Category: art exhibitions

From Cowboy Culture to Contemporary Art: A Guide to the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Upcoming Events

Killers of the Flower Moon is the next movie in the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Film Series. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

As summer heats up, there’s nowhere better to stay cool than the Briscoe Western Art Museum, where it’s always 70 degrees. Families can unleash cool fun and learning to keep kids engaged and educated, while adults can enjoy the flavors of West in a special after hours mezcal tasting. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2024)

From free locals days, hands-on education sessions and story fun to wild documentaries and art, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Paired with new works on view and the blockbuster summer exhibition, Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Briscoe is the cool place to be to survive the summer.

Programs include:

Trade Talks – Trades of the West: The Art, Culture and Craft of Mezcal with Bruxo Founders Santiago Barreiro and Luis Edwardo Manrique and Flavors from Cuishe Cocina Mexicana

Thursday, August 22, 6p.m. – 9p.m., $60 per person, $30 for Briscoe members
Must be 21 and older to attend.

Experience the cool flavors of summer in this informative, educational and immersive program celebrating mezcal and the flavors of Mexico. Hear from the founders of Bruxo Mezcal as they share their stories about the people and the process of distilling this time-honored drink while enjoying samples paired with paired with traditional Oaxacan flavors through small plates of mole, bichos (bugs) and more, with a dash of sal de gusano – agave worm salt. Everyone will also enjoy light bites and small plates from Cuishe Cocina Mexicana. Advanced purchased tickets are required and include the program, mezcal tasting, light bites, small plates and specialty cocktails featuring Bruxo Mezcal, including the Mezcal Mule and Paloma Mezcal.

New Works to Enjoy: George Carlson

As the museum grows its collection, the Briscoe routinely shares newly acquired works in its first floor new works gallery. The museum is proud to share eight works by noted Western artist George Carlson. The works are gifts of Anne Postel, Estate of James Grey Postel and depict the Tarahumara people, an indigenous Mexican tribe native to the Sierra Madre Mountains, their ceremonies and daily life. Introduced to the Tarahumara in 1973, Carlson spent close to 15 years observing and documenting the tribe.

Monthly Fun: Free Admission, Scavenger Hunts and STEAM-y Hands-on Education

  • Locals Days: Free for Local Residents

First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

To thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum greets locals with free general admission on the first Sunday of each month. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2024, with free admission on September 1, October 6, November 3, and December 1. Online registration for Locals Day is recommended. And if you can’t stop in on Locals Day, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for everyone to enjoy any time.

  • Scout the Briscoe:  Free Scavenger Hunt

First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s free monthly scavenger hunt. Test your skills navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt is rewarded with a 10% discount in the Briscoe’s Hendler Family Museum Store.

  • Full STEAM Ahead: Free Educational Series

First Sunday of the month, 1p.m. – 3p.m.

Learners of all ages work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences about the American West. Each of the activities ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. Full STEAM Ahead is included with museum admission and all supplies are provided. Upcoming topics include:

  • September 1 – Full STEAM Ahead – Nature in Art

Bring nature and pottery together, learning about how Native Americans used nature for colors to create designs in their pottery. After the presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a pinch pot and decorate it with pressed flowers and leaves.

  • Storytime Stampede: Free Stories and More for Little Cowpokes

Third Saturday of the month, 10:30a.m. – 11a.m.

With stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, Storytime Stampede is timed to keep young children engaged and entertained. Adults bringing children to Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, making Storytime Stampede affordable family fun.

  • August 17: “Way Out West Lived a Coyote Named Frank” by Jillian Lund. Frank’s the coolest coyote around. Whether he’s hanging out with his friends, chasing rabbits, mixing it up with a Gila monster, or pondering the setting sun, coyote Frank is one smooth character. Grab your shades, because you’re in for a bright and colorful cruise through the desert with Frank!

Survive the Summer with Wildlife and the “Big Four”:  Through September 8

Venture where nature’s beauty and resilience take center stage during the Briscoe’s summer exhibition, Survival of the Fittest: Envisioning Wildlife and Wilderness with the Big Four, Masterworks from the Rijksmuseum Twenthe and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

The exhibition’s title references Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, which had a revolutionary impact on how people from Western cultures envisioned our relationship with the other animals on Earth. In the post-Darwin era, a group of classically trained painters now known as the “Big Four” emerged and helped establish a vision of wildlife and nature that remains with us today. German Richard Friese (1854–1918) is the Big Four’s elder, followed chronologically by Swede Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939), German Wilhelm Kuhnert (1865–1926), and German-American Carl Rungius (1869–1959).

  • Survival Screening – Texas Wildlife: Our Future, by Fin and Fur Films

Thursday, August 15, 5:30p.m. – 8 p.m., $14 General Admission, free for Briscoe members

In collaboration with KLRN, the Briscoe is proud to celebrate the natural world and wildlife of Texas with an after hours documentary screening of Texas Wildlife: Our Future by Fin and Fur Films. Join us as we explore current research and conservation efforts happening across Texas. From ocelots in the shadows down in the Rio Grande Valley to helping bats survive the increasing number of wind turbines high in the Texas sky, learn how Texans are protecting the “wild” West. Tickets for the screening are $14, with complimentary beer courtesy of Ranger Creek Brewery, wine and snacks. Museum members enjoy the screening free as part of their Briscoe membership. Tickets may be purchased online.

Make this Summer One for the Books:  Literary Cinema

The Briscoe’s Summer Movie Series explores Western movies based on popular novels on the third Sunday of each month. This summer’s screenings include a novel twist: the opportunity to win a visit to West Texas, a copy of the book featured in the movie and the chance to help fuel young readers by donating books.

All film series attendees will be entered to win a trip to stay at the Hotel Paisano in Marfa, Texas, where Hudson, Taylor and Dean stayed during the filming of Giant, the first screening in the Summer Movie Series, as well as tickets to the Museum of the Big Bend in Alpine, Texas, and dinner for two at Reata Restaurant, named after the ranch featured in Giant. A short presentation begins at 1p.m., followed immediately by the screening. Each movie is included in general museum admission, with complimentary beer courtesy of Ranger Creek Brewery, wine and movie snacks. Pre-registration through an online museum admission ticket purchase is encouraged to save your seat. Museum members enjoy the series for free as part of their Briscoe membership.

  • Briscoe Summer Film Series:  Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Sunday, August 18, 1p.m. – 4p.m., included with museum admission

Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the non-fiction book by David Grann, this Oscar-nominated film shares the story of a series of murders of members of the Osage after oil was discovered on tribal and. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lilly Gladstone. Come to the movie with three books to donate to the San Antonio Independent School District Foundation’s Book Buddies program and receive a free copy of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” filling your bookshelf while sparking a love of reading for SAISD children in grades K-8. Tickets may be purchased online to guarantee your seat.

Head West All Summer Long

The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active duty members of the military. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.

Current Highlights: What’s New at Contemporary at Blue Star This Summer

Installation view C& Center of Unfinished Business, HERE AND NOW at Museum Ludwig: Dynamic Spaces, Museum Ludwig, Cologne 2020, © Contemporary And, photo: Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln, Cologne / Nina Siefke

The Contemporary at Blue Star is excited to announce three new exhibitions, The C&s Center of Unfinished Business, Kaysaypac: Portraits and Figures by Leeanna Chipana, and Cheng Xinhao’s Silver…and Other Elements. The summer exhibitions weave an unavoidable thread that sparks conversation around the history of colonialism, its presence in contemporary life, and encourages education and dialogue. They are currently on view until October 6, 2024. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2024)

The C&s Center of Unfinished Business
Contemporary is thrilled to partner with C&, a multimedia platform for contemporary visual arts, to present the Center of Unfinished Business, a reading room that encapsulates an array of books that explore the persistence of colonialism in various ways, from its origins to how it effects people and places today. You’ll find texts on the way land and culture have been forcibly stripped from native people due to colonialism alongside texts that explore how empire-building also connects to fashion, 21st century capitalism, and more.

Launched in 2017, the Reading Room has traveled to institutions around the world. As it travels, the room integrates books from each of its host venues (and their collaborators), who add text that is relevant to the place the Reading Room inhabits. For the Contemporary’s iteration of this installation, we have partnered with the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Latino Bookstore to include texts that touch on the themes of colonialism and borders that are present in the exhibitions in the surrounding galleries.

Kaysaypac: Portraits and Figures by Leeanna Chipana
Born in Long Island, New York to an immigrant Quechuan-Peruvian father and American mother, Leeanna Chipana draws from her Quechuan and American identity by incorporating Incan, Aztec, and Mayan iconography with classical European oil painting techniques and approaches. The blending and blurring of indigenous figures and Western techniques is an effort of disrupting colonial erasure by placing Indigenous-Latinx figures at the forefront of a very Euro-centric style of painting.

The exhibition title, Kaysaypac (pronounced cow-say-pak), a nod to Chipana’s Quechuan-Peruvian heritage, is a phrase often used while making a toast or a cheers and translates to “to live/to life.” Further cementing the presence of indigenous peoples, this sentiment incorporated into the title is a dedication to the descendants of the Incans continuing to live in community, surviving colonialism and violence.

Cheng Xinhao
Silver…and Other Elements
In this four-channel film, Cheng Xinhao investigates the Mang people’s (the indigenous people living at the border of Vietnam and China) adaptation to shifting borders and changing systems. To explore this moving borderline and the migration of its people, Xinhao follows the fluctuating use of currency.

These shifting borders create a state of in-betweenness and displacement—a sentiment many border communities around the world still struggle with, and yet adapt to. Xinhao’s video raises the question: what symbols are appropriated and survive under new regimes? Will they be incorporated into existing systems, or will new forms be created?

Contemporary at Blue Star
116 Blue Star
San Antonio, TX 78204

Public visiting hours during exhibitions:
Monday – Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 12p.m. – 5p.m.
Thursday – Friday 12p.m. – 8p.m.
Saturday – Sunday 10a.m. – 6p.m.

Admission is always free.

Photo: Contemporary at Blue Star, used with permission.

Experience Xicanx Dreamers + Changemakers at Contemporary at Blue Star

Contemporary at Blue Star presents Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio. Photo: Contemporary at Blue Star

Contemporary at Blue Star is honored to present Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio, opening Friday, June 7, 2024, from 6p.m. – 9p.m. at the Contemporary. The opening night will also include a performance by Robert Jose Gonzalez at 8p.m. As the exhibition title suggests, the artists in this exhibition are dreamers and changemakers. Of Mexican American origin, they self-identify as Xicanx, a term that crosses national borders and gender lines to encompass a multi-generational experience. This exhibition uses the term Xicanx to refer to Chicano, Chicana, and Chicanx. The term reflects those who fought for and claim this designation and incorporates the ‘X’ from the Spanish transcription of the Nahuatl sound ‘ch.’ Nahuatl is one of the major Indigenous languages in Mexico. The ‘x’ on the end signals gender-neutral and non-binary inclusivity. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2024)

Opening Night: Friday, June 7, 2024 | 6p.m. – 9p.m.
Performance by Robert Jose Gonzalez at 8p.m. | Free and open to the public
On View: June 7, 2024–October 6, 2024

The original conception of this exhibition came from a desire curators Jill Baird and Greta de León had to share the overlooked histories of American civil rights, including the Chicano/a civil rights movement of the 1960s and 70s, called El Movimiento. The installation at Contemporary at Blue Star is particularly significant due to El Movimiento’s roots in San Antonio, and the West Side of the city. From fighting for labor rights to equality for students, the work of San Antonio activists (and artists) played a crucial role in El Movimiento.

Some of the artists in Xicanx, began their work as part of El Movimiento. Much of the artwork created during this time sought to do the very things that this exhibition does: educate about the social inequity of Xicanx peoples, their history, and the importance of their culture. Other artists define themselves through their indigenous roots, and a younger generation expands the idea of Xicanx Art while continuing the work of addressing personal, social, and political issues of today.

In their curatorial statement, Baird and Greta note the importance of this work, “Artists were a major and critical part of El Movimiento over 50 years ago, and they continue to be strong activists fighting for equality and against racism and discrimination. Being Chicano or Xicanx* is an identity all of the artists in this exhibition choose. It is more than being just Mexican American; it is accepting the responsibility to fight for their community, their culture and their civil rights. The artists in this exhibition are dreamers and changemakers.”

Alongside the artwork are quotes, speeches, or sayings from prominent Xicanx authors, scholars, and exhibiting artists. A projection displays the work of murals across the United States, showcasing the reach and breadth of Xicanx voices in public art.

Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio was originally produced and presented by the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC and The Americas Research Network (ARENET), and curated by Jill Baird, former Curator of Education, MOA + Greta de León, Executive Director, ARENET. The presentation at Contemporary at Blue Star has been organized in collaboration with Mary Heathcott, Executive Director Contemporary at Blue Star; Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray, Curator and Exhibitions Director, Contemporary at Blue Star; and Jon Hinojosa, President, CREO Consulting.

Contemporary at Blue Star presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change, and action, fulfilling our mission to inspire, nurture, and innovate. Like most non-collecting contemporary art spaces, the Contemporary contributes fresh insights and perspectives on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art. Admission to the Contemporary is always free.

Contemporary at Blue Star
116 Blue Star
San Antonio, TX 78204
(210) 227-6960

Public visiting hours during exhibitions:
Monday – Tuesday CLOSED
Wednesday 12p.m. – 5p.m.
Thursday – Friday 12p.m. – 8p.m.
Saturday – Sunday 10a.m. – 6p.m.

Al Rendon, Raúl Salinas, 1987. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Call for Luminaria 2024 festival artists now open

Interested artists can apply online to be feature in this year’s Luminaria. Photo by Mike Farquhar, courtesy Luminaria

Attention artists: Luminaria recently put out a call for artists for their next Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival tentatively scheduled for Saturday, October 19, 2024. The locations is TBA later but all interested artists are welcome to apply online.  (Luminaria, 2024)

Visual artists, theater performers, digital artists, installation artists, musicians, poets, and all other form of artists interested in showcasing their artwork at the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival 2024 can apply. There are stages and buildings eagerly waiting to be filled with the talented work of a few creative and passionate artists to be selected by extraordinary curators.

Applications will be evaluated by a curatorial committee made up of local working artists and art experts. Featured Artists will be notified in April followed by site-visits, consultations, mentorship, a photo shoot, spotlight videos, media interviews, and networking opportunities. A public announcement of the festival line-up will be held in September.

Luminaria is a dynamic nonprofit arts organization dedicated to producing and promoting the arts to the city of San Antonio. Luminaria is an inclusive organization celebrating the visual and multimedia arts in San Antonio through public engagement and active support for artists. It was founded in 2008 by local arts advocates wanting to create a communal celebration for the city’s arts organizations and artists. Since adopting a new strategic plan in 2021, Luminaria is dedicated to the innovative interpretation of San Antonio’s culture, history, and environment through creative placemaking and site-specific arts integration. Luminaria coordinates with anchor arts institutions, cultural and heritage organizations, and other community partners to foster a vibrant and internationally resonant arts culture in the city.

Art exhibition: American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection

San Antonio Museum of Art’s American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection will close on January 7, 2024. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art’s special exhibition American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection is set to close on January 7, 2024 after an acclaimed run. The exhibition features more than a hundred artworks depicting the American experience in striking landscapes, Colonial-era portraits, still lifes, impressionist paintings, abstractions, and bronze sculptures. Spanning over 250 years of American art, American Made features exemplary works by renowned artists, including Baby Charles Looking Over His Mother’s Shoulder (No.3) by Mary Cassatt, An American Landscape by Luigi Lucioni, Elsie Wagg by John Singer Sargent, Chow Choy by Robert Henri, Seated Woman by Elizabeth Catlett, and Paris le Soir by Loïs Mailou Jones. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2023)

American Made demonstrates not only how American art has changed stylistically, but also how the face of American art has changed — literally and figuratively. Though many objects from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection have been on view at museums around the country, American Made is the first exhibition to bring together highlights of this extensive private collection.

American Made was organized by The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee.

San Antonio Museum of Art
200 W. Jones Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78215

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic former Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.

Thomas Moran (American,1837-1926), Moonlight in Venice,1898, Oil on wood board. Courtesy of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen PhD Foundation. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

San Antonio Museum of Art announces acquisition of two major gifts of art

SAMA announces acquisition of two major gifts of ancient art from the Americas Museum as well as a selection of contemporary artworks. Photo: Google

The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) recently announced the acquisition of two extensive collections focused on the art of the Americas before 1500. The first is a gift from collectors and longtime SAMA supporters John M. and Kathi Oppenheimer and features nearly two hundred objects, primarily ceramic and stone figures and vessels, which represent societies that thrived in West and Central Mexico and Central America, including the Aztec, Mixtec, Colima, Nayarit, and Jalisco, as well as objects made by the Maya, Zapotec, and Olmec cultures. The second collection comes from Lindsay and Lucy Duff and includes 110 objects, including ceramics and textiles and carved stone and wood objects, from early South American cultures, such as the Moche, Nasca, Wari, Chimu, and Inca and spanning from around 500 BC to AD 1500. Several of the works in the Duff Collection are currently on loan to SAMA, including a large gold beaker and a ceramic portrait vessel. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2023)

As part of SAMA’s acquisitions, the Museum also acquired a range of objects across its Contemporary, American, Latin American, Asian, and Ancient Mediterranean collections. Some of the highlights include a photograph by Stuart Allen, titled Shadow No. 10, 9 Pixels (2005), which reflects the artist’s interest in examining abstract composition through digital photographic pixelation; two Transport Amphorae (Roman-Byzantine, 5th–7th century AD), which were likely used to ship commodities like wine across the Mediterranean; ten ceramic works by modern and contemporary Japanese artists, including Nakamura Takuo, Koie Ryoji, Takiguchi Kazuo, Ito Motohiko, and Seto Hiroshi; the oil on metal work Emma Tenayuca Retablo (1993) by Santa Barraza, a major figure in Chicana/o art and the Chicano Art Movement in South Texas; the mixed-media sculpture Space In Between: Nopal (Candelaria Cabrera) (2010) by Margarita Cabrera, which continues the artist’s ongoing explorations of cultural identity, migration, labor, violence, and empowerment through sculpture, craft, and social practice; and the large-scale portrait Yemayá, one of the three paintings in the Goddess Triptych, a set of paintings by San Antonio artist Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz that celebrates the beauty, confidence, and power of women of color. Rodríguez-Díaz’s three large-scale nude portraits will be featured in the focus exhibition Ángel Rodríguez-Díaz: The Goddess Triptych Reunited, which will be on view from January 27, 2024, through January 26, 2025.

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly thirty thousand works representing five thousand years of history and is particularly strong in arts of the Americas, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, Asian art, and modern and contemporary art.

Amphora (jar) with Dionysos and satyrs, Greek (Attic), ca. 530–510B.C., Attributed to the circle of the Antimenes Painter, Terracotta, black-figure technique; h. 15 3/16 in., Purchased with the Grace Fortner Rider Fund, 2023.6 Photo: SAMA, used with permission.

SAMA partners with UNAM San Antonio to present altar honoring Juan O’Gorman

Ofrenda: Juan O’Gorman and a Legacy of Muralism will be on view through November 30, 2023. Photo: UNAM San Antonio.

In celebration of Día de los Muertos, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is delighted to announce a special collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México San Antonio (UNAM San Antonio) to present Ofrenda: Juan O’Gorman and a Legacy of Muralism. The ofrenda, or altar, will pay homage to the remarkable Mexican artist and architect known for Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas, the iconic mosaic mural he created for Hemisfair ’68. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2023)

The ofrenda will be on view in SAMA’s Great Hall from Thursday, October 26 to Thursday, November 30.

Five UNAM students—Jhosep Bonillas, Rodrigo Gael Martínez, Pabel Erubey Medina, Diana Valeria Nápoles, and Mariana Tovar de Alba—were part of the team that submitted the winning proposal to build an altar at the UNAM San Antonio campus in a competition at the School of Architecture at UNAM in Mexico City. SAMA then invited them to build a complementary altar at the Museum. The altar will be placed next to Carlos Rosales-Silva’s mural Pase Usted, as his practice is greatly influenced by Mexican Muralism and O’Gorman.

The students built the altar with assistance from the Museum’s staff using traditional flowers such as cempashúchil (marigolds) and incorporate beer bottles as a nod to SAMA’s history as the old Lone Star Brewery. They also created an elaborate tapete (tapestry) using traditional materials.

Juan O’Gorman’s artistic contributions have left an indelible mark on the world of muralism and architecture. In his mural work, O’Gorman depicted various pre-Hispanic and Mesoamerican cultures, as well as elements of popular culture and everyday life in Mexico. A masterpiece, Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas celebrated the historical and cultural ties between Mexico and the United States. Today, the 2,600 square foot mural adorns the façade of the Lila Cockrell Theatre at the Henry B. González Convention Center.

The UNAM San Antonio will host a series of programs to commemorate O’Gorman’s legacy, including the Altar de Muertos dedicado a la vida de Juan O’Gorman on view from October 26 to November 30 at UNAM San Antonio: 600 Hemisfair Park. San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 222-8626.

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.

Summer 2023 exhibitions open at Contemporary at Blue Star

Public opening for the Summer 2023 exhibitions will be on First Friday, July 7 from 6p.m. to 9p.m. Photo: Contemporary at Blue Star, used with permission.

Contemporary at Blue Star, San Antonio’s first and longest running exhibition space for contemporary art, proudly announces the opening of three solo exhibitions on July 7, 2023. These exhibitions feature new work by Brittany Ham, Adam Schreiber, and Michael Velliquette, three artists with strong ties to the San Antonio community. Ham and Schreiber are alumni of the Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program and Velliquette is a former San Antonio resident, now based in Madison, WI. This year marks the 20-year anniversary since his first solo exhibition at the Contemporary. These exhibitions offer unique perspectives on self-portraiture, urban landscapes, and intricate paper sculptures, captivating audiences with their distinct artistic visions. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2023)

Brittany Ham: Unmooring reaches into the exploration of interior and exterior spaces, both architecturally and psychologically. Through oil paintings, Ham chronicles her personal experiences with lockdown, social distancing, and the challenges of early motherhood. The seemingly longing subjects in her artworks often escape claustrophobia through imagined landscapes. Her works draw inspiration from sculptures, woodcuts, and paintings of exhausted women, including the Virgin Mary which she researched during her time at Künstlerhaus Bethanien International Studio Program as a grantee of Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program. Ham’s works employ line and value to create molded planes that provide multidimensional perspectives. The curious contortions and collapsing of space in her pieces evoke a melancholic humor, inviting viewers to reflect on challenging times and the unknown horizons ahead.

