To claim a find on this virtual geocache, please post a photograph of the Arbol de la Vida: Voces de Tierra sculpture from the coordinates of the virtual geocache. You may chose to be in the photograph, or not.
Logging requirements: if you are unable to take a photograph: stand at the listed coordinates with your back towards the sculpture. You will see a sign nearby. Please e-mail the answer to one or all of the following questions: 1. What distance is indicated? (miles or kilometers) 2. What is the destination pointed to by the arrow? 3. What two symbols are at the bottom of the sign? Please do not post answers in your log - send them to me.
Margarita Cabrera's community public art project -"Arbol de la Vida: Voces de Tierra"- is a gift of the Ramona and Lee Bass Family in partnership with the San Antonio Fiver Foundation and the City of San Antonio's Department of Arts & Culture. This Tree of Life stands over 40 feet tall and 80 feet wide and has over 700 clay sculptures hanging from its branches. The individual clay pieces, which vary in size from less than a foot in diameter to double that size, celebrate the ranching heritage of the San Antonio area and the historic role of the missions in local culture. Made by the community for the community, each unique clay piece was sculpted by hand and represents an aspect of San Antonio’s three-hundred-year history.
Before construction began, nationally recognized artist Margarita Cabrera hosted dialogues with the public to hear their stories of ranching and of their community’s life in San Antonio. This public art project is truly a community effort involving over 700 people in the creation of the clay pieces inspired by their very own personal stories. Members of the public were invited to create the sculptures that make up the City's Arbol de la Vida - Voces de la Tierra. Many of the community partipants from diverse communities and multi-generations, some of them public school children, had no previous experience creating clay sculptures and have come to realive just how talented and creative they can be.
The location of the project, adjacent to the Spanish colonial Mission San Francisco de la Espada, is one of the four missions that make up the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. It was the only San Antonio mission where bricks and tiles were made. On July 5, 2015 Mission Espada, along with three other San Antonio Missions (San Juan, San Jose and Concepcion), was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
This public artwork was installed in 2018 – the 300th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio.
Pets are allowed on the grounds of the Mission as long as they are on a leash or carried, but they are not allowed inside any buildings. Please keep control of your pets and clean up after them.
There is no cost to visit Mission San Francisco de Espada. Parking is free. Visitors are welcome from sunrise to sunset. Virtual Reward - 2017/2018 This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.