Summer Tour Success

Students from the St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School visited Artpace for the first time last week. Summer tours are often a little more relaxed and the students always seem to be more engaged. These students were of different ages from five to twelve years old, which makes for an interesting way to talk about and explain the exhibitions. I can always test the water on how engaged the students will be when I ask the question, “Why do people make Art?” A young woman raised her hand and answered with anticipation, “To change the world!” I knew that the conversations about the artists and their work could be more in-depth and look forward to the dialogue. The kids also shared personal stories about what truly inspires them as they worked on their art activity inspired by Lordy Rodriguez’s work on view in the Hudson (Show)Room, making this another one of my personal favorite tours this summer.

Ernesto Olivo is certainly out to make the San Antonio community a better place. In addition to working for Artpace over the past five years, he is a community organizer who volunteers with local grassroots organizations. He is a contemporary artist and uses his work to talk about multicultural and ethnic issues. He is a drummer in a band and manages the band Pop Pistol. He also helps organize musicians in Local 782, a citywide music coalition and is a board member for San Antonio Cultural Arts Board.