Although the lobby is likely the most visited space in any office building, it is generally not a destination in itself. A lobby is a point of entry, somewhere you have to get through, ideally quickly, before you arrive at the place you were trying to get to. The Weston Centre river-level lobby, however, will soon be drawing visitors of its own – and perhaps even slowing the steps of the busiest professionals.
After the lobby’s recent remodeling left the room refurbished but barren, Weston Centre management decided that “it seemed like the perfect time to tap into local talent and showcase them in our space,” Mona Ghawi, president of Weston Properties told the Rivard Report.
Beginning on Sept. 28, the lobby will host a series of art installations exhibiting the work of local artists and photographers.
“The idea behind the revolving art exhibit is to attract people to the building and continue to develop new, exciting initiatives that position the Weston Centre as a hub for downtown activity,” Ghawi said.
2016, Marfa, Texas. Photo by Scott Martin.
The inaugural exhibit will display nine pieces from photographer Scott Martin, a Southtown resident of more than 20 years. When Martin isn’t crawling under derelict buildings or wandering the moonlit streets of San Antonio in search of compelling shots, he leads photography workshop expeditions through ghost towns, the deserts of West Texas, and the arches of Moab, Utah, among other notable locations.
“By bringing original artwork to their walls and halls, Weston Centre expands the notion of investing in downtown by creating unique experiences, a heightened sense of place and cultural connectivity,” Martin stated in a news release.
His featured work will include desert landscapes, abstract color fields, and conceptual pieces from his series, Road Verse, which pairs traffic signs bearing cryptic lines of poetry with sweeping, desolate backdrops. The resultant images are both visually and intellectually gripping. For more of Martin’s work, visit his website here.
Two permanent pieces – a 12-by-60-ft. mosaic mural by Dixie Friend Gay and an interactive light sculpture by Stuart Allen – will accompany the rotating exhibit, which will officially open following a reception on Sept. 27. Martin’s work will then be on display for the following three months before making way for installations from other San Antonio artists.
The Weston Centre is located at 112 E. Pecan St. To view the installation, visitors can access the river-level lobby 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Top image: 8am, from the series Land 2016, Candeleria, Texas. Photo by Scott Martin.
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