20 Public Art Pieces to Visit in San Antonio

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence, this spectacular, 32-foot tall sculpture in Sullivan Park faces San Antonio’s downtown skyline.

Facebook/Public Art San Antonio

This 28 ft. tall aluminum sculpture lights up at night similar to a luminaria, serving as a beacon at the intersection of Blanco Road and Fulton Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Facebook/Public Art San Antonio

The Hays Street Bridge is famous for its great views of the city, but details like the silhouettes of trains along the railings are often overlooked. Paying homage to the trains that used to run under the bridge, Trains is a unique piece of art in a cool place.

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On the back of the SPACE gallery is a massive mural-sized text painting by Daniel Joseph Martinez, a meditation on beauty. The piece is viewable at all hours of day.

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This spectacular mural features a 3D votive candle (veladora) with an eternal flame facing Guadalupe Street. Intended to serve as a beacon for the neighborhood, this mixed media mural is truly magnificent.

Yelp/Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Bridges seem to be the perfect place for art in San Antonio and the Millrace Bridge is not an exception. Twenty-four ceramic panels are integrated into the sides of the bridge featuring historical images specific to the park itself.

Facebook/Kersey Ceramics

This steel sculpture adorns the Brooklyn Avenue Bridge downtown and is highlighted with vibrant aqua metal sheets to evoke the feeling of water rippling.

Flickr/kenerfurth

Woodlawn Lake Park features one of the most interesting pieces of public art in the form of a huge blue-green aluminum structure at the corner of Cincinnatti Avenue and Josephine Tobin Drive. Reflecting the movement of people, this piece serves as a gateway between communities.

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These incredible steel hangings catch the eyes of all who pass by this piece along the Riverwalk. Colored steel wire shifts and morphs with color as visitors walk by.

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Directly adjacent to Main Plaza, Adam is a 3,500-square foot public artwork sponsored by the Linda Pace Foundation. The red color is supposed to inspire dynamism and human movement, and the piece will be on display until the end of the year.

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Certainly the most iconic piece of art San Antonio has to offer, La Antorcha de la Amistad (The Torch of Friendship) was commissioned as a gift, a token of goodwill between the Mexican government and the City of San Antonio.

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Located at the city’s new Public Works headquarters, this massively interesting piece of art honors the service men and women who protect city. An 18,000-sqft. mosaic map of San Antonio is illuminated at night and features two 16 ft steel silhouettes of an officer and a fireman.

Instagram/keith_diarmit

Whispers was imagined as a portal between Mission San Juan and the River, placed along the walking path and created with colors that reference local wildflowers.

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Located at a bend in the San Antonio River between the Camden and Newell Street Bridges, this three-story sculpture is one of the most popular public art projects on the Riverwalk’s Museum Reach.

Flickr/Jennifer Roberts

Commissioned in celebration of the San Antonio Public Library's Centennial 13 years ago, this monumental tower of blown glass towers over the open atrium of the Central Library on the second floor, complementing the building's bold colors and sharp geometry.

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You've probably seen it plastered all over your Instagram feed, but it's so worth seeing in real life. Four days a week at multiple times nightly, San Fernando Cathedral is lit up with a 24-minute laser light show that's truly spectacular.

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Right beside the brand spankin' new Urban Ecology Center in Phil Hardberger Park West is a cluster of three irrigator wheels clad in reflective hardware. The UFO-like installations sit among the restored savanna grasses, sparkling in the light and recalling the natural effect of a wildfire.

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In the middle of San Antonio's newest Pearsall Park in southwest San Antonio, Wickiup Overlook is an embellished shade structure complete with seating that also doubles as an art installation.

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Viewable both form the road and up-close and personal from the grass, Victoria is a stainless steel sculpture of a head on permanent diaplay on the grounds of the McNay Art Museum.

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Outside of the Linda Pace Foundation gallery is Chris Park, a small oasis of foliage and art. Scattered throughout the outdoor space are five pieces by Teresita Hernández, including her Journal Benches (pictured), a fountain and more.

Instagram/lindapacefoundation