Orange, teal and pink streamers with confetti broke up the gloomy skies downtown on April 19 as local artists congregated at the UT San Antonio Southwest campus to display their works at the annual Fiesta Art Fair.
Walking through puddles into the fair, visitors were welcomed by a wide array of paintings, ceramics, photography and more set against the backdrop of the limestone UT San Antonio School of Art.
Christine Sisco is a woodworker with a distinct style of embedding turquoise and other beautiful rocks into furniture. She stated, “I love the fair and the way it brings all these talented, beautiful people together.” She has enjoyed the arts fair for the last 40 years.
The fair was also surrounded by the aromas of tantalizing snacks for any taste; juicy chicken on a stick, cheesy street corn and refreshing mango lemonade were all fan favorites, with crowds lined up for each despite the relatively meager attendance.
Painter Mitch Oviatt remarked that this was his second art show displaying his pieces, and he was excited to have the opportunity to progress as an artist and learn from the community.
“Yeah, I’ve had more free time lately with my real job, so I use art to really make sense of the world around me and hopefully bring people together,” Oviatt reflected.
Oviatt’s layered paintings depicted nature and wildlife in the south in an impressionistic and “psychedelic” inspired style; he used specialized techniques to manipulate the way light bounces off his paintings to provide a more photorealistic result.
The relaxing frequencies of steel pans could be heard throughout the venue, originating from musician Johnathan Neumann’s booth.
“Ever since I was a kid I’ve been making music and my dad was a metalworker so I put two and two together and now I make these drums,” he explained.
Neumann repurposes old and trashed gas tanks, turning them into drums with a serene timbre.
At the end of the line, UT San Antonio art student Arnaldo Deane could be found. The young artist explained how the school helped him develop his signature style and evolve artistically.
“I’m grateful for this environment where I can learn from so many great artists and learn so much that I wouldn’t know a thing about otherwise,” he noted.
Deane’s paintings drew from Latin culture — specifically Puerto Rican culture — to create intricate images that reflect the world today.
Despite the clouds, the artists of this event made their passions shine. Each one of them had creative works that displayed a great sense of resilience and overcoming adversity. Whether it be Sisco’s furniture showing that imperfections can hold a being’s true beauty or Neumann’s drums displaying that the world’s beauty can come from the most unusual places, this art show, much like the city that hosts it, is all about resilience.
