dral (1738-1755) they dedicated it to both Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and the patroness of Mexico, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. My painting is a vision of Our Lady of Candelaria which might have sustained Isleños who labored on the San Fernando Cathedral. It blends her image with the half-finished cathedral and memories of the home they left behind – the sunshine, beaches and sacred cave of Tenerife Island. I find this aspect of San Antonio’s history powerful and meaningful since I was raised Catholic and had a medal of the Virgin Mary which I cherished as a child. Completing San Fernando Cathedral given the difficulty in obtaining funds from the Spanish crown must have seemed to be a miraculous feat blessed by Our Lady of Candelaria.
1752 Francesca Simonite
Growing up in a family of photographers in San Antonio has caused me to question how photography has influenced the way I understand my own experiences and memories. In an attempt to explore the subjectivity and reality of the visual image, I physically alter photographs shot on 35mm film with text. I believe that written words and numbers work in similar ways as the photograph itself beyond both functioning as time stamps. I question whether the act of cutting, dissecting, and rearranging my personal archive of seemingly arbitrary photographs and text makes these moments truer to my original experiences, or just as false as a single frame or print.
1753 Raul Gonzalez
My artwork is a reflection of Jesus F. de la Teja’s book “San Antonio de Bexar: A Community on New Spain’s Northern Frontier.”
1754 Samuel Morales Urbina
By 1754, political and socioeconomic factors were shaping the integration of native and foreign communities in south Texas, circumstances that would consequently give birth to a new Tejano culture. This nine-color screen print (Tcalāux: “to give birth” in Coahuiltecan) presents an experience rather than an event, and aims to convey the idea of struggle and the unavoidable unification between Indigenous and Spanish opposing forces.
The Indigenous culture is personified by native fauna and flora of Texas, depicting a collared peccary, superimposed over a green background with a pattern of foliage and seedpods from the Mesquite Tree. The Spanish culture is personified by a canary mastiff, a natural symbol of the Canary Islands, superimposed over a blue background and a wave pattern representing the national motto of Spain-“Plus Ultra” or “Further Beyond.”
1756 Laura Varela
This piece takes us on a visual and audio phonic journey through the water ways of Yanaguana, “the place of clear waters,” now known as San Antonio. It explores symbolism in nature that ties Varela’s relationship with her personal bloodline as Xicana. In 1756 the indigenous populations began their decline in the area; however, many will tell you that we are still here. Water, spiderwebs, the crane, and the cardinal are all symbols for those who are reconnecting to their ancestral ways, recognizing indigenous bloodlines, and being part of the movement in our communities for social justice. This work is not only a visual exploration but also a meditation on these symbols and our connection to nature. This piece is dedicated to the all indigenous people who walked this land and still walk this land today.
1757 Shannon Gowen
Mission Concepción was dedicated in 1755, and appears very much as it did over two centuries ago. It stands proudly as the oldest unrestored stone church in America. In its heyday, colorful geometric designs covered its surface, but the patterns have long since faded. In 1757 work began on the construction of an enclosing stone defensive wall for the compound. The first mission compound was originally enclosed by a wall that had fallen into disrepair by the time the new church was constructed. Apache raids of the San Antonio missions led to the enclosure of all five missions within stone defensive walls by 1760.
1758 Jenn Rodriguez
The piece I chose to make for this exhibition is centered around the completion of the original San Fernando de Béxar Church. I created a 