Lucia" is located at 240 E. Houston St.
