Neighbors,

Many of you have asked, “What is this place, … all this art?”

This is the residence of Roy R. Barrera Sr. (Attorney and Texas Secretary of State) and wife Carmen Zendejas Barrera. They named it The Villa del Carmen. It is 6 acres.

By their generosity it is also The Villa del Carmen ’Sculpture Conservatory’ and is home for The Sculptors Dominion International, Inc. 501c3, (SDI); it being named and founded by their son sculptor/artist Gilbert E. Barrera.

By his passion, the reality of SDI’s flagship program has exceeded all imaginings. It is The Sculptors Invitational, which is open to the public right here each spring - all four April weekends, 8 shows - and year around you can also tour by appointment.

Since 2003 The Sculptors Invitational uniquely specializes in big “outdoor sculpture” ‘only’ - as it is the rarest of the traditional arts of antiquity - and it is the hardest of the visual arts to create, finance and place - categorically it is the most underserved worldwide of the classical and contemporary arts. Globally few arts organizations have met this challenge in their mission statement.

In history no successful civilization has come, or come and gone, without being manifest by great landmarks of big outdoor sculpture. Thus for the Barrera’s and SDI it is worthy to foster and sponsor. It is culturally important to all communities as well as nations, and so we are internationally driven to exhibit sculpture by other nationalities as well as local career talent.

SDI in part funds this valuable sculpture conservatory by membership and an annual gala. You can participate. The Sculptors Gala is held each year on the last Saturday’s evening of March. You can join us in celebration and support of outdoor sculpture. You can join our membership. Attend our shows.

SDI fulfills our key educational mission through its free school kids tours, (now over 5000 children have enjoyed big outdoor sculpture for their first time) and through a new Kids Sculpture Camp, [each June]; finally our educational mission is served by new workshops to adults [each October].

Our newest program is an International Sculptor in Residence program where we house sculptors from other countries in our studio while they build onsite a permanent sculpture for the show and neighborhood. So far we have served, India, Germany, France and Turkey.

So this is professional outdoor sculpture from all over the world. It is more variety and quantity than almost any venue you can think of. Right here in your neighborhood you can practice global art appreciation. Enjoy it, just by looking over the fence. Got culture? …yes, you do now, and its next door to you.

Thank you,

Gilbert E Barrera, Sculptor