Commissioned as part of San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebration in 2018, “Stargazer (Citlali)” is a 16-foot-tall sculpture that has been carved out of volcanic rock by sculptor Pedro Reyes. The giant female figure holds a tiny marble star in her hand, allowing audiences to interpret the piece and pose in many different ways.
Reyes mentioned that one of his goals with the piece was to see it connect to the environment, history, and people of San Antonio, inherently making it part of the culture and community. He has won international attention for large-scale projects that address current social and political issues. He explores the power of individual and collective organization to incite change through communication, creativity, pleasure, and humor. “Stargazer (Citlali)” portrays all of these elements in ways that create engagement with audiences.
The star in the figure’s hand can be interpreted in many ways. “Citlali” means “star” in Nahuatl (an Aztec language), which is also the indigenous language of Reyes’ hometown Mexico City. The 
star and figure represent the solitary nature of people, but their connection in form and figure symbolizes connectivity across time and space. This all-encompassing connection has proven to attract national and international interest.
Taking great pride in how the piece has enriched the city, the sculpture has become a prominent feature of the San Antonio Riverwalk, which has been described as the heart of the city. By providing such a prominent feature with a whole new means of independent identity, “Stargazer (Citlali)” showcases the power of monuments to enable physical and emotional connections with audiences.
