Ethel Shipton Discusses Artistic Practice and Community Building in San Antonio Interview

An interview with artist Ethel Shipton explores her multifaceted career and contributions to the San Antonio art community. Shipton, born in Laredo, Texas, earned a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989. Her artistic practice spans painting, installation, photography, and text, often examining everyday moments. She has held roles including executive director of Sala Diaz and chief preparer at Ruby City. The conversation highlights her founding of The Project Room (1998-2000), an artist-run space in the Blue Star Arts Complex that hosted single-night exhibitions to foster experimentation. Shipton describes San Antonio as a collaborative environment where artists readily support each other's projects. Her early work includes the 1997 "You Are Here" series, where she installed photographs and signs on bus benches to draw attention to overlooked urban spaces, later creating sculptural versions and giving away keychains to promote accessibility. Other notable works discussed include "Los Dos Laredos" (2014), a serigraph addressing border politics, and "Cambio/Change" (2020), which uses Coca-Cola typography to comment on change. Shipton participated in a 2017 Berlin residency through Blue Star Contemporary and Künstlerhaus Bethanien, producing works inspired by found text. She emphasizes that her art responds to cultural, political, and environmental stimuli. Regarding Sala Diaz, she notes its history as a nonprofit gallery encouraging experimental installations, such as those by Judith Cortell and The Art Guys, with a focus on community and minimal restrictions. Shipton balances her institutional work with personal studio practice, finding inspiration across all aspects of her life. The interview, part of Glasstire's 25th-anniversary series, was conducted by Colette Copeland and lightly edited for clarity.