Presence of the Past: Public Art Community Engagement and Workshop with Gordon Huether and Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson
Please join us for a Community Engagement and Workshop for Presence of the Past, a new public artwork coming to San Pedro Creek Culture Park to honor and preserve the original foundation of the St James AME Church, the first physical meeting place for African Americans and the A.M.E.C. in San Antonio.
Artist Gordon Huether will present his proposal for the St James AMEC Culture Crossing Design Enhancements public art project to the public and after, former City of San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson will lead attendees in a community workshop to create poetry that will be integrated into Gordon’s artwork at the Culture Crossing.
Free and open to the public, this Community Engagement and Workshop will be hosted at the Saint James AME Church at 402 N Richter Street on Thursday, November 16, 6:00-8:00PM. Masks are required.
ABOUT THE ST JAMES AMEC CULTURE CROSSING AT SAN PEDRO CREEK CULTURE PARK
In early 2020, construction for the Culture Park led to the uncovering of several historically significant foundations dating back to the mid-1800’s. A historical study has identified these as the Klemke-Menger Soap Factory, Alamo Ice Company, Alamo Ice House and Brewing Company, and St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church). The presence of the AME Church foundation at this site is a rare remnant of African American history in downtown San Antonio.
San Pedro Creek is where the Spanish first settled in our community and where the Payaya people lived for thousands of years prior to the Spanish settlements. Over the course of the last 300 years, many groups lived, worked and worshipped along San Pedro Creek. This historic creek became the location where the convergence of civilizations in our community took root and evolved.
The San Pedro Creek Culture Park, a multi-phased joint project among Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority and the City of San Antonio, invites the people of San Antonio to reconnect with a place of great historical and cultural significance. Public art, cultural programming, and artistic design features presented in the park express what is authentic about San Antonio’s culture today and explore the historical significance of the creek through a contemporary art lens. Learn more about San Pedro Creek Culture Park at www.spcculturepark.com.