Where to find San Antonio's coolest murals and outdoor public art

By San Antonio Current Staff

You don't have to go to a museum to get your fill of art in San Antonio. The city is rich in public art.

If you're looking to show visiting friends and family what the Alamo City has to offer, or just need a good excuse to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, these local murals and public artworks are all worth a visit.

Scroll down to view images

Join the San Antonio Current Press Club

At a time when local-based reporting is critical, support from our readers is essential to our future. Join the San Antonio Current Press Club for as little as $5 a month

La Antorcha de la Amistad (The Torch of Friendship)
351 Losoya Street
Artist: Sebastian
Certainly the most iconic piece of art San Antonio has to offer, La Antorcha de la Amistad (The Torch of Friendship) was commissioned as a gift, a token of goodwill between the Mexican government and the City of San Antonio.
Instagram / thesanantonioriverwalk

Canopy
Fulton Railroad Underpass, 729 Fulton Ave.
Artist: Joey Fauerso
Playfully rendered in a palette of cool blues and greens, San Antonio artist and educator Joey Fauerso’s Canopy mural brings a sense of serenity to a railroad underpass in Alta Vista.
Photo by Bryan Rindfuss

Árbol de la Vida: Memorias y Voces de la Tierra (Tree of LIfe: Memories and Voice of the Land)
10040 Espada Rd.
Artist: Margarita Cabrera
For this piece located near Mission San Francisco de la Espada, Margarita Cabrera collaborated with community members to create 700 clay sculptures that adorn a steel tree-like structure.
Photo via Instagram / kimbakoda

La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe
1315 Guadalupe St.
Artist: Jesse Trevino
This spectacular mural features a 3D votive candle (veladora) with an eternal flame facing Guadalupe Street. Intended to serve as a beacon for the neighborhood, this mixed media mural is truly magnificent.
Photo via Instagram / _michaelsaiz

Open Hand, Open Mind, Open Heart
1101 Iowa Street
Artist: Douglas Kornfelt
Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence, this 32-foot tall sculpture in Sullivan Park faces San Antonio's downtown skyline.
Instagram / j_dehoyos

And yet, we bloom
Corner of E. Houston and Navarro streets
Artist: Kat Cadena
This work by artist Kat Cadena was voted Best Mural in the Current's 2020 Best of San Antonio Issue.
Photo via Instagram / kat.cadena

Dream Song Tower
I-35 Access Road at S. Zarzamora St.
Artist: Cruz Ortiz
Cruz Ortiz's dramatic sculpture recalls a strange hybrid of a radio tower, a rocket ship and a tepee tricked out with his graphic signatures and visual nods to Selena (the words “Siempre Dreaming of You”) and the urban legends of the Donkey Lady and the chicken-footed Dancing Devil.
Photo by Bryan Rindfuss

Windows to Our Heritage
Hwy. 90 Underpasses at S. Presa St., Roosevelt Ave., Mission Road and Steves Ave.
Artists: David Blancas and Oscar Alvarado
Painter David Blancas and sculptor Oscar Alvarado's Windows to Our Heritage successfully breathes life and color into otherwise nondescript underpasses, and also wins with its thoughtful mixture of icons and locales both the essential and unexpected — from Mission Espada and Hot Wells Hotel to Sunshine Amusement Park and the Ghost Tracks.
Photo by Bryan Rindfuss

Alas de México (Wings of Mexico)
Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St.
Artist: Jorge Marín
While we’re not sure how effectively Jorge Marín's sculpture will inspire visitors to “pause and reflect on the relationship between San Antonio and Mexico,” we’ve seen its selfie strengths successfully at play, with tourists patiently waiting to climb atop its pedestal and pose as a gold-winged angel beneath the Tower of the Americas.
Photo by Bryan Rindfuss

Aguas Onduladas (Rippling Waters)
Elmendorf Lake Park, 3702 W. Commerce St.
Artist: RDG Dahlquist Art Studio
Designed by Iowa-based RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in response to the “natural beauty” of nearby Elmendorf Lake, the project takes shape in three ripping waves cut from stainless steel.
Photo by Bryan Rindfuss