“Brigid’s Garden: From the Blue Hole and Beyond”

Texas is a vast landscape: The Big Bend, The Gulf Coast, The Piney Woods, perhaps even the shimmering skylines of Houston or Dallas. Consider, however, the urban parks, the small natural oases that sometimes struggle to exist within the confines of our freeways and commercial developments. “Brigid’s Garden” is an exhibition that strives to honor these smaller places and the people who diligently work to protect them. This show is a collection of photographs that traveler the headwaters of the San Antonio River, a 53-acre sanctuary of natural springs, creeks, hiking paths, and forest that are nestled within the grounds of the Incarnate World community. This small preserve called Headwaters Sanctuary lies in the heart of San Antonio and tended by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, through their nonprofit organization, the Headwaters Coalition.

The Blue Hole, which is the largest of many springs within the Sanctuary, is considered by most to be the source of the San Antonio River. It predates the earliest human activity in in the region and its cultural veracity is perhaps larger than the river itself. As artists, we were excited to interpret a natural area that we knew existed in our neighborhood, but had not explored. All the photographs in this exhibit are silver-gelatin prints and were produced using large format cameras, sheet film, and a great deal of patience.

As we worked through the seasons and over a year, we began to intimately understand the character of this Sanctuary. Landscapes, like people, are very complex and both take time to reveal their secrets. We found the Headwaters to be no different. As the project progressed, we discovered a particular richness in the Sanctuary’s filtered morning light. It became our artist pallet, a conversation between us and the landscape itself. In many ways, “Brigid’s Garden” took us on a journey of quiet reflection, and, in time, gave up a few of her secrets within the boundaries of this busy community.

One of the many elements that attracted us to the Headwaters was the abundance of water. Initially the natural springs were plentiful and mysterious. Their strength of current and insistence were impressive and, in some areas, you could witness the springs fighting against the concrete that was attempting to contain them. Unfortunately, as the 2011 drought grew more intense, the springs dried up. Until the rains return, the water will no longer flow from the Blue Hole. The intersection between this once raging current and Olmos Creek is now a dry, rocky, river bed.

Water is life and watching it slowly vanish is foreboding. Fortunately, Mother Nature is resilient and we hope that through these photographs we are able to introduce the Headwater’s distance beauty.

Carra Garza and Vincent Mariano