San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Guide to art pieces that soar
Works by noted artists dot the airport; here’s where to find their flights of fancy
Whenever any expanse of empty space opens up at the San Antonio International Airport — blank walls, vacated kiosks — Matt Evans tries to lay claim as soon as possible.
“That’s my guerrilla art placement style,” said Evans, the airport’s arts and culture manager. He pointed to a newsstand near baggage claim that will be shuttered soon. He plans to convert it into a small gallery until a new concession takes it over.
Artwork was not in the original plans for the airport when it opened, so placing work there is catch as catch can. Evans has gotten good at making that work, as travelers who are able to tear their attention away from their phones can attest.
Those who are returning to air travel after a long break because of the pandemic will find a restored multimedia piece in the long-term parking garage, as well as several short-term exhibitions scattered all over the place.
Some might also notice that one work that had been on display since 2016 — Gabriel Dawe’s “Plexus c18,” an expansive piece that wove together colored thread — is gone. It was on loan, and when the three-year term expired, the airport couldn’t keep it, Evans said.
“I was sad to see that go,” he said.
There is plenty of other art to see. Alas, there is no app or pamphlet to help folks find it all, so consider this your guide:
Entrance
“Star of Texas”: The bright red steel sculpture by Sebastian, the Mexican artist who also created the iconic “Torch of Friendship” downtown, greets visitors who drive into the airport via the Airport Boulevard entrance on the south side. It was installed in April where a fountain once stood.
Long-term parking
“Passing Light”: Evans spent much of the pandemic working to restore Christopher Janney’s massive 2001 sound and light installation. The piece, which includes
240 multicolored solar panels in the garage’s canopy, was damaged in a storm before Evans was hired four years ago, so it’s been a long time since travelers have experienced it as the artist intended. Evans was able to replace the panels, and he also has worked to make sure the 32 bollards that provide a sound element are properly tuned.
The panels cast colored shadows that shift with the sunlight, meaning that those who fly out in the afternoon get the best view of the work.
“If you’ve never been here during the later afternoon hours, you’ve never seen it,” Evans said.
Once a year, on the summer solstice, the shadows align with a grid on the first floor. The sounds from the bollards get more complex as the solstice approaches. Save-the-date note: Choreographer and dancer Catherine Cisneros performs a site-specific piece there every year on the solstice.
“Nostalgia, Texas”: Gary Sweeney created the puckish, oversize postcards that can be found jutting from the long-term parking garage. One features a red car and reads “Summer in San Antonio / Black vinyl car seats? Not a good idea!” Another features a skier and calls the city a “Winter Wonderland.”
Elevator bays: The San Antonio Street Art initiative created murals that can be found on the doors of the elevators. The same images are found on both bays: Los Otros’ stylized depiction of the city’s skyline behind a woman whose face and hair are framed by the Alamo is on the first floor; Eva Marengo Sanchez’s enormous yellow concha, evoking a very tasty sunrise, is on the second floor; Matt Tumlinson’s mural depicting the quatrefoils found in a lot of the city’s architecture is on the third; Ana Hernández’s playful image of cows borne aloft by cactus wings with Spurs brands seared into their flesh is on the fourth; and Scotch’s image of a flying bouquet is on the fifth.
Plans are afoot to update the elevators, Evans said. Once that’s completed, the button pads will include images of the murals on each floor, enhancing the way to find the artworks.
“Day Star Archway”: Bill FitzGibbons’ installation, which is made of two jet wings lined with
multicolored LEDs, was installed in 1999 at what was then the entrance to the garage. As the garage has been renovated over time, it now is at the back, and many folks who park there don’t see it. (To get a look in person, walk through the first floor away from the elevators; it’s just outside.) Evans is laying the groundwork to restore and possibly move the piece in 2023 to a more visible spot.
Short-term parking
“A Can for All Seasons”:
Alejandro Diaz created the piece, four oversize reproductions of a few canned staples in Mexican kitchens: Jumex tomatoes, La Moreno jalapeños, Herdez corn and Morelia chocolate. The cans are filled with native plants, a nod to a practice in many homes of repurposing cans as planters once their contents have been cooked and served. The installation can be found just past the elevators on Level 0 closest to the ramp leading inside the airport.
Sebastian: A handful of Sebastian’s small geometric sculptures
can be found just through the doors leading into the airport on Level 0.
Level 0 corridor
“Mission to Mars”: The 16 images lining the lengthy hallway are the winners of an art contest for students from pre-K through 12th grade run by the Dee Howard Foundation and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Terminal A
“San Antonio Perspectives from the Sky”: As folks flying out of the terminal wind their way through the security line, those closest to the walls have the best vantage for seven photographs taken via drone by San Antonian Gabe Zeckua. The images provide a unique perspective of such landmarks as San Fernando Cathedral and the Alamodome. A larger exhibit featuring 14 additional images will open after the first of the year in the Level 0 gallery.
“The MLK March”: This exhibit of photographs by Allee Wallace captures images from
several years of the annual event. It can be found in the waiting area on the upper level.
Terminal B
“Suitcase Wheel”: This Art Guys piece, which is in the waiting area near the security checkpoint, is exactly what the title says: It’s a gigantic wheel — 16 feet in diameter — made of 75 pieces of vintage Samsonite luggage from the 1950s and 1960s.
“From War to Words: A Visual Voices Portrait Series by Jason Myers”: The walls right before folks come through security currently hold a small exhibit by Nashville-based photographer Myers. He took portraits of participants in CreatiVets, a national nonprofit that uses the arts to help wounded warriors deal with trauma. The exhibit spotlights the organization’s songwriting program and includes photos of the veterans as well as their lyrics and QR codes that allow users to hear the featured songs. Additional images can be found in Terminal A just past the security checkpoint. The exhibits will be up through the end of March.
“Lumen”: The large, bright yellow coil by Ann Gardner features thousands of hand-cut pieces of glass. It can be found above the staircase on the east side of the ticketing area.
Baggage claim
Giovanna DiZurita exhibit: Five large-scale paintings by the San Antonio artist can be found on the walls of baggage claim in Terminal B. The works include images that depict the city skyline, and one of a female pilot hangs over the military information desk.
“Essential Expressions”:
This small exhibit features multimedia works by airport employees and their family members. It can be found in baggage claim in Terminal A.
“Suitcase Portraits”: Lightboxes bearing a suite of images by the late Chuck Ramirez depicting open packed suitcases can be found just outside baggage claim. The works were recently restored, with the incandescent bulbs replaced by LEDs and the UV coating enhanced to protect the images.
Rental car facility
“Adelante! San Antonio!”: Dos Mestizx, the artistic duo of Michael Menchaca and Suzy Gonzále, created the murals outside and inside the rental car wing. The skybridge leading to it is flanked by a pair of murals depicting a bird/plane hybrid, one work meant to capture traveling by day and the other by night. Once inside, visitors will first encounter “Ventana Rosada,” a small piece including roses and propellers that references aviation and mission iconography. In addition, a 240-foot mural can be seen above the counters. It spotlights some of the city’s history, including its role in the development of military aviation, as well as its culture. There also are welcoming messages.