San Antonio’s Brackenridge Park Conservancy is putting the spotlight on public art with a new online map that tells the story of the beloved destination’s nearly 20 sculptures, statues, and trailhead markers.
The interactive map is a part of the conservatory’s newly revamped website. Each listing gives a history of the installations — many crafted decades ago — along with other interesting facts like the artist’s inspiration.
Brackenridge Park, containing 400 acres of land, is one of the largest public parks in San Antonio. It sits north of downtown, along the headwaters of the San Antonio River, and features several trails, covered pavilions, sports fields, a mini-train track, Witte Museum, Japanese Tea Garden, Sunken Garden Theater, and the San Antonio Zoo.
Anne Wallace’s Glorieta was crafted from slices of a nearby pecan treeBrackenridgePark.org
But according to the conservancy, a nonprofit that raises funds to help preserve and enhance the park, many residents and out-of-towners tend to overlook the wealth of public art while hiking through the park.
“Tucked throughout the park are cultural treasures and architectural marvels that many San Antonians have yet to discover,” said the conservancy in a release. “From striking public art installations to historic landmarks dating back more than a century, Brackenridge Park is home to some of the city’s most scenic and storied locations.”
Among the most famous pieces are Mexican-born artist Dionicio Rodríguez’s faux bois (French for “false wood”) sculptures. Brackenridge Park is filled with the whimsical treasures, such as a “hollow treehouse,” a rustic pedestrian bridge, and a palapa table with benches that resembles the thatched roof, open-ended structures often found at Mexican beach resorts.
Dionicio Rodríguez’s faux bois structures are among Brackenridge Park’s many sculptures.BrackenridgePark.org
Other attractions include Louis Rodriguez’s 8-foot Italian marble lion at Lion’s Field, the The Genius of Music sculpture by Italian-born artist Pompeo Coppini, and a metal screen by local artist Cakky Brawley that reflects the flow of the San Antonio River.
Art lovers interested in a weekend art stroll can find the map on the conservatory’s website, which also provides a guide to the park’s historical sites from the Donkey Barn to another artistic gem, the Miraflores sculpture garden.