“Stargazer (Citlali)” is an iconic signature piece at the River Walk Public Art Garden
The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture announced today that “Stargazer (Citlali)” by internationally renowned Mexican Artist Pedro Reyes has joined the public art collection at the River Walk Public Art Garden. Originally inspired by San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebrations, this monumental-scale sculpture features a stylized, figurative seated woman that holds and gazes upon a star-like object held between her fingers. Built at over 16 feet tall upon a 5-foot base and crafted with more than 80 pieces of Mexican volcanic stone and a marble star, “Stargazer (Citlali)” ascends over visitors as they make their way through the garden along the meandering banks of the River Walk.
Per the artist, “Stargazer (Citlali)” honors a collective history of looking to the stars for inspiration, guidance, and hope. “Citlali” means “star” in Nauhatl, the indigenous language of Reyes’ hometown Mexico City. (Image courtesy_ © Pedro Reyes, Photography_Ramiro Chaves)
“I wanted to offer a work that transcends the relatively recent borders and boundaries we know today to offer an ageless perspective in celebration of San Antonio’s more than three hundred years of distinctive history and culture,” said Reyes. “The star could be a star like the ones that shine over San Antonio each night — the same ones that have been contemplated by all peoples throughout the region’s human history, the same ones that inspire awe and wonder as they help us glimpse our place in relation to the universe and to time.”
“Stargazer (Citlali)” is a continuation of the strong economic and cultural ties between San Antonio and Mexico represented visually through public art. The new sculpture joins the company of artworks by other Mexican artists that inhabit public space in nearby downtown, such as Juan O’Gorman’s “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas” located at the Henry B. González Convention Center and “Torch of Friendship (La Antorcha de la Amistad)” by Sebastian near the roundabout at Losoya, Commerce, and South Alamo streets.
“Stargazer” is part of the of the city’s open-air gallery, the River Walk Public Art Garden. Located where the San Antonio River forks between the Shops at Rivercenter and the Henry B. González Convention Center, the Garden is a cultural destination that provides a public art experience that includes free-standing sculptures, wall-mounted art installations, and informational displays.
The Garden’s Public Art installations include:
- “Green Spaces at Market Street” by San Antonio Artists Ashley Mireles and Cade Bradshaw
- “Najo Jām (Our Home)” by San Antonio Artists Carlos Cortés and Doroteo Garza
- “Bloom” by San Antonio Artist Leticia Huerta
- “Spheres of Reflection” by San Antonio Artist Kaldric Dow
- Sculptures from the exhibit “Sebastián in San Antonio: 50+Years 20+ Locations 100+ Works”
“The River Walk Public Art Garden has been an extensive, multi-year project that celebrates the spirit of connection with artworks by several San Antonio Artists intermingled with pieces by international artists,” said Department of Arts & Culture Interim Executive Director Krystal Jones. “The installation of Stargazer continues to help redefine the River Walk experience as a global public art destination. Stargazer invites River Walk visitors to move around and see the piece from different angles, and in doing so, they are able to discover other public art treasures.”
When complete by the end of 2022, the River Walk Public Art Garden will also include a new plaza area that honors the history and legacy of labor movement in San Antonio along with its ties to social justice and civil rights. Titled “Labor Plaza,” the area will feature artworks and a poem by San Antonio Poet Laureate Octavio Quintanilla, sculptures by Artist Ries Niemi, and etchings highlighting historical figures and anthems of the Labor movement in San Antonio. In addition, the garden will be easily identified by a sign created by San Antonio Artist Gary Sweeney from repurposed letters from old metal signs.
For more information about “Stargazer (Citlali),” and to find out about arts and culture programs and events, visit www.SanAntonio.gov/arts and follow the Department of Arts & Culture on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @GetCreativeSA and #getcreativesa, #StargazerinSA.
Source: The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture.
