Blue Star Contemporary’s international award competition and contemporary video exhibition

Blue Star Contemporary is collaborating with Darmstädter Sezession to support the global contemporary art community and strengthen ties between San Antonio and Darmstadt, Germany. Photo: google

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC) is delighted to announce its partnership with The Darmstädter Sezession (das), one of the oldest artist associations in Germany, for its 2021 Prize for Young Artists. Founded in 1919, The Darmstädter Sezession of Darmstadt, Germany is an organization whose promotion of young artists is an integral part of its activities. Every year, the artist association awards an outstanding young contemporary artist recipient as part of an open competition and exhibits their work. Projection/Projektion, this year’s program, will be presented in partnership with Blue Star Contemporary and includes video exhibition screenings in both cities and three monetary prizes. For the 2021 award, both organizations invite video artists to submit works for consideration. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2021)

San Antonio and Darmstadt have been sister cities since 2017. As an extension of their Sister Cities International partnership, BSC and das are excited to collaborate on this competition supporting the work of international contemporary artists. Like BSC, the das has a long-standing history of supporting artists, and particularly of promoting the careers of emerging artists.

The title Projection/Projektion refers not only to this year’s presentation format of video works, but also to the nature of the collaboration and the general need to develop new visions of the future. Projections, whether understood artistically, economically, politically, or psychologically, always have something to do with expectations. They can be a means of exploring paths into the near future and are thus an important tool in the navigation of societies.

This year’s awards are divided into three categories: Projection San Antonio, Projektion Darmstadt, and the Carlo-Mierendorff-Prize:

Projection San Antonio
Blue Star Contemporary’s call for artist entries invites San Antonio-based artists who work with the camera. Applicants are invited to submit up to one video work of no more than 10 minutes in length through the online open call. A selection of up to 12 works will be chosen for the shortlist by a jury of curatorial professionals and screened at multiple sites in San Antonio. The shortlist works will be screened alongside audiovisual works by Darmstädter Sezession members and the Projection/Projektion Darmstadt winner. The San Antonio open air screenings will be presented in partnership with the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office during the 6th annual World Heritage Festival and are scheduled for presentation at the historic Mission Marquee Plaza on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9. From this selection, a San Antonio artist will be chosen as the winner of the Projection San Antonio prize and will receive $6,000 USD. The prize-winning and shortlisted films will be presented as part of the open-air cinema in Darmstadt.

The Projection/Projektion San Antonio screenings and award are made possible by the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Culture and Office of Global Engagement. Information on the screenings is available online.

Projektion Darmstadt
Each year, the Darmstädter Sezession hosts a competition for contemporary artists. This year, for the first time, the Darmstädter Sezession’s call for artist entries exclusively invites young artists who work with the camera. Open to all artists everywhere born after January 1, 1981, applicants are invited to submit up to one video work of no more than 10 minutes in length through their online platform. A selection of up to 12 works will be presented during a two-week open-air screening in Darmstadt. From this selection, a jury will choose the winner. The winner of the category Projektion Darmstadt will receive 5000€. The winning work will be shown alongside a selection of video works by members of the Darmstädter Sezession at screenings in San Antonio.

Carlo-Mierendorff-Prize
For the first time, the Darmstädter Sezession will offer a prize for people who reflect on art through language. Whether this reflection takes place in writing, in the form of a podcast, or as a video contribution on the Internet is completely open. The Darmstädter Sezession seeks people who offer new approaches and perspectives on contemporary art. The competition is open to all applicants born after January 1, 1981, regardless of their nationality or place of residence. However, submissions must be in German or include a German translation. The call is directed at all persons who regularly publish texts, audio contributions, or videos about art. The winner will be selected by a jury of experts and will receive 1500€. The prize money includes the assignment to write an article about the winning artwork from Projektion Darmstadt.

Contributions for all categories can be submitted via the online CuratorSpace platform. Only applications that have been submitted completely and on time via this platform will be admitted to the competition. Information about how and what to submit can be found online.

The open calls are live now through July 16, 2021.
Shortlists will be announced on August 16, 2021.

