The Entire Museum Reach Project in 1/2 Hour!

You've probably heard of the Museum Reach, that fabulous new River Walk project, running from the Lexington Street Bridge all the way to the Pearl Brewery. That's a lot of ground to take in, so instead of you researching it on foot, why not let us do the heavy lifting? In fact, we've already done so, and with camera in hand.

Thursday night at 8 Conversations reveals the soup-to-nuts details on what's surely South Texas' largest public works/public art installation in the last...oh, I'd say bazillion years. The San Antonio River Foundation (SARF) has combined the creativity of Artists, the backbreaking work of hundreds of skilled workers, and labor-saving machinery to create a landmark project through the city's old industrial northeast downtown area.

Candidly, this was not a garden spot. Abandoned Warehouses and overgrown lots were the norm in this corner of the city that time seemed to skip over. But it had one major thing going for it: the San Antonio River runs through it. So a wise group of people who think we ought to be proud of what we leave those who come after decided to do something BIG.

And the diamond they spotted in the rough...has now been shone to near perfection. It's taken 12 years, a handful of mayors, a small passel of city managers, a collaboration between the city, Bexar county and the San Antonio River Authority to make it happen. And they've succeeded. Mightily.

Tanji Patton hosts a half-hour look at the breath-taking project, with Kim Abernethy representing SARF, Thursday night the 7th right here on KLRN.

A Conversation about your brand spankin' new River Walk!

That's one of San Antonio's most-revered TV personalities, Tanji Patton at left, and Kim Abernethy at right. You may not know Kim, but she plays a major role in a project that's going to put the Alamo City on the Art Map like never before. She's raising the money for the Extreme Makeover that the San Antonio River is undergoing. The phase nearing completion is the Museum Reach portion of a fabulously huge project that will change the face of San Antonio forever.

I won't detail what's in the show, but I'll invite you to watch it instead: Catch it Thursday, May 7th at 8PM on KLRN. Can't remember when Conversations is on? Then check out the KLRN web site and look at bottom left where you see the words KLRN schedules. Our entire schedule is there, including those hard-to-find program details that you find handy. Hint: you could mark it as a favorite and zip there daily to see if what we're showing is must-see TV. If you do, I think you'll be surprised at how much you'll feel you must see!

Reminder: Tomorrow night's Conversations with Father David Garcia, and next Thursday night's with Filmmaker Ken Burns. Great stuff!

This Just Isn't Cool

It's crazy cool! It's the Grotto, by Camden and Newel Streets, well over halfway done, yet fully fabulous. For more detail, click on the picture and make it big.

It's time to use your imagination just a bit: Imagine where the white pickup is parked that 4 feet of San Antonio River is there instead. Imagine walking in from screen right, underneath a waterfall from the upper level, into that cave-like Grotto, walking by a pool at center left, underneath yet another waterfall, then up a set of stairs to get to street level. In just a couple of months you'll be able to do that.

This is just one of the many art installations now fully underway as part of the Museum Reach River Walk extension. For more, check out Karen Adams' River Blog about the project. KLRN is working with the San Antonio River Foundation to create a documentary about the landmark project, and bridge by bridge, artist by artist, we'll keep you informed as it comes together!

What in the world is THIS?

Well, it's The Grotto, of course! It's emerging from the riverbank of the San Antonio River at Camden and Newell Streets right next to the elevated I-35 freeway. The Grotto is the work of San Antonio artist Carlos Cortes, known for carrying on the Faux Bois work of his famous great uncle Dionisio Rodriguez.

The Grotto will feature a pair of waterfalls, a cave and much more. It's part of a 1.2 mile River Improvement project detailed in Karen Adams' River Blog. Artists from San Antonio and around the world are creating new works of art in the Museum Reach section of the river, and KLRN has partnered with the San Antonio River Foundation to create a documentary for the city's landmark project. We'll keep you informed of the project as it becomes a fabulous new reality for the city.