Jose Cosme

Jose Cosme grew up in Puerto Rico and San Antonio. In San Antonio, he’s lived on the South, East, North, and West sides, but considers the Westside home. Cosme remembers making art ever since he was little: tracing pictures in the condensation on old refrigerators, molding faces of mud, building structures out of sticks, and winning elementary school poster contests. Once afternoon, his mother showed one of his drawings to his grandfather, Art Gutierrez. Art took one look and said “One day, he’ll be a great artist.” Cosme stored this memory away as a guiding light. To this day, he still says “Art saved my life.”
       In high school, Cosme started working with Andy Benavides from the 1906 Gallery. Benavides referred Cosme to San Anto Cultural Arts, where he started working as a volunteer on mural projects. Everything for Everyone and Nothing for Ourselves was Cosme’s first mural as a lead artist. He then went on to co-lead Seeds of Solidarity with Mary Agnes Rodriguez and lead Trinity Street on his own. Cosme was also involved as a tour guide and spokesperson for San Anto, overcoming his natural shyness with his strong belief in the mission of San Anto Cultural Arts.