“After several months of facing a world-wide health crisis and the resulting isolation between nations, we could not be more proud to participate in a program that supports artists and reminds us we are still part of a global arts community. It’s truly special to find an organization whose values and goals align with ours, especially when it’s on the other side of the world and in one of San Antonio’s sister cities.”
Mary Heathcott, Executive Director of Blue Star Contemporary

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC) is the first and longest-running nonprofit space for contemporary art in San Antonio, Texas. Founded by artists and grown from a grassroots art exhibition in 1986, BSC arose from the need to provide a platform for the work and ideas of contemporary artists. As an artist-centric, educational, forward-thinking, inclusive institution that strives to exceed expectations, BSC welcomes 30,000 residents and cultural tourists each year to experience contemporary art through its exhibitions, public art projects, and education programs. In 2016, BSC became the first San Antonio arts organization to be W.A.G.E.-certified, solidifying its commitment to fair compensation of artists and creative professionals.

Azul Barrientos & Friends at the San Antonio Botanical Garden

LIVE in the Garden: Azul Barrientos & Friends. Photo: San Antonio Botanical Garden

In harmony with the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s exciting new Frida Kahlo Oasis exhibition, celebrate Mexican culture and the icon herself through an exclusive concert series. On select Tuesdays, beginning in July on Frida’s birthday, the Botanical Garden invites you to enjoy an intimate evening featuring live performances on the lawn by San Antonio’s beloved singer/songwriter Azul Barrientos accompanied by fellow musicians, featuring different musical guests each concert. (San Antonio Botanical Garden, 2021)

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets and there will be a variety of food and beverages available for purchase.

Live in the Garden: Azul Barrientos & Friends
Tuesday July 6, August 3, September 7 and October 5
6:30p.m. to 8:30p.m.
$25 ($22.50 for members)

Buy tickets to all four concerts and receive a 15% discount. Must be purchased before July 6 and cannot be combined with the member discount.

San Antonio Botanical Garden

San Antonio Museum of Art announces new acquisitions by Texas-based artists

Jenelle Esparza, Continent. Photo: Jenelle Esparza, used with permission.

The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) announced yesterday that it has acquired eight artworks by seven San Antonio-based artists, including Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Jenelle Esparza, Joe Harjo, Jon Lee, Ethel Shipton, Chris Sauter, and Liz Ward. The acquisitions are part of the Museum’s Initiative to Acquire Art by Contemporary San Antonio Artists, which was developed to enhance the Museum’s commitment to support the city’s visual artists by acquiring works for its collection. The artists were chosen with the support of an Advisory Committee comprised of San Antonio-based visual artists, professors, collectors, arts leaders, and Museum staff and Trustees, who have also made recommendations for additional artists whose work could be purchased in the future. The Committee was Co-Chaired by SAMA Trustees Katherine Moore McAllen, PhD, and Dacia Napier, MD. All of the artworks, which include textiles, painting, photography, prints, and sculpture, mark first entries by the artists to SAMA’s collection. The new acquisitions are scheduled to go on view at the Museum in late fall, with more details about the presentation to follow. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)

Over the past several years, as part of its vision to diversify its collection and best represent its community, SAMA has placed a particular emphasis on acquiring works by artists from San Antonio as well as from across Texas. Recent acquisition announcements have included works by Texas-based artists Ana Fernandez, Kirk Hayes, Earlie Hudnall Jr., Michael Menchaca, Marcelyn McNeil, Daniel Rios Rodriguez, and Liz Trosper. In 2020, SAMA also presented Texas Women: A New History of Abstract Art, which focused on women artists from across the state that have and continue to contribute to the development of abstract art—a subject that previously had not been explored in depth. Artist Liz Ward, whose acquisition was announced today, was among the artists featured in the exhibition.

More details on each of the artist and artworks below:

Jennifer Ling Datchuk (American, born 1980)
Enter the Dragon, 2020
Porcelain, ceramic decals from Jingdezhen, China, wood, gold mirrors
65 × 16 × 5 in. (165.1 × 40.6 × 12.7 cm)
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.2

Trained as a ceramicist, Jennifer Ling Datchuk’s practice is grounded in explorations of identity, beauty, and femininity—drawing from her own experience as an Asian American woman. Utilizing found and handmade ceramics and porcelain motifs in her sculptures, installations, performances, and photographs, Datchuk calls attention to both historic and contemporary cultural appropriation, while also blurring the boundaries between craft and fine art. Datchuk was named 2021 Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist by the Texas State Legislature.

