Unknown (2018, January). A Great Surprise for Westside Development Corporation. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2GEpgI9
“When a previous high-impact grant recipient withdrew their acceptance of the grant due to federal legislative changes, The City of San Antonio Westside Development Corporation (WDC) was elated to hear that they were going to receive the full $100K grant for their La Printería project. The project had been presented to Impact SA members at the 2016 Grant Award Night.
“I was floored. It was a pleasant, delightful surprise,” said WDC President Leonard Rodriguez. Founder and Director Harvey Mireles added, “Not only was I surprised, but I can’t remember the last time I felt like that.”
La Printería is a cultural, social and business enterprise focused on fine art printmaking. Although the programs are open to all, the nonprofit targets at-risk youth living in an economically challenged area of San Antonio. WDC aims to bring economic development and training to the West Side, and they believe art can be the impetus.
Located at the Alamo Colleges Westside Education & Training Center, La Printería’s studio has printmaking equipment that rivals or exceeds that found at other area colleges. The large art gallery allows artists to exhibit their work. Students can attend workshops to learn about printmaking techniques and how to use the equipment, schedule studio time and learn how to publish limited-edition prints of their work.
WDC expects to leverage the grant dollars to give La Printería a permanent presence in San Antonio.
Mr. Mireles said, “We have an eventual goal of not being grant-dependent, and the Impact SA grant funds will help us develop a plan for stability, longevity and sustainability.”
Mr. Rodriguez added, “Receiving this grant will put La Printería in the limelight. It will garner the interest of the art community in San Antonio, allow us to build new relationships and ultimately help address the issues affecting the community.”
And this is all made possible by the members of Impact San Antonio.”
