Public Art Goes Missing in San Antonio

Tonight is the opening of the second annual X Marks the Art exhibition in downtown San Antonio. An initiative of Public Art San Antonio (PASA), the city’s public art program, X Marks the Art involves giving over vacant storefronts downtown to local artists. This year features recent Texas State University art graduates Julio Barrientos, Kate Garner, Darby Hillman, Hope Mora, Kameron Richie, and John Tennison.

As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, some of Barrientos’ artworks have been stolen in advance of tonight’s opening. About 10 of his 15 wooden bird cutouts that were attached to grates on the old Solo Serve building had disappeared after they had been up only a few days.

“I guess it’s just ironic, I was trying to create a connection between man and nature and they just proved my point,” Barrientos said. “Humans are constantly disrupting animals and their environment.” Barrientos is making new birds in time for tonight’s opening reception.