San Antonio, one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, still maintains the small-town feel within its big city borders. It’s a place full of history, culture, and art and well known for the Alamo, Fiesta Texas, the Riverwalk, and home of Chicano art.  

Today I am enjoying a jaunt along our iconic Riverwalk, passing by shops, restaurants, beautiful architecture, museums, and art galleries. I’m on my way to The Art Gallery, San Antonio’s newest gallery located on West Market St. right off the Riverwalk. As I approach the 2 story Spanish home-style gallery with gleaming white stucco walls, I can’t help but see a canvas upon which the landscape has been painted. The small front courtyard feels open and spacious, belying the fact that it was a parking lot barely 3 years ago. The 2nd-floor terrace has the most embellishment with wrought iron railing and a few sitting nooks. I can hear them inviting me to come up, have a seat, and enjoy the landscape San Antonio has to offer.

At the arched entryway, I’m greeted by the business duo behind The Art Gallery, Mina Trahan and Isabelle Lea. Both women are San Antonio transplants - Mina from New Orleans and Isabelle from Iowa. She laughs when I asked her where in Iowa and simply says, “a small town no one's heard of.” As I’m guided through the gallery, I’m once again struck by how spacious the inside is. I start my questions off by asking who designed the building and how they managed the illusion of space. Mina’s answer was surprising as she explains that she designed the building herself. “I’ve always had an interest in architecture,” she explains, as she lists off the handful of classes she’s taken on the subject.

We make our way from the perimeter of the main gallery towards the center; while, Isabelle tells me how she and Mina met during a studio art class at Tulane University. “It was my first year and Mina’s second,” she begins and tells how they bonded over mutual frustration for their roommates. By the following year, they were not only best friends and roommates but beginning to discuss a business partnership. “I don’t know if we intended to be serious, but when Mina finished her degree in Art History and Studio art, she stayed another year to take architecture and building design classes.” We further discuss the design of the gallery, including the clever use of lighting, the 2nd-floor balcony, and how the art on either floor can be seen from either floor. 
 
At the center of the gallery is the featured artist; this month is Isabelle Lea. The first thing you see is her concept art adorning the outside of temporary walls that form a large circle. Alongside the concept-pieces are images of Isabelle working, biographical information, and various color palettes. “I play a lot with color,” Isabelle explains, “these are what I make to develop the pallet for a specific piece.” She goes on to explain that she doesn’t paint the colors she sees but the colors she feels. I was pleased to see that the art I saw at the debut last week was as powerful now as it was then. Isabelle admits her inspiration for colors comes from Jan Davidsz de Heem, a Dutch painter who was part of the Vanitas art movement. “Vanitas was the first art that I really fell in love with,” Isabelle says as she points out various elements of her own work that are heavily influenced by Vanitas symbology. The paintings themselves are a study in allegory and tell a story that changes with each telling. Isabelle describes her own art as “a symbolic representation of the world I see that provides multiple storylines for those seeing it.”

The tour continues upstairs, and I continue to admire the art Mina has chosen to curate in The Art Gallery and how she has chosen to display it. Everything from the paintings on the walls to the small and large sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, and more are displayed in a way that takes nothing away from the art around it but accentuating the beauty of each piece. We sit in one of the nooks on the terrace overlooking the courtyard, and I am pleased to see the landscape is as beautiful as was promised earlier when I noticed the seating. My next burning question is the meaning of the name “The Art Gallery” and when both women laugh, I know it’s going to be a good story. “We tossed names at each other for months,” Isabelle begins. “We couldn’t agree, so one Friday, I said ‘if we don’t pick a name by Monday we’re calling it The Art Gallery’” finished Mina with a firm nod as the women begin laughing again. “Mina doesn’t make empty threats,” Isabelle says on a breath. It’s this sense of humor and teamwork that has gotten this pair of women through thick and thin over the years.

We decided to finish the interview at Schilo’s, a nice German restaurant just behind the gallery. After we’ve settled in and ordered, I ask the women what brought them to San Antonio. “We threw a dart,” Mina says simply. My look of confusion prompted Isabelle to explain further, “We didn’t know where we wanted to go, only that we didn’t want to stay in New Orleans or go to Iowa, so Mina put a world map up on the wall and I threw a dart at it.” Mina interrupts Isabelle’s version of the story and elaborates, “I blindfolded her first… spun her around 3 times and took cover.” When the dart landed on Texas, they each listed off their top 5 cities, and San Antonio was on both lists.

With a mix of expertise, the unconventional, and luck, these two women have created an art gallery that is successful and memorable. Before parting for the day, I ask both women one last question: what their favorite and least favorite mythical creatures are. Mina’s response is immediate, “land spirits and pixies” respectively, and doesn’t elaborate on her reasons. Isabelle’s response is slower to come, “Dragons because they're cool, I guess, and I’ve always wanted to paint one.  And werewolves because werewolf fiction just irritates me!”

The next time you find yourself on the Riverwalk near West Market St make sure to stop in The Art Gallery for an almost magical experience of local art, scenic views, and relaxing atmosphere.