San Antonio mainstay Mi Tierra installs memorial altars for ‘Red’ McCombs, Jesse Treviño

Downtown San Antonio mainstay Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery has set up altars for visual artist Jesse Treviño and entrepreneur B.J. “Red” McCombs, both of whom left their marks on the city before their deaths earlier this month.

The vibrant memorials, located inside the 82-year-old Mexican restaurant’s main lobby, feature images of the men at various points of their lives in addition to photo representations of their contributions to the Alamo City.

Treviño’s altar shows an image of the artist in military garb during his time in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War — a conflict that cost him his arm and required him to learn how to paint again. Also represented are reproductions of his most famous works, including Spirit of Healing, the 93-foot-high angel mural on the face of Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital.

During his career, Treviño became one of San Antonio’s most prolific creators of public art. He also was nationally recognized by scholars and collectors, and several of his paintings are in the Smithsonian Institution’s art collection.

Treviño succumbed to cancer at age 76.

Alamo City business tycoon McCombs’ altar pays homage to his time as one-time owner of the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnestoa Vikings. He’s credited with bringing the NBA team here, bringing the Alamo City its first — and still only — professional sports franchise.

Also featured are photos of dealerships within the Red McCombs Automotive group, which the billionaire founded and grew into one of the state’s largest such ventures. He used that wealth to make a variety of charitable donations across Texas.

McCombs died at age 95, according to his family.

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This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 7, 2023.