San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Southside artist Castro honors puro traditions in art
As a self-proclaimed “queen of tacos” on her social media accounts, it should come as no surprise that Isabel Ann Castro is San Antonio as heck. She hails from the Southside and often uses her experiences growing up in San Antonio to inspire her creativity, which comes in the form of illustrations and zines (as a powerhouse behind St. Sucia and the San
Anto Zine Fest). You may have seen some of her art around town or somewhere on your news feed and felt a sense of home.
Though she often expresses interests and hobbies similar to other San Antonians, such as her love for Star Wars, she’s used her platform to not only show off her art, but give visibility to locals like her, fellow community members who are resilient as can be and puro for life. So if you see a drawing that reminds you of Sundays with your family or date nights with your best friends or boo, don’t be surprised if it’s a Castro original.
Catch up with Castro below.
Q: What do you find in your part of town that you don't find anywhere else?
A: Pre-COVID, I went to a Gardening 101 class at Eco-Centro across from San Antonio College. We were all standing outside in the garden and we went around and said our names and what part of town we were from. I was the only Southsider.
One of the very cool, knowledgeable gardeners teaching the class said, “OH! YOU HAVE THE BEST DIRT!” or something like that. It hyped me up for the rest of the day. She had to talk to other people about mending their soil or how to get through limestone. Later, I came home and told my mom and she was also proud of our dirt too. We grow a lot of things we eat on our property and we’re very fortunate for that. So every once in a while, I’ll say, “Yeeeeeeah, check out that dirt!”
Q: Where is your “third place” that you enjoy spending time at when you're not at home or work?
A:
My best friend Natasha lives over on the Eastside, like downtown Eastside. It’s changed a lot over the years, but there are still some folks holding it down. We’re mostly on her porch and talking, but it’s where a lot of our creative ideas come to light. Our zine, St. Sucia, was mostly edited and curated from that porch. We also just hang out, listen to records, play games and stuff.
Recently, a house on the next block was having a birthday party and mariachis were in the front yard playing and singing. We grabbed our drinks and walked over to the VIA bus stop catty corner to get a better view. As Natasha danced and I clapped along, I just felt so grateful for her friendship and her neighborhood.
Q: If you had two hours to show a visitor around, where would you take them?
A:
Starting with the Espada Acequia. Drive by and look at Mission San Jose and Confluence Park to visit the San Antonio River Watershed Wall. Followed by picking up an iced latte from Eightball
Coffee, a driving tour of the Westside murals and a visit to Friends of Sound Records.
Q: What's your ideal day look like in your part of San Antonio?
A:
The ideal day is Sunday. Light breakfast with coffee and pan dulce from Fiesta Bakery. Then heading over to the Mission pulga with my little cart and cash in my pocket. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I’ll know it when I see it. I really enjoy walking around with my boyfriend drinking an agua fresca and buying stuff from plants to VHS tapes. Stopping off at different vendors I know to say hello.
Then back to the house for a quick nap. When I wake up, my tio is home from the pulga too and grilling. He’s drinking beer and singing along to his little radio as the dogs watch him turn meat over. We’ll have dinner and then sit outside in our lawn chairs for a while as the sun sets. Listen to the wind, birds, insects. Oh, and the cars racing on Loop 410.
Q: Are there any businesses or projects you'd like to see introduced to your area?
A: I’d like to see lowaccess housing for our houseless neighbors.
They desperately need shelter and resources.
Q: What's one word you'd use to describe your part of town? A: Rasquache.
Q: How has your San Antonio changed?
A: There’s a lot of changes happening around the city. Everything being built lately is beige, white, and gray. I can’t live like that. I was raised around bright yellow tire shops with red and blue lettering. I need color in my life.
What's your go-to breakfast taco order and from where?
A: Bacon and egg from Rocky’s Taco House.
Q: How does San Antonio inspire you?
A: The city and the people inspire my work a lot. I see or hear things happen daily that I stop and write down to think about and draw later. Even when I did commission work, I would pull from all those things I saw from around town and put them into a project.
Q: What's your favorite street in San Antonio?
A:
Q: Say you have a hot date this week. Which local haunts would you take them to?
A:
South Flores.
COVID left me immunocompromised so I can only really mess with places with patios now. My novio planned our six-year anniversary dinner at Best Quality Daughter last month. A summer breeze kept us cool as we enjoyed our delicately-prepared meal and drinks. Shoutout to John and everybody at BQD. It was very delicious and close to the free parking lot.
Taking the scenic route down Roosevelt to Presa House Gallery early to check out art before the crowd shows up. Then picking up dinner from the taco truck that chills outside of the SE Military Drive Pep Boys before going home to relax.
Q: What's your San Antonio pet peeve?
A: People don’t use their blinkers.
Q: If you're from here, have you ever lived somewhere else? What brought you back?
A: My boyfriend is from Los Angeles. We met through mutual friends and hung out while I was in L.A. a couple times and hit it off. We started dating long distance and took turns visiting each other and it got serious. He took a big chance on me, leaving behind his whole life and everything he knew to come to San Antonio. He quickly fell in love with my hometown and the people. I don’t think I would have thrived if it was the other way around.
Q: What do you think the AT&T Center should be renamed as?
A: I think it should pay homage to Handy-Andy, Piggly Wiggly and H-E-B. Call it “The Andy’s Wiggly Butt Center.”
Q: Is there an underrated San Antonio artist/place/thing that you'd like to shout out?
A: I gotta go with my fellow Southsider Carlos Aguilar (@zombustudio). For years, Carlos has been producing comics and zines. Sometimes it’s very personal and full of anxiety. His work can be fun or intense, wild sci-fi. I think his most recent release was a comic called The Strip, about a woman named Amy’s night on the St. Mary’s Strip.