Art in the Open presents Living Quilt by Shelby Criswell

On view Oct 17 – Nov 2 · Confluence Park

A living quilt, made by hand and left to the elements.

On October 17, artist Shelby Criswell and a group of community makers built a quilt-like pattern entirely from organic material gathered at Confluence Park — nopal, native plants, and fiber, arranged the way a quilt is pieced. Criswell’s work spans illustration, graphic design, fiber art, and painting; here those traditions meet the ground itself.

The finished piece is on view outdoors along the pathway behind the Estela Avery Education Center through November 2. Come see it. Over these two weeks the quilt dries, shifts, and slowly comes apart — nature returning to nature. It won’t look the same twice.

Free and open during park hours. Presented by the San Antonio River Foundation.

About Art in the Open

Art in the Open is a public arts series presented by the San Antonio River Foundation that invites artists and the community to experience creativity in dialogue with the natural world. Through workshops, performances, and installations along the river, the series reflects the Foundation’s mission to preserve, enhance, and transform the San Antonio River Basin as a vibrant cultural, educational, ecological, and recreational experience. Guided by these four pillars—culture, education, ecology, and recreation—Art in the Open activates public spaces where art, nature, and community meet contemporary art. “ART IN THE OPEN: Discover Art Along Your River.”

About Shelby Criswell

Shelby Criswell (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and educator from San Antonio, Texas. Their work focuses on meditationand beautifying the mundanity of life. Shelby’s work has been shown at institutions such as Contemporary at Blue Star, Witte Museum, McNay Art Museum, San Benito Cultural Arts Department, and The Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Proudly an art school dropout, Shelby studied at Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico, as well as the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Shelby has designed work for Asleep At The Wheel, Freddy Fender’s Estate, and The Showmen’s League of America. They are also the recipient of the Ringo and Ignatz Awards for their contribution to the comic anthology, “Be Gay, Do Comics”.

Shelby worked with UTSA’s Young Artists Program to educate and collaborate with middle-grade students on public art pieces on display at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy. They work with Contemporary at Blue Star often, educating for their MOSAIC Program, as well as various workshops on plein air and fiber arts. Shelby has been an artist in residence with the UTSA AIR Program, Willow House, and Southtown Art Gallery, and has been selected as a resident artist for the fall of 2026 at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, NM.

Learn more about the artist at www.shelbycriswell.com