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San Antonio and new sculpture catch national attention for Black History Month

The New York Times said San Antonio is one of five cities "going all out" and the Spheres of Reflection sculpture at MLK park is a "must-see any time of the year."
Credit: KENS 5
Kaldric Dow adds diversity to portrait art in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio and one of its newest pieces of art caught the attention of the New York Times. The newspaper highlighted the Alamo City and said the “Spheres of Reflection” sculpture at Martin Luther King Park is a "must-see any time of the year."

The Times chose San Antonio as one of five cities across the United States for its story titled "Celebrating Black History Month? These 5 Cities Are Going All Out."

Spheres of Reflection was created by local artist Kaldric Dow. The 17-foot steel-and-concrete structure stands at the park's entrance, located at 3503 Martin Luther King Drive. Dow worked with the city to create the sculpture, which is his first piece of public art.

The story also details in depth the Carver Community Cultural Center's range of Black culture-centric performances this month – along with mentioning the river cruises on the River Walk being held by the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum.

Other cities that made the list include Richmond, Portland, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

The Witte Museum also got a shoutout with its event set for February 28. It's a discussion about Black cowboy culture and history, called Untold Stories of the American West – which is part of the Black Cowboys: An American Story exhibition.

Shayla Martin, a freelance journalist who wrote the story, gave context about the community's past and current state.

"San Antonio is widely known for its rich Mexican, Native American and Spanish history, but it’s only been in recent years that the city has begun to embrace the Black history that’s been hidden in plain sight. From the Black Canary Islanders forced to live east of the San Antonio River in the 1700s, to Ellis Alley, a Black neighborhood born in the Reconstruction era, Black heritage in San Antonio runs deep."

To read an ongoing roundup of local events, click here.

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