Presence of the Past: Public Art YOUTH Community Workshop with Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson

Please join us for a YOUTH Community 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. 

Former City of San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson will lead attendees in a workshop to create poetry that will be integrated into artwork designed by California-based, public artist Gordon Huether for the St James AMEC Culture Crossing at San Pedro Creek. 

Free and open to YOUTH participants (ages 8-18), this Public Art Community Workshop will be hosted at the Confluence Park Education Center at 510 W Mitchell Street on Saturday, November 25, 1:00-3:00PM.

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.