Southwest School of Art and Craft, San Antonio

At the Southwest School of Art and Craft (formerly known as the Southwest Craft Center), you'll find a good overview of the San Antonio arts and crafts scene. The Center is housed in the former Ursuline Academy, which in 1851 became the first girls' school in the city. The long halls of the once busy dormitory are now filled with photography, jewelry, fibers, paper making, painting, and the like. The Ursuline Gift Shop sells hand-crafted items, including silver Southwestern jewelry, hand-painted plates, and wooden Christmas ornaments. Grab a sandwich or salad at the Craft Center's Copper Kitchen. The school is open to visitors Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.

Southwest School of Art and Craft was organized by a group of citizens who felt that there was a void in San Antonio that could be filled by the teaching of handcrafts and arts. The 1968 Worlds Fair in San Antonio provided the opportunity for the school to show a gallery, and the enrollment grew quickly. The San Antonio Conservation Society offered the use of the Old Ursuline Academy to the school, and the Southwest School of Art and Craft moved in in 1971. Massive renovation was needed for the buildings, and the School and the Conservation Society both worked hard to raise money for the restoration, which lasted for 12 years.

Today, there are two campuses at the School. The original Ursuline Campus and an adjacent Navarro Campus which was opened in 1998. The schools offer programs for all age groups from adults to children with classes taught by local, regional, and national artists. More than 120 classes and workshops are offered, and enrollment is around 2,000 adults and 1,600 children and teenagers every year.
There are two galleries at the school that visitors can enjoy. The Ursuline Hallway Gallery shows pieces by up and coming artists, while the Russell Hill Rogers Gallery, found on the Navarro Campus, displays pieces by more well-known regional, national, and international artists.

History: The building that now houses the Southwest School of Art and Craft has a history that is possibly as extensive 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 an Ursuline girls school in San Antonio. The first group of teachers were 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 and the property was abandoned. That same year the San Antonio Conservation Society bought the building from the nuns.

Location: 300 Augusta, San Antonio
Phone: (210) 224-1848
Website: www.swschool.org

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