Southwest School Of Art - Shopping - San Antonio, Texas
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (210) 224-1848
Address: 300 Augusta St.
Description: The building that now houses the Southwest School of Art has a history that is almost as interesting as that of the city of San Antonio itself. In the 1840s Bishop Jean-Marie Odin bought 10 acres of land for $1,000 with the intent of starting a girls’ school in San Antonio. The first group of teachers, Ursuline nuns, was brought to San Antonio from Galveston in 1851, and the school was opened. By 1900 there were 300 students enrolled in the Old Ursuline Academy. In 1965 the school moved to northwest San Antonio; later that year the San Antonio Conservation Society bought the building from the Ursuline Order.Southwest School of Art was organized by a group of citizens who felt there was a void in San Antonio that could be filled by the teaching of handicrafts and art. The 1968 World’s Fair in San Antonio provided the opportunity for the school to sponsor a gallery, and enrollment grew quickly. The San Antonio Conservation Society offered the use of the Old Ursuline Academy to the school, and in 1971 the Southwest School of Art moved into its new quarters. Massive renovation was needed, and the school and the Conservation Society both worked hard to raise money for the restoration, which lasted for 12 years.Today the school has 2 campuses: the original Ursuline Campus and the adjacent Navarro Campus, which was opened in 1998. It offers programs for all age groups, with classes taught by local, regional, and national artists. More than 100 classes and workshops are offered each term, and the annual enrollment is about 4,000 adults, children, and teenagers.There are 2 galleries at the school, which are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon through Sat; the Navarro Campus gallery is also open 11 a.m to 4 p.m. Sun. The Ursuline Hallway Gallery shows works by up-and-coming artists, while the Russell Hill Rogers Gallery on the Navarro Campus displays pieces by more well-known regional, national, and international artists.