Category: San Antonio Parks

‘Art Can Be Fun’ along the Mission Reach

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Thursday morning was the first time my walk up the Mission Reach to what I call the “crayola footbridge” was “legal.”  The San Antonio River Authority officially has opened the segment originating by Roosevelt Park to the impatient public; although the landscaping still resembles a moonscape and will until spring.  The hillside adjacent to the crenulated footbridge currently is planted with wooden stakes – a garden of “onesies.”

Two weeks ago, I bumped into Mike Addkison who is the project director for the San Antonio River Foundation’s riverside art installations, and he shared a rendering illustrating artist Mark Schelsinger’s vision for the footbridge when finished.

Mike also provided a more sophisticated rationale for the project than my 64-colors-in-a-box-encounters-dull-castle-walls-in-a-coloring-book theory:

The vibrant colors are a reference to both the cascaron (symbol of good luck) and to the natural world.  Although seemingly abstract, Mark’s piece is inspired by the amazing variety of strategies employed by flora and fauna to survive.  Plants and animals use bold color and, in rare instances, bio-luminescence to attract, repel, communicate and differentiate themselves in our natural world. 

By using vibrant color and luminescence for this footbridge, Mark imagines what a bridge might look like if it were alive and wanted and needed to draw people across it, for its very survival.  It’s that dynamic vibrancy during the day that hints at the uniqueness of the project at night.

The potential for evening interactivity is fantastic.  Each of the 8 glowing blocks becomes a ‘canvas’ for children and adults to paint and draw on with light.  The images last for a few minutes and then you have a clean slate to work on again.  As there will be no trail lighting in-channel, we think people will be carrying flashlights when they use the trail in the evenings and each of these lights can become a potential paint-brush for temporary creativity!

Update Added on December 19:  Express-News story about the soft opening of the new stretch of the Mission Reach

Update Added on June 26, 2011: Schlesinger seems to have rejected crayola footbridge as the title in favor of “UP on the ON.” But that still sounds like “Once upon a time….,” inspiring families to invent colorful stories centering around the crayola footbridge.

Tell ‘Long-Winded Jackanapes’ To Leave Bowie’s Street Alone

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James Bowie: You know, if you live five more years, you might just be a great man.
William Travis: I think I will probably have to settle for what I am now.

From 2004 Film The Alamo 

The pair did not make it five more years.  Among the things preserving their greatness, however, are the knife bearing Bowie’s name, the lore surrounding Travis’ line in the sand, Travis Park and a pair of streets in downtown San Antonio.

As it evidently is deemed acceptable to intermingle reel and real history when it comes to The Alamo, I do not hesitate to allow a movie director to put words in James Bowie’s mouth to help defend the street that bears his name in downtown San Antonio.  A block or so of it is under siege by some corporate types Bowie might have called “long-winded jackanapes.”

According to the San Antonio Express-News, some believe the Tower of the Americas, O’Neil Ford’s prominent erection on the city’s skyline, is so difficult for visitors to spot they need to see a street sign bearing its name.  The street getting picked on is Bowie’s namesake.

If a body is too blind to find the Tower of the Americas, how in the world would that person ever be able to spot a street sign?   Maybe the sign also could have an aural aide for the visually impaired.  Perhaps it could be equipped with a recording of a Chart House theme song playing over and over during the hours it is open.

Street names are an important part of a city’s history and should not be changed arbitrarily to suit the marketing strategy of a business located there.  Few things confuse drivers more than streets that change names mid-intersection, and downtown already has way too many of these.  Dolorosa/Commerce, Presa/Jefferson and Broadway/Losoya cause drivers to assume they have made wrong turns and to unpredictably slam on brakes at green lights.

Bowie did not manage to live five more years, but his fame draws more visitors to San Antonio than a restaurant on top of the Tower ever will.  We might not know where all his ashes lie buried, but let him at least retain the honor of having his street, short as it is, remain intact.

Convention Center Space ‘Growed Up’

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Things sure have changed since the last time I was here. It’s all growed up.

Woodrow Call riding into San Antonio in Lonesome Dove

Anyone who has ever tried to stage anything festive in a meeting room in a Convention Center knows the difficulty of creating atmosphere without spending major amounts to dramatically alter the decor.  On my morning walks, I have discovered that deep under the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center is a new space that is a party waiting to happen.  Planners need only stock the bar and pass the hors d’oeuvres. 

While I concede the room’s Lonesome Dove theme is a bit hokey for a spot in new construction overlooking the manmade water feature linking the Convention Center Lagoon to HemisFair Park, it is so refreshing to see something that doesn’t scream “you are about to be imprisoned in a stark meeting room for several miserable hours.” 

There was no one to let me in for a closer look at 7 a.m., but the over-sized prints on the wall appeared to be copies of Bill Wittliff’s photos from the film.  Cowhide rugs are scattered on the carpeting, overstuffed chairs beckon people to sit a spell and horn chairs are scattered throughout  (Don’t think this photo from the city’s website actually does it justice.  Maybe it was taken before all the furniture arrived and artwork hung.).  As far as Convention Center space goes, this place actually looks downright hospitable.

Currently, the river level of the adjacent Lila Cockrell Theatre is masked for a fashion makeover.  The pleasant surprise of Lonesome Dove makes me eager to see just what is going on under Miz Lila’s skirt as well. 

Update on November 11:  The Lila Cockrell Theater redo complete.