LOCAL ARTISTS
Price Center commissions painting for new picnic tables
Walk around the corner in downtown San Marcos – any corner – and you’re likely to see a unique piece of local art. From murals in a back alley to mermaid statues, San Marcos is a town that supports artists.
One of the entities in town that has helped foster that artistic culture is the Price Center, and it is adding even more local art to its already impressive displays. Eight area artists submitted original designs for consideration to transform new eightfoot picnic tables located in the Price Center’s front garden. A committee selected Chloe Doyle’s San Marcos River and Lena Golden-Fletcher’s River Turtle as the two final designs. Both winning artists’ work features local, river-related imagery and a surprisingly similar color palette.
The 14 submitted designs were as varied as the artists themselves. Some presented concepts for both tables and others submitted single designs. Ultimately, the Arts Committee opted to work with two separate artists and chose designs that worked well togeth- er and with the existing permanent art in the space.
“This is the second art installation that combines form and function in our garden,” said Clay DeStefano, executive director. “It’s rewarding when we can do both as we learned with the mosaic benches that have become a gathering place for many.”
In addition to having their work on permanent display, each of the winning artists will receive a cash award of $500, and a $150 materials budget was also provided. Both artists are working on their tables over the next few weeks, and the committee will officially unveil them at 5:30 p.m. prior to the Oct. 2 Opening Reception for the Price Center’s current art show. The opening reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m.
The new art tables join the outdoor permanent art collection in the Price Center’s Garden that includes one of the San Marcos Mermaids, a mosaic triptych on garden benches honoring the creatures of the river, a living chair, other sculptural works, chimes, mobiles and last year’s addition of a giant peacock. More than a dozen original works are peppered throughout the space, which recently received a new designation as a Certified Sustainable Habitat from Keep San Marcos Beautiful. The garden was recognized for its variety of native plants, minimal and passive watering techniques, and providing a variety of pollinating plants and natural habitats for the many birds, insects and small creatures that frequent the space.
Rotating Art Shows, Pop-Ups and permanent art installations are created, curated and conducted by the Price Center Arts Committee and partially funded through gallery show submission fees and commissions from artworks sold during a Price Center show.
For more information about art shows at the Price Center, please call 512-392-2900 or visit price-center.org.
