Poet’s Pointe: A Community Canvas
Poet’s Pointe is a small but powerful 1/3-acre “pocket park” on the West Side of San Antonio (2509 W Mistletoe Ave), born out of an effort to transform a formerly underutilized flood-control parcel along the Seeling Channel into a vibrant public gathering space. Designed by artists Kim Bishop and Luis Valderas (Bishop & Valderas, LLC), the park blends art, poetry, landscape, and architecture to create a space where community, creativity, and contemplation intersect.
A Space Shaped by Sun, Words & Community
The park’s sculptural design and layout — including a meandering path, newly planted native trees, a curved concrete pad shaped like an eclipse or protective eye, and gently curved seating ledges — respond to the movement of the sun and the natural rhythms of the place.
A central 90-foot bench / ledge serves as the spine of the space. Embedded within the concrete are ceramic tile murals (two by five feet each), created by a group of local artists — each inspired by neighborhood themes: Magnolia, Mistletoe, Morning Glory, Mulberry, Huisache, Sun, and Water.
Alongside each mural, a poem by a local poet is displayed, merging visual art and written word. The poetic component was curated by then-Poet Laureate Octavio Quintanilla (2018–2020), in collaboration with several poets who have deep roots in the San Antonio community.
Three large steel shade structures — crafted to resemble sheets of paper supported by oversized pencils — rise above the park. Poetry lines are cut through the metal “paper,” casting dynamic shadows onto the concrete below. This interplay of light, text, and space invites visitors to literally walk through poetry and connect with both art and nature.
My Contribution: “Risen” — Interpreting Sun & Verse
I was honored to be among the seven artists selected from Council District 7 to participate in this collaborative public-art project. My piece, “Risen,” interprets the element of the Sun — translating the energy, warmth, and symbolic power of sunlight into visual form.
“Risen” lives as part of the tile-embedded mural series along the curved bench. Paired with a poem by local poet (and former Poet Laureate) Vocab Sanderson, the work becomes more than decoration: together, the art and poetry offer a layered meditation on nature, resilience, community memory, and hope.
Sitting on the bench at sunset — when the shade structures cast their moving, poetic shadows — you experience the work as it was intended: as part of a living, breathing communal landscape; as a place for reflection; as a prompt to ask, “What if?”
A Place to Gather, Reflect, and Create
Since its dedication in June 2023, Poet’s Pointe has welcomed neighbors, walkers, families, poetry-lovers, and curious visitors alike. With its seating, shade, native plantings, interactive elements, and integrated public art and poetry, it invites everyone to slow down, reflect, read, share, and perhaps — to be inspired to create something of their own.
As part of this collective effort, “Risen” stands as a piece of a larger tapestry — one that celebrates community, memory, natural cycles, and the power of art to transform everyday space into something sacred.”