Mike Casey, a beloved figure in San Antonio’s art community known as the “Mayor of Southtown,” died Sunday in Mexico following a long illness.
He was 85 years old.
A retired attorney and longtime King William resident, Casey was an instantly recognizable neighborhood figure thanks to his seersucker suits, Venitian straw boater hats and bow ties. He was often seen bicycling around the neighborhood or cruising in his 1950s-era Nash Rambler, “Maude.”
By choice, his Victorian mansion had no air conditioning. He simply slept on the upstairs or downstairs porch, depending on the weather.
“He was kind of born in the wrong century,” said visual artist Gary Sweeney, who got to know Casey after moving to San Antonio in 1994. “At first, I thought it was an affectation, but you peel back the layers with Mike, you get the same person again. It was all genuine.”
Over the years, Casey emerged as one of the neighborhood’s principal patrons of the arts, offering up affordable rentals in a cluster of homes he owned dubbed the Compound on Stieren Street. The enclave became home for experimental contemporary art space Sala Diaz, founded by artist Alejandro Diaz, along with Casa Chuck, a guest house and residency program dedicated to the memory of the late artist Chuck Ramirez.
Visual artist and Sala Diaz Director Ethel Shipton, one of the dozens of artists who passed in and out of the Compound before Casey sold it in 2020, said his willingness to provide an inexpensive place for creatives helped change the face of the downtown San Antonio art scene. When she moved in, she paid just $250 a month.
“His generosity sure was infectious,” Shipton said. “A lot of us who were in contact with Mike Casey took him as an inspiration to pay it forward. … He gave a lot of people a place to grow.”
Beyond offering inexpensive rent, Casey provided many in the community with pro bono legal aid. He was also a fixture at art openings and neighborhood parties, where his positive spirit livened up the proceedings.
Shipton recalls trying to help Casey clean up after he served margaritas for a group of artists at his home during a gallery afterparty. He shooed her back to the gathering, saying, “Oh, honey, just dim the lights and dance.”
The “Mayor of Southtown” reflected Casey’s long roots in the King William neighborhood. His involvement in the community dates back to the early 1970s upon his return from the Vietnam War. He served as a member of the King William Association Board, Blue Star Contemporary, Sala Diaz and as president of the King William Fair.
Casey married his longtime partner, visual artist Jose Chapa, about three years ago and subsequently relocated to coastal Mexico. This spring, about 20 friends traveled south to attend his 85th birthday celebration, according to Angela Martinez of Slab Cinema, who was in attendance.
In 2021, Martinez helped put together an 80th birthday party for the retired attorney, which featured Casey-related creations by nearly 30 local artists plus a fashion show inspired by his attire and a performance by Buttercup, his favorite band.
Martinez said the celebration, held at the Espee Pavilion, ended up growing quickly because so many people wanted to be involved.
“He was always so kind and so exuberant,” Martinez said. “There was so much love for him.”
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