Still Here is a multi-year collaborative printmaking project developed through the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Artist Fellowship and Youth Leadership Development initiative. Focused on empowering youth as leaders, fostering resilience, and preparing them for the future, this project engaged Lanier High School students and alumni in documenting the history and culture of their community through storytelling and printmaking.
In Fall 2021, students explored their Westside neighborhood, speaking with residents and photographing historic landmarks, local businesses, and daily surroundings. Using these images, they designed printing blocks and created a relief print portfolio to preserve and honor these spaces. The resulting works, Still Here: Transitions from the Westside, were exhibited at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Community Gallery from April 1–30, 2022.
Expanding on this work, Still Here: Stories from the Westside brought together past and present Lanier students in Fall 2022 to document personal memories through photography and printmaking. By transforming oral histories into visual storytelling, the project encouraged community members to engage with their past and present in meaningful ways. This collection was exhibited at Casa de Cuentos at Rinconcito de Esperanza from May 12–June 9, 2023.
Spanning 2021–2023, Still Here is now part of the permanent collection of the Museo del Westside, dedicated to preserving the history, heritage, and lived experiences of la gente del Westside.
This project was realized in collaboration with Ashley Mireles, SAY Sí, and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, with support from the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, and Lanier High School.
In Fall 2021, students explored their Westside neighborhood, speaking with residents and photographing historic landmarks, local businesses, and daily surroundings. Using these images, they designed printing blocks and created a relief print portfolio to preserve and honor these spaces. The resulting works, Still Here: Transitions from the Westside, were exhibited at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Community Gallery from April 1–30, 2022.
Expanding on this work, Still Here: Stories from the Westside brought together past and present Lanier students in Fall 2022 to document personal memories through photography and printmaking. By transforming oral histories into visual storytelling, the project encouraged community members to engage with their past and present in meaningful ways. This collection was exhibited at Casa de Cuentos at Rinconcito de Esperanza from May 12–June 9, 2023.
Spanning 2021–2023, Still Here is now part of the permanent collection of the Museo del Westside, dedicated to preserving the history, heritage, and lived experiences of la gente del Westside.
This project was realized in collaboration with Ashley Mireles, SAY Sí, and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, with support from the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, and Lanier High School.