Often regarded as a center of arts and culture in San Antonio, the Westside of San Antonio has organizations that serve different facets of the community and have dedicated themselves to preserving the rich cultural, artistic, and business history of the Westside. With initiatives such as the San Anto Community Mural Program and the Esperanza Center for Peace & Justice’s “Arte Es Vida” Program, there is strong emphasis on mentorship and inclusivity of both youth and adults in the surrounding community. The Westside is also home to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, a nationally recognized Chicano arts organization which hosts a variety of events, exhibitions, and festivals every year.

Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s “En Aquellos Tiempos… Fotohistorias del Westside”

This street installation is an ongoing celebration of the traditions and strengths of the gente del Westside of San Antonio, Texas. Enlarged photos of caras, calles and community from the early 1900s to the 1950s collected from sabias y sabios of the Westside are installed in open spaces and on walls and buildings throughout the neighborhood. Join La Esperanza at the Casa de Cuentos (816 S. Colorado @ Guadalupe St., 78207) on the first Saturday of each month to share your stories and fotos. (The images shown are courtesy of the gente del Westside. Please consult La Esperanza at (210) 228-0201 before reproducing any images shown here.)

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center

Founded in 1980, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC) has been recognized as the “largest community-based, multi-disciplinary organization in the U.S.” The mission of the GCAC is to “preserve, promote, and develop the arts and culture of the Chicano/Latino/Native American peoples for all ages and backgrounds through public and education programming in six disciplines: Dance, Literature, Media Arts, Theater Arts, Visual Arts, and Xicano Music.” GCAC presents and produces yearly events, exhibitions, and festivals including the Tejano Conjunto Festival, Night of Latin Comedy, Valentine’s Day Oldies Dance, Hecho a Mano/Made by hand, and San Antonio CineFestival.

San Anto Cultural Arts

San Anto Cultural Arts (SACA) is a community-based, cultural arts organization located 2 blocks from the Alazan-Apache Housing Projects. SACA has been in operation as a nonprofit organization, in the heart of San Antonio's Westside, since July 1997. The mission of SACA is to create and provide cultural arts programming that foster human and community development. SACA currently operates 3 core programs - El Placazo Community Newspaper and Mentor Program, Community Mural / Public Art Program, and the Multi-Media Institute. In addition, SACA organizes various community initiatives and services. Some of these include: Dia De Los Muertos Community Altar and Procession; Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Gala and Silent Art Auction; scholarship / financial aid workshops; safe sex seminars; El Placazo Summer Foto Exhibit; Neighborhood Mural Tours; mural consulting; Muralist-In-Residence-Project; Teen & Pre-Teen Mentor Initiative; El Placazo Photographer-in-Residence. For more information, to get involved or volunteer with SACA programming, contact 210-226-7466/heather@sananto.org.