Changing the landscape with art

Sandra Gonzalez is passionate about art and challenging her students at Roosevelt High School to express themselves creatively. She hopes that by exposing them to some of her professional art projects outside the classroom, they can be inspired. It’s definitely making an impact, especially since her career has gotten big...in more ways than one.

If you’ve ever been to Laredo or Corpus Christi, you’ve probably seen some of her work. Sandra has painted several large-scale murals across those cities that represent the communities, culture and people.

She learned the technique while living in Philadelphia, where she was studying to get her master’s degree. But she made it back to the Texas as soon as she could, and specifically to San Antonio.

“I came here for a high school field trip when I was living in Laredo, for an art competition, and I really fell in love with the city,” said Gonzalez. “I always knew that some day I was going to end up here.”

It was a high school art teacher who first inspired her to seriously pursue art, and now as a high school teacher herself, she wants to return the favor for her students.

“I teach my students to be persistent and disciplined. I tell them, this applies to any career you would like to pursue. And I just encourage them.”

She invites them to work side by side with her on some of her murals so they can see it grow from an idea to planning and execution. They also get to see what type of impact the finished piece can have on a community.

Last year, she had the opportunity to paint one of the murals in Uvalde dedicated to the lives lost in the Uvalde school shooting. She was chosen to paint the mural in honor of teacher Eva Mireles.

“As a teacher and a muralist, it was important for me to honor the life of a teacher who was passionate about education and died as a hero.”

With the help of some of her students and fellow art teachers, Sandra completed the mural in five days. In the painting titled “Shine Bright Like a Diamond,” Mireles was surrounded by her favorite colors, flowers, glowing mountains and diamond hills.

Most recently, Sandra and her husband and fellow artist, Malachy McKinney, painted a mural for the San Antonio International Airport titled “Culture, Color and Traditions of San Antonio.” With more than eight million people traveling through that airport each year, it will likely have the biggest exposure of any of her pieces.

Another favorite is a mural she painted in Laredo titled “El Abrazo.” Meaning “the hug,” the picture depicts two young children embracing with one representing Mexico and one representing the United States.

“That’s a very special one to me, and it means a lot to the people in that community.”

Art has the ability to bring people together, communicate a feeling or thought, and even heal.

Her students are learning that while it is challenging, the benefits of creative expression are far reaching.

They are winning art competitions, getting accepted to colleges and enjoying successful careers. Along the way, they are also finding their voice, just like Sandra did.

Art helped Sandra express herself when she was first learning English as a child. It allowed her to process her grief when she lost her beloved grandmother. It gave her a chance to celebrate different cultures and communities. It even introduced her to her husband.

She knows that her students go through many life challenges as well, and by encouraging them to express themselves, they will hopefully find what inspires them.

So whether it is a mural taking up the entire side of a building, or a small canvas, like the one displayed in her classroom of her grandmother, Sandra will continue to create art and inspire the next generation of artists.