After being an “on and off” artist for the past few decades, Cristina Sosa Noriega devoted herself fully to her craft when she quit her job in education about a year ago. Now Noriega is hard at work opening a new artist studio in the heart of the Westside.
“I finally committed,” Noriega says with a laugh. “It’s been a really transformative year.”
A San Antonio native who focuses on portraits and murals, Noriega says opportunities over the past year, including a piece dedicated to Uvalde victim Ameri Joe Garza, have allowed her to meet a variety of artists in need of a studio. Lucky for her, Noriega has come across a prime Westside property where she plans to make it all happen.
This spring, Noriega will unveil Palacio de Palomas, a collective art studio and gallery.
“It literally looks like a palace. It looks like a Barbie dream house. It stands out a lot for the neighborhood,” she says, noting that it looks similar to many homes in Mexico. “It’s also because there were a hundred pigeons living in the attic.”
The view from the chandelier at Pigeon Palace.
Cristina Sosa NoriegaTransforming the Tamale House
Noriega bought the 2,800-square-foot property (at 603 S. San Joaquin Ave. San Antonio, TX 78237) in December 2022, but is making rapid progress restoring the space, which she says hasn’t been used in about a year.
Noriega says the property was the former home of the family behind the San Antonio chain Delicious Tamales. During the buying process, she says she was able to meet many of the family members who attended Kennedy High like her husband.
“One of the sons says his parents were driving [the chandeliers] in their station wagon across the border, I can totally picture that in my head,” she says. “If only these walls could talk.”
Known as the “tamale house” to many in the neighborhood, Noriega appreciates the home’s distinctive character, such as the different-sized doors and steps. Still, she has the studio in mind with choices like ditching the vinyl tile and opting for a stained concrete floor. As it is, Noriega says the space is stunning with an abundance of windows and access to natural light.
“You immediately feel it when you walk in,” she says.
This spring, artist Cristina Sosa Noriega will open Palacio de Palomas, a collective art studio and gallery.
Cristina Sosa NoriegaCreativity cannot be a home for artists
Noriega wants other local artists to have a similar feel to the space. One local artist, Southwest School of Art instructor Lacey B. Mills, has already committed to making the Palacio de Palomas his artistic home, and Noriega is eager to round up a variety of artists. Ultimately, Noriega wants the in-house artists to create a schedule of classes for each of them so they can share their craft with community members.
“I want to bring more people into this community and bring more events,” she says.
In addition, Noriega wants to be able to host external events at the Palacio de Palomas. While it doesn’t plan to officially debut in the space until April or May, it already has an event on the calendar. Featuring the work of Del Rio artist Chris Escobar, a fundraising event will benefit Escobar’s daughter, Cristina Escobar Pacheco. The young woman, who lives in Pleasanton, had complications after giving birth last year and developed toxic shock syndrome, which led to the amputation of her arms and legs. All proceeds from the February 11 event will benefit Pacheco.
“Although [Escobar is] he’s not a studio artist, he’s someone I know,” says Noriega. “As artists, we want to help each other. There is a community.”
Noriega’s plan is to get involved and give back to the community as much as possible, especially through a presence on the Westside.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home previously belonged to the family behind Delicious Tamales.
Cristina Sosa Noriega
The space is filled with natural light and will be available for use by artists later this spring.
Cristina Sosa Noriega
View from inside Palacio de Palomas. Courtesy of Cristina Sosa Noriega.
“The location is very significant because there’s nothing that far west, but still in the heart of the Westside,” she says, noting how many of the Westside’s cultural attributes are close to downtown. “I want to bring a new audience here, new people to see how beautiful it is and how much there is to appreciate here.”
As she continues to furnish the space and prepare for its opening this spring, she is ready to share the Palacio de Palomas with San Antonio. Anyone who wants to tour the space can simply message her on Instagram to do so.
“I feel so lucky to have got this place,” she says. “I know it will have a very vibrant future.”