Michael Menchaca
Medium: Cement tile
Dimensions: 8″ x 8″
Locations: Various locations throughout San Pedro Creek Culture Park
About the Artist: Menchaca holds a Master of Fine Art in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design. He exhibits his work across the country and has participated in artist residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Artpace, and Serie Project. In 2013, he received the Peter St. Onge Memorial Travel Grant to study ancient architecture in Sri Lanka. Menchaca’s colorful illustrations and videos draw inspiration from pictorial history books of ancient Mesoamerica. Known as “codices,” these books traced history, religion, and geography through a codified symbolic language.
Website: http://michaelmenchaca.com
Menchaca created 16 unique tile patterns that represent various themes related to the story of San Pedro Creek. Based on Mexican Talavera tiles, the bold graphics and color palettes encompass the diverse cultures that make up San Antonio’s dynamic history. One of the patterns, titled “crossroads,” represents the multitudes of people coming together in San Antonio as a crossroads in time and space. Another, titled “generations,” used in the Plaza de Fundación, marks the twelve generations that have contributed to the community since its founding in 1718.