Jenelle Esparza (American, born 1985)
Continent, 2017
72 × 100 in. (182.9 × 254 cm)
Handmade quilt, recycled fabric and clothing, embroidered blocks, batting, cotton blends
San Antonio Museum of Art, Gift of Zoe A. Diaz, 2021.8

Jenelle Esparza’s multidisciplinary practice examines the connections between agriculture, gender, race, and bodily experience. Through photography, textiles, and installations, Esparza uncovers the history of cotton farming in South Texas and its principally Mexican American labor force.

Joe Harjo (Muscogee Creek, born 1973)
The Only Certain Way: Faith, 2019
24 Pendleton beach towels, 24 custom memorial flag cases
78 × 104 × 4 in. (198.1 × 264.2 × 10.2 cm)
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.3

Joe Harjo is a multidisciplinary artist from the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. His practice redresses the historic erasure of Native American art, culture, and people. Through photography, sculpture, performance, and installation, Harjo explores Native American identity, debunks stereotypes and myths surrounding Indigenous People, and asserts the vibrant, contemporary presence of Native communities.

Jon Lee (American, born South Korea, 1968)
O1701, 2017 and O1702, 2017
Woodcut
17 × 12 in. (43.2 × 30.5 cm), each
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.4.1-2

Jon Lee’s woodcuts explore the poetic subtleties of color and line, reinventing traditional printmaking processes and materials. Born in Seoul, he draws on his native Korea’s rich and long history of printmaking, which includes the implementation of moveable type predating Gutenberg’s fifteenth-century printing press. For over ten years, his practice has focused on a traditional Japanese woodcut technique called mokuhanga that he honed during residencies at the Mokuhanga Innovation Lab in Japan, where O1701 and O1702 were printed.

Chris Sauter (American, born 1971)
Shape of the Universe, Kandariya Mahadeva, 2013
Cut acrylic mounted photography, Sintra
60 × 30 in. (152.4 × 76.2 cm)
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.5

Chris Sauter is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores connections between biology and culture, science and religion, the personal and the universal, and the past and the present. He often deconstructs materials in order to reconstruct them in new ways that challenge viewers’ perceptions.

Ethel Shipton (American, born 1963)
The Valley – RGV, 2021
Archival digital prints on Hahnemühle German Etching Matte paper
Series of 6 prints, Edition 1/8
24 × 36 in. (61 × 91.4 cm), each
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.6.a-f

Ethel Shipton is a conceptual artist, who works across painting, installation, printmaking, photography, and text. She grew up in Laredo, TX, and her experience of a fluid US-Mexico border informs her practice, which focuses in particular on place, space, language, time, and movement. Her focus on signage observed along Texas roadways is an ongoing body of photo-based works on paper that began in 2014.

Liz Ward (American, born 1959)
Ghosts of the Old Mississippi: Dismal Swamp/Northern Lights, 2015
Watercolor, gesso, silverpoint, pastel, and collage on paper
71 5/8 × 31 7/8 in. (181.9 × 81 cm)
San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.7

Liz Ward’s practice—which includes paintings, drawings, and prints—is informed by natural history and our current environmental crisis. Ghosts of the Old Mississippi, a series of fifteen large-scale drawings, is based on maps of the ancient courses of the Mississippi River and reflects on society’s relationship to the environment.

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 events at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Briscoe’s Sculpture Garden at night. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Summer fun takes on a Hollywood flavor as the Briscoe Western Art Museum showcases the cinematic art and storytelling of the Western. From an actual red carpet, velvet ropes and the unmistakable smell of popcorn to film clips rolling throughout the exhibition, the Briscoe transforms into a 1960s movie theater for its new exhibition, Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western, now at the Briscoe until September 6, 2021. To add even more blockbuster fun to the exhibition, the museum is hosting a stellar line-up of programming and events to further bring the Hollywood Western to life. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Summer of Cinema Events Line Up:

Trivia with a Western Twist
Wild West Trivia at the Briscoe
Friday, June 11, 7p.m. – 9 p.m.