Adam Schreiber: Stadtwald showcases photographs created during and since his residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien as part of Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program. Employing large format film cameras, he adopts the role of a photographic surveyor to document the city’s quiet and suspended scenes devoid of action. Schreiber’s images of isolated and decontextualized objects ignite viewers’ curiosity. Some of Schreiber’s photographs are visually dense with textural descriptions of the subject, yet they leave the viewer to decipher what exactly the subject is and what its significance might be. Grids, recurring in his work, hint at the artist’s camera lens and reflect the meticulous process of inspection. By presenting his subjects as unknown and encouraging active observation, Schreiber’s work engages viewers in a delightful game of curiosity and concentration.

Michael Velliquette: The Direct Path features an extraordinary display of intricate paper sculptures, making it the most comprehensive exhibition of these works to date. Velliquette’s installations create intimate spaces that invite viewers into these structural collages. Through layering, complexity, and vibrant colors, his works communicate a sense of ornate preciousness. However, their material and meditative creation process—meticulously measuring, cutting, composing, and gluing paper—reveal a delicate yet ordinary quality. This convergence of methods symbolizes transformation, showcasing unexpected metamorphoses of materials and offering moments of reflection to viewers as they visually enter these temple-like constructions.

As an artist-centric organization, the Contemporary is delighted to showcase the work of these talented artists and to nurture their creative practices. This commitment to supporting artists highlights the vital role that accessible spaces play in fostering a vibrant and dynamic art scene, encouraging artistic growth, and amplifying the diverse voices and perspectives that contribute to the richness of our cultural landscape. 

Upcoming events at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Events include a Father’s Day celebration and other art events. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Hands-on fun, free family activities and saddling up with sci-fi fill the summer with art and adventure at the Briscoe Western Art Museum. The Briscoe is hosting an array of programming to explore the Southwest influence on Western art during Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch Now through September 4. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)

The summer exhibition celebrates one of the most powerful and influential art dealers in the Southwest. Horwitch was responsible for launching the careers of hundreds of artists and was a leader in fostering “new Western art” or “Southwest pop.” During the exhibition, Southwest Rising artists will demonstrate their techniques and lead sessions where everyone can create a masterpiece of their own. Along with artist talks, monthly hands-on learning, free Locals Days and the museum’s annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration on July 22, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

The summer line-up includes:

Celebrate the opening of Southwest Rising by exploring the way light and color interact with one another. In the exhibition’s interactive gallery, visitors can construct a display that will allow them to experiment with how light can change the way our eyes see color. This hands-on program is family-friendly, and all ages are welcome. Children 12 and under always receive free admission to the Briscoe.

  • Southwest Rising with Mark McDowell – Saturday, July 8, 1p.m. – 3p.m. $25 for non-members, $20 for museum members

Southwest Rising artist Mark McDowell leads guests in creating a work of art with colored pencils on wood, his preferred technique. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, McDowell has been featured in more than 40 one-man shows and numerous group exhibitions in museums, art centers and galleries across the United States and Europe. His work is in many public, corporate, and private collections. Class size is limited, so register today to ensure your spot. All skill levels are welcome and supplies are included with registration.

Art-FULL Summer: Painting Sessions

Enjoy painting sessions led by energetic and charismatic international artist Gio DiZurita. Based in San Antonio, DiZurita tells stories through her art, an everlasting transformation of life experiences.

Two summer dates include:

  • Father’s Day Fun:  Painting with Gio – Saturday, June 17, 10a.m. – Noon, 2p.m. – 4p.m.

Bring your dad jokes and have some hands-on fun. Fathers and their children (5 years or older) can enjoy a creative and fun family painting adventure, creating a Western scene in acrylic on an 11 x 14 canvas. Tickets are $45, or $35 for museum members. Registration is needed for each participant over the age of 12 and includes all supplies. The class size is limited, so register early to ensure your space.

  • Create Together:  Painting with Gio Date Night at the Briscoe – Thursday, July 13, 6:30p.m. – 8:30p.m.     

