Mike Casey, the longtime San Antonio arts patron and “Mayor of Southtown,” passed away on October 18 after a long illness, according to multiple sources. He was 85.
Before he moved to San Miguel de Allende, Casey was an impossible-to-miss fixture of the King William neighborhood. He could frequently be seen whether pedaling a bicycle or cruising in Maude, his 1950s Nash Rambler, always immaculately dressed in natty suits, bow ties, and his signature straw boaters.
And he was a key figure in making Southtown San Antonio’s cultural epicenter. Returning from the Vietnam War in the early ‘70s, he bought homes in King William long before the prices surged, eventually renting the spaces to artists for a fraction of the market rates.
The enclave on Stieren Street became known as the Compound, housing experimental art space Sala Diaz and Casa Chuck, a residency honoring the late artist Chuck Ramirez. The cheap rent at the Compound afforded many local artists the ability to grow their practices.
“His generosity sure was infectious,” visual artist and Sala Diaz Director Ethel Shipton told the San Antonio Current. “A lot of us who were in contact with Mike Casey took him as an inspiration to pay it forward. … He gave a lot of people a place to grow.”
In addition to supporting the arts as a landlord, he offered pro bono legal help to many San Antonio artists and served on the boards of King William Association, Blue Star Contemporary, and Sala Diaz.
San Antonio’s arts community returned the affection. For his 80th birthday in 2021, nearly 30 local artists created Casey-inspired works for an exhibition at Blue Star, and a celebration at the Espee Pavilion featured a fashion show based on his legendary wardrobe.
Since learning of his passing, a flood of tributes has flooded in from some of San Antonio’s most notable figures, including former mayor Ron Nirenberg, Sandra Cisneros, and scores of local artists. Casey is survived by his husband, artist Jose Chapa. A local memorial service has yet to be announced.