Enjoy a fun night of Western trivia and test your smarts at the Briscoe’s first Wild West Trivia Night. Bring your friends to create a team or join a table of soon-to-be-friends and test your Western smarts. Teams will revel in some friendly competition to score prizes while enjoying food, beer, and wine under the stars in the McNutt Sculpture Garden. Gather your posse, grab margaritas from La Gloria’s margarita truck onsite and see who ends the night still in the saddle, with the top three teams taking home prizes. Participants must be 21 to attend. Tickets are $10 for members, $25 for future members, and include two drink tickets.

Popcorn, Beer and Cinematic Art: Summer Film Series

Perfectly paired with the exhibition, the Briscoe’s popular Summer Film Series returns with an eye toward the West. The Summer Film Series features an iconic film on the third Sunday of each summer month, with Briscoe guest curator Dr. Andrew Patrick Nelson introducing each movie and explaining how it relates to Still in the Saddle. Nelson, the guest curator of Still in the Saddle, is a historian of American cinema and culture, film programmer, museum curator, and media commentator, as well as the Chair of the Department of Film and Media Arts and Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Utah and the author and editor of numerous books and essays on Western cinema.

Each film is free with museum general admission and as always, museum members enjoy the museum and movie for free. Briscoe Summer Cinema passes include three films for $25 or enjoy all five films for $50 and receive an individual museum membership, granting you unlimited access to the Briscoe’s exhibitions and programming throughout the year. Tickets are available online, while Summer Cinema passes are available by calling 210.299.4499.

Father’s Day Special “Little Big Man”
Sunday, June 20, 1p.m.

Bring Dad to an afternoon at the movies with a Texas twist: a side of barbecue and whiskey. Father’s Day is Locals Day at the Briscoe, where all Bexar County residents receive half off of general admission. Enjoy the museum and the movie for $6. Treat Dad like a king with a free whiskey tasting from Ranger Creek Whiskey and free Ranger Creek Beer, perfect to wash down the fantastic barbecue onsite. Then enjoy the 1970 classic, “Little Big Man”, the story of Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, telling the tale of his life being raised by Native Americans and fighting with General Custer.

“True Grit”
Sunday, July 18, 1p.m.

Grab a beer with The Duke and enjoy 1969’s “True Grit”, where John Wayne’s performance as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn earned him an Oscar. Popcorn, candy, and free beer from Ranger Creek, alongside fantastic food truck fare, make it a perfect way to enjoy a classic.

“The Long Riders”
Sunday, August 22, 1p.m.

Escape the August heat with an afternoon at the movies with 1980’s “The Long Riders”. Grab your brother and watch real-life brothers portray the Jesse James gang in a sympathetic portrayal of the brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge. Brothers James and Stacy Keach star as Jesse and Frank James; David, Keith and Robert Carradine play Cole, Jim and Bob Younger; Dennis and Randy Quaid play Ed and Clell Miller, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest play Charlie and Bob Ford.

“The Shootist”
Sunday, September 5, 1p.m.

Close out the summer with John Wayne in his final film role in 1976’s “The Shootist”. Wayne portrays a dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity. Still in the Saddle closes on Labor Day and this last film of the summer series is a great way for a fantastic exhibition to ride off into the sunset.

Cinematic Books

Briscoe Virtual Book Club: “True Grit” by Charles Portis
Tuesday, July 6, 6:30p.m.

The museum’s virtual book club will focus on titles that have become blockbuster movies including “True Grit” by Charles Portis in July, then “Blood Meridian” by Cormack McCarthy in September. There is no charge to participate in the book club.

An oasis of Western beauty just off the River Walk, the McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events and a fantastic museum store, providing art, culture, history and entertainment. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. Per the latest CDC guidelines, vaccinated guests are welcome to enjoy the museum and Jack Guenther Pavilion without a mask. The Briscoe respectfully requests all non-vaccinated guests wear face coverings.

Briscoe Western Art Museum

SAY Sí announces LGBTQ+ Pride Month event series

SAY Sí will offer an online film series with a Q&A and a writing workshop. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

SAY Sí is thrilled to announce their LGBTQ