River Artes District Studio Tour

From the organizers:

“The River Artes District will host the first-ever River Artes District Studio Tour featuring local artisans and small businesses showcasing their works and services from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24 along the Mission Reach between Roosevelt Park and Fair Avenue near the Missions.

During the event, visitors can stop by more than a dozen studios and creative spaces, meet the artists, and buy works directly from them, along with enjoying a bite or two from nearby eateries. Artisans will also be set up under the Roosevelt Bridge throughout the day.

“There are a lot of artists and artisans in the district that people don’t know about, so the studio tour will help bring economic exposure to all the wonderful artisans, shops, and establishments operating along Roosevelt Avenue,” Gabby Gast, event co-organizer, said.

A highlight of the admission-free event is The River Thread, a symbolic ribbon project connecting all the stops across the district. Each location will offer a different colored ribbon, about 18 inches long, for visitors to collect. The more places they visit, the longer their thread grows, Ruth Bushman, event co-organizer, explained.

“Each visitor is weaving their own path through the district,” Bushman said. “Stop by stop, ribbon by ribbon, their story comes together. Then at 1 p.m., we gather under the Roosevelt Bridge for Puente Vivo, a celebration where everyone weaves their ribbon threads into one
shared piece. It’s a way to see and feel how connected this community really is.”

The River Artes District Studio Tour is in conjunction with the City of San Antonio’s RevitalizeSA: Corridor Leadership Program, which Bushman and Gast recently completed. The intensive, nine-month program focuses on revitalization and growth of local commercial corridors by cultivating community leaders through a series of leadership and strategy courses, according to the RevitalizeSA website.

Participating artists and artisans of the studio tour include: