San Antonio Water System partnered with the Texas Water Foundation on a new Southside water-themed mural by acclaimed artist Cruz Ortiz. The mural, located at 1419 Roosevelt Ave., was showcased at an unveiling event Wednesday, December 14.
The mural is the second to be commissioned by the Texas Water Foundation under its statewide water campaign, Texas Runs on Water. The campaign is working to address the state’s growing water supply needs by inspiring Texans to value water.
“We know that teaching the value of water is critical to helping people conserve it,” said Robert R. Puente, SAWS President/CEO. “Cruz Ortiz has done a great job of illustrating that importance going back to San Antonio’s beginnings. It has been a real privilege to both serve on the board of the Texas Water Foundation and to help share this wonderful mural here on the city’s South Side.”
Texas Runs on Water is built on Texas’ strong sense of local pride and is intentionally designed to be localized across the state. In San Antonio, the campaign celebrates the city’s history and its deep connection to water. The artwork features a depiction of the San Antonio River, once known as the Yanaguana River, and the inhabitants who relied on the water source as they shaped and settled the land.
“We are proud to partner with SAWS and work with Cruz Ortiz on a community focused mural,” says Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation. “Bringing a Texas Runs on Water mural to San Antonio is our way of celebrating and honoring a city deeply connected to water. We hope the mural inspires San Antonians to feel how water continues to shape its story. Everything we love about San Antonio runs on water”.