San Anto Cultural Arts has been working since 1993 to foster community development on San Antonio’s West Side through a variety of programs. Today, the nonprofit offers several options: the Community Mural Program; the Summer Arts Camp and the After School Arts Program; and El Placazo, its community newspaper that is produced by students.
Like other nonprofits, San Anto had to change its way of doing business when the pandemic hit last year. A 2020 High Impact Grant from Impact San Antonio helped them do that by providing funds for online operations. And now, San Anto is beginning to work its way back to in-person classes and events.
“We are slowly starting to get back to having people at our office,” said Executive Director Ben Tremillo. “This summer, we are having our Summer Arts Camp in person July 12-23. We had a virtual camp last summer. This year, we will have about 30 youth ages 7-18 here at the office. They’ll be tie-dyeing T-shirts and working with our artist to create different art works. We still will have everyone social distanced if they aren’t comfortable wearing masks.”
When Covid began, Tremillo said, “we asked artists to create art films that we could show for free through social media and on our YouTube channels. We’ve shown three films so far and have three more to come. It was something we had wanted to do for a while, and the artists enjoyed being able to work during Covid.”
The Community Mural Program was impacted by Covid because some of the businesses that might have provided a wall for a mural have closed, Tremillo said. “We are just now being able to talk to some wall owners to find the right theme for their wall. We hope to do one in early fall, and we are starting to do some mural restoration projects.”
San Anto is hoping to hold its After School Arts Program in person this fall, but they are keeping an eye on the Covid situation before making a final decision, Tremillo said. This past year, the nonprofit used their Amazon account to mail art kits to families and then had online classes for the kids. It worked well, he said.
The agency moved its El Placazo newspaper, which is normally printed and distributed free at restaurants and other businesses, to online during the pandemic, he said. But the paper has started printing again, as well as being offered on the agency website. Some of the restaurants where it was distributed have closed, so the staff is seeking new locations, he said.
Last December, the agency hired two people: Crystal Tamez as Community Mural Preservation Manager and Paloma Bogle as El Placazo Archive Manager, both new positions. The Impact SA grant helped make that possible by funding other expenses such as the art film series and providing art kits for students, Tremillo said.
“I can’t say enough about what that grant has meant to us,” he said. “It freed up money to hire these two new people, and it supports the organization as a whole.”
Click here see a short video about San Anto Cultural Arts’ After School Arts Program.
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