LOVE LETTERS TO PLACES THAT FEEL LIKE HOME
Local artists immortalize puro San Antonio landmarks
The Randy’s Ballroom sign on Bandera Road has always reminded Ray Scarborough of home.
So last year the San Antonio artist, who goes by the name Tattooed Boy, whipped up a limited 50-print run of the more than 50year-old marquee in all its kitschy, star-studded glory, its billboard listing famous acts such as the Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and the Beastie Boys, who all once played there. The print sold out in three hours. “It’s just my love letter,” said
Scarborough, who grew up five minutes away from the long-standing ballroom and bingo hall. “I think that any artist that does a location, it’s kind of their love letter to San Antonio.”
It takes an artist like Scarborough to spotlight beloved San Antonio haunts beyond the Alamo and other tourist standbys.
And while you may not be able to grab a copy of his Randy’s print, you still can enjoy plenty of other puro San Antonio hot spots by plastering your wall with works from other artists.
Here’s a roundup of artists whose renditions of Alamo City sites and businesses look and feel like home.
Gilbert ‘For Real’ Martinez
“I think San Antonio, as a whole, we like our local things that we know about,” said Gilbert “For Real” Martinez, who was born and raised in the 210 area code. “They become like these staples within our community. It’s like knowing a band before everyone knows them.”
Martinez highlights two S.A. staples: Burger Boy and Jefferson Bodega.
His “Cruisin’ ” spotlights his stepdaughter in front of San Antonio’s original Burger Boy location on North St. Mary’s Street, where they grabbed a bite after skateboarding.
As for “Jefferson Bodega,” Martinez drew up a four-color silkscreen print of the Donaldson Avenue convenience store about a year after moving to the Jefferson High School area.
“I formed a relationship with the people who own it,” Martinez said of his Jefferson Bodega print. “Burger Boy reached out to me, too, and they were really grateful too that I did the piece.”
Prints of “Cruisin’ ” ($20) and “Jefferson Bodega” ($40) are available from forreal.bigcartel.com.
Barbacoapparel
Barbacoapparel’s vinyl stickers show that the made-in-s.a. T-shirt company knows local flavor well beyond its popular “Bean & Cheese” taco tees.
Barbacoapparel’s “Woodlawn Lake” design honors the West Side landmark with Wessie, the so-called Woodlawn Lake Monster, wrapping its tentacles around the lake’s iconic lighthouse. Then there’s the Malt House logo sticker, an homage to the gone but not forgotten West Side restaurant famous for its crispy dogs and comfort food.
Barbacoapparel also appreciates the turf outside the West Side with puntastic stickers of wellknown San Antonio street signs. Examples include “Balchones Height” for Balcones Heights and “Nalgalitos” for Nogalitos.
Stickers $2 each at barbacoapparel.com.
Veronica Ramirez Miller Like Scarborough and
Martinez, Veronica Ramirez Miller shows appreciation for the haunts of her hometown in her contemporary folk art paintings.
“Each of these pieces are attached to a memory I have of growing up in San Antonio,” she said via email.
“Childhood Memories” celebrates the original Kiddie Park on Broadway, where Miller and her brother shared a birthday as kids in matching dinosaur shirts.
“Catchin’ a Flick at Mission” recalls Miller’s middle school days, when she and her family piled in the car to hit the Mission Drive-in Theater, which screened films outdoors on the South Side for more than 50 years.
As for “Comfort Cookin,’ ” the homage to Tip Top Cafe recalls Miller’s trek across town with her family to enjoy the historic diner’s signature chickenfried steak and onion rings.
Prints $14.99-$39.99 at shop.vrmiller.com.
Sort of Cool
Carl and Betsy Crum, the husband-and-wife team
behind Sort of Cool, bill themselves as artists and filmmakers who strive to show what places truly define a city.
For San Antonio, the Fort Worth couple drove all over town to photograph some of its most iconic signage, then made minimalist prints of those marquees. Sites include Chris Madrid’s, Cool Crest, Earl Abel’s, Randy’s and Pioneer Flour Mill.
Prints are $38-$298 at sortofcool.com.