For the third year, La Villita Tenants Association and the city of San Antonio are providing several hundred dollars' worth of art supplies and cash prizes — and an unforgettable experience — for some of this city's most at-risk students.
South San Antonio High School art teacher Wade Waters says his students, many of whom come from low-income families, not only produce original Día de los Muertos art for the competitive art exhibit, but they learn life skills in time management, culture and economics.
“This is really a sweet deal. An art exhibit like this is hard to turn away,” said Waters. “We start in early September, but the students don't realize how long it takes to get something really well done on deadline so they scramble and work really hard.”
About 400 South San students summon their creative and artistic talents to design and mold Día de los Muertos sculptures that honor the dead by using papier-mache, wire, paint and other supplies donated by La Villita and the city. Student creations are judged for a list of top prizes and the art is displayed alongside the work of professional artists in La Villita's historic art shops and galleries. Students price their work — an exercise that Waters said requires a realistic evaluation of the piece while taking into consideration the struggling economy. Waters said some students put a $10 tag on their work while others price theirs at more than $100.
The art is on display at La Villita through Nov. 6.
Ladislao Loera, an Austin-based artist who is such a fan of the Day of the Dead that for the past decade all of his art has focused on the holiday, said the competition is rare.
“The Day of the Dead is my favorite holiday. It reminds me that relatives, friends and pets who died are not really gone,” said Loera, who judged the competition last year. “Schools in other cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin won't have anything to do with skulls or the dead, so this speaks to the cultural awareness that exists in San Antonio.”
Daisy Alatorre, a 16-year-old artist from South San High, took a $150 Best in Show prize last year with her striking “Lady in Red” sculpture made of wire, masking tape, newspaper, paint and clay that is currently featured on promotional posters.
The prize was a first for her.
“I didn't expect it; I was so excited,” said Daisy, an 11th-grader.
An awards ceremony will be held this morning and then the students' eclectic collection, including the whimsical and creepy, will be available for purchase.
Although shop owners don't profit from the sale of the students' art that competes with their own artwork, they say supporting this project is worth the effort.
“The kids do such a wonderful job and this teaches them a lot about their culture,” said Patty Henry, owner of Casa Manos Alegres. “Hopefully, it shows them that they can make money off of their work.”