Let love and creativity bloom during a hands-on date night under the stars. Create a work of art during a relaxing evening sipping beer and wine in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden. Couples will enjoy a creative painting adventure creating a Western scene in acrylic on an 11 x 14 canvas. Tickets are $45, or $35 for museum members. Registration is per person and includes beer, wine, and all supplies. The class size is limited, so register today to ensure your spot.

Add Some STEAM to Your Summer:  Hands-on Learning

The Briscoe’s free monthly education series “Full STEAM Ahead” sprinkles educational fun into the summer the first Sunday of each month. Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West by engaging in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences. Full STEAM Ahead is designed for all ages to enjoy, making it a terrific family activity. Enjoy STEAMing with your family 1p.m. – 3p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at the Briscoe – the same day that locals are welcome to enjoy the museum for free.

Summer 2023 Full Steam Ahead dates and topics include:

  • August 6: Full STEAM Ahead – Gone for the Winter

Learn more about wildlife and the fall migration of hummingbirds. After a short presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a hummingbird feeder using found and recyclable materials.

  • September 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Art in the Sky

Study the night sky through Kim Wiggins’ “Colonel Crockett’s Return to Cibolo Creek.” After a short study of the painting, everyone will create a bedroom planetarium to take home.

Free Cowboy Fun:  National Day of the Cowboy Celebration

Tippin’ its hat and celebrating the legacy of the cowboy, cowgirl and vaquero, the Briscoe Western Art Museum presents its annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 22, 10a.m. – 4p.m. at the Briscoe. The free community event, which includes free admission to the museum and its exhibitions, features indoor and outdoor activities for cowpokes of all ages. Saddle up with your family and head west for a day you will not forget.

Actions for the Earth opens at Contemporary at Blue Star

Lhora Amira, IRMANDADE: The Shape of Water in Pindorama, 2018-2020, HD video, single channel sound, film still. Image courtesy of SMAC Gallery, copyright Lhora Amira.

Blue Star Contemporary announces Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology, an exhibition curated by Sharmila Wood and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI) on view from June 2 through September 3, 2023. Actions for the Earth is a traveling exhibition that considers how artistic practices use kinship, healing, and restorative intervention to foster a deeper consciousness of our interconnectedness with the earth. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2023)

This exhibition turns to a group of interdisciplinary artists to engage with the overlapping, worldwide crises of our time. Ongoing climate change, entrenched social inequity, and renewed concerns over public health have all underscored the need for approaches that take on global responsibilities while caring for our local environment. For decades, artists have sought to find new antidotes to oppressive structures of power, and promoted greater understanding of the many ways that nature, health, and sustainability are intertwined.

Actions for the Earth presents the work of eighteen intergenerational artists and collectives who place action, instruction, reciprocity, and exchange at the forefront of their practices. By sharing their participatory artistic interventions and healing strategies alongside research in ecology, science, and ancient beliefs, these artists remind us that we are connected within a constellation of living networks, inseparable from the planet and its environments. Artworks on view create space for the honoring of ancestors, foreground the significance of Indigenous knowledges, and engage in speculative imaginings through science fiction and network sciences—organic, digital, and spiritual.

In its curatorial approach, Actions for the Earth acts as a resource for studying our current times. The works on view not only emphasize themes of learning, care, and intimacy, but offer concrete knowledge by inviting the public to participate in actions such as instruction-based meditation and deep listening activities. The life of these works, and the interventions they propose, extends far beyond the scope of the exhibition to engage people in their personal contexts. 

Artists: Ackroyd and Harvey, Lhola Amira, Arahmaiani, Sayan Chanda, Hylozoic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser), lololol, Ana Mendieta, Zarina Muhammad, Patrina Mununggurr, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Tabita Rezaire, Eric-Paul Riege, Cecilia Vicuña, Katie West, and Zheng Bo

Contemporary at Blue Star presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change, and action, fulfilling our mission to inspire, nurture, and innovate. Like most non-collecting contemporary art spaces, the Contemporary contributes fresh insights and perspectives on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art. Admission to the Contemporary is always free.