Little Amal: a place to call my own

Join us for an evening at Confluence Park on Sunday, October 22nd, as we embark on a unique journey alongside Little Amal, the beloved 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Muslim girl and Syrian refugee. Amal, whose name means “Hope” in Arabic, sheds light on the challenges faced by immigrants worldwide and encourages advocacy and strengthens awareness, empathy and conversation around the global refugee crisis. 

Follow Little Amal on her quest for a place to rest her feet as she meanders through the landscapes of Confluence Park encountering hundreds of small, intricately crafted cardboard houses, each one representing the dreams of those seeking a home. As she traverses the park, attendees are invited to pick up the tiny dwellings and join the procession, creating a village for Little Amal at the end of the evening. 

As part of Amal Walks Across America, a 6000+ mile journey taking place this fall between Boston and San Diego, a place to call my own is a community-based performance project designed and organized by artists Ashley Mireles and Anthony Rundblade for Little Amal (The Walk), with support from the San Antonio River Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, City Council District 3, City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, and countless members of the San Antonio community. 

About Little Amal

Little Amal is the 12 foot puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee child at the heart of The Walk. She has become a global symbol of human rights, especially those of refugees.

Since July 2021, Amal has travelled over 6,000 miles to 97 towns and cities in 15 countries and been welcomed by more than a million people on the street, including hundreds of artists and civil society and faith leaders, as well as by tens of millions online. Her journeys are festivals of art and hope that draw attention to the huge numbers of children fleeing war, violence and persecution, each with their own story. Her urgent message to the world is “Don’t forget about us”.

Between 7 September and 5 November 2023, Amal is journeying 6,000 miles across the United States in one of the largest free public festivals ever created. More than 35 towns and cities from Boston to San Diego and 1,000+ artists and arts organizations will create 100+ free public events to welcome her.

About Ashley Mireles

Ashley Mireles is an artist, educator, and native San Antonian. Ashley focuses her practice on access by developing and organizing creative projects for regional institutions and community spaces in Central Texas. Ashley is a Friends of San Antonio Public Library Arts & Letters Award recipient, San Antonio Area Foundation Artist Fellow, NALAC Leadership Institute Fellow, and Public Art Curator at the San Antonio River Foundation. She has previously served as the Education and Community Programs Manager for Artpace San Antonio, Co-Director of La Printería, and Artist Mentor for the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Immigrant Artist Mentorship program. Her works can be found at and in the collections of Artpace San Antonio, Hardberger Park Tobin Land Bridge, Mexic-Arte Museum, National Museum of Mexican Art, Texas Christian University Print Collection, University of Texas Libraries Special Collections, Walt Disney Company, Zuckerman Museum of Art, and the San Antonio River Walk.

About Anthony Rundblade

Anthony Rundblade works and lives in San Antonio, TX. Rundblade works in sculpture, installation, and print. He earned his BFA with a focus in printmaking from The University of Texas at San Antonio and his MFA in Studio Arts from the University of Texas – Austin. Before entering his MFA candidacy, Rundblade worked as a Studio Technician and Studio Manager at the Artpace Residency Program (2014-2019). In addition, Rundblade has had several solo exhibitions between San Antonio and Austin, including Cloak Dagger Parallel Meridians (2017), Catastrophe Parade (2018), & Nearer Midnight (2019), along with collaborative and group exhibitions like Wild Ruins, Wild Orientations (2023), Bush League (2018), Doom & Bloom (2022) and Common Currents (2018).