Public artist JEFRË presents second lecture in UTSA College of Architecture series
By Nicole Chavez

Orlando, Fla. artist JEFRË, renowned worldwide for his intriguing public art, will present the second installment of the UTSA College of Architecture’s Fall Lecture Series. JEFRË has been selected as part of a national call for artists to design and install a public artwork for the City of San Antonio’s new Public Safety Headquarters — his lecture is co-sponsored by UTSA and Public Art San Antonio (PASA), a division of the City of San Antonio’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26 in the Aula Canaria, Buena Vista Bldg. #1.328, on the UTSA Downtown Campus.

“San Antonio has become a destination for projects and for opportunities in a way that it never was,” said Jimmy LeFlore, Public Art Manager. “Having an artist, especially one with a degree in architecture and fine art like JEFRË, look at our city to create something that will promote greater appreciation is something that we [at PASA] are aspiring to do. The civic spaces that make up our city are only increased in value when we look at them through an artistic lens.”

JEFRË’s lecture, “heART in the landscape,” is an exceptional opportunity for the San Antonio community to learn about an artist who is in the process of designing an important piece of public art within our city. JEFRË will discuss his perspective as a working public artist and the motivation behind his work, in addition to providing details about past projects and his approach to working on the Public Safety Headquarters opportunity. The Public Safety Headquarters project will create much-improved facilities for the City of San Antonio’s Police and Fire Departments, providing the opportunity for joint operations and shared common spaces. The building is located across from the UTSA Downtown Campus between Santa Rosa and Urban Loop, and Nueva and W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. It is currently under construction, and is projected to open in late summer 2012.

Interestingly enough, JEFRË has spent a considerable amount of time in his recent public art career working on projects in the general field of public safety. Utilizing his degrees in Landscape Architecture and Fine Arts, he has worked on public art projects in London, Rome, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Australia, Abu Dhabi, and Iceland, among other locations. His design solutions originate from fully understanding historical, environmental, social, and contextual relationships influencing the site and the architecture.

“This lecture provides the general public with a reminder as to why art and architecture have always been, and should continue to be, so closely aligned in the pursuit of effective development of the built environment,” commented Dr. John Murphy, Dean, College of Architecture at UTSA.

For more information about the lecture series contact Nicole Chavez at nicole.chavez@utsa.edu.

Fall lecture schedule:
Oct. 26 — JEFRË
Nov. 16 — Mario Coyula Cowley
Nov. 30 — Erhard An-He Kinzelbach