Joe R. Villarreal — Born and still living in San Antonio, he has been creating art since the age of three. He has created and has been recognized for many of the cultural pieces he has painted. Some of his paintings were part of the PBS special, “The Mexican Americans” that aired in August 2000. One of his paintings was converted into a cartoon image which was used on “King of the Hill,” a national tv show. Some of Mr. Villarreal’s work includes a painting that is 6′ x 15′ feet and was created for the halls of the new Texas A&M University in San Antonio. He was asked to paint a portrait of Mayor Ed Garza which has been added to the “Hall of Mayors” at City Hall in San Antonio. His latest creation is a cultural type statue of “El Icecrinero” (the ice cream man). The statue is made of Steel, concrete and ceramic tile. It stands over 13 feet tall and weighs over a ton. He has been working on this for seven years. This incredible masterpiece will be unveiled by the end of 2018. This is a must see. This piece is breathtaking. It captures the heart of San Antonio’s culture. Mr. Villarreal has created some amazing pieces but by far, this has to be his best work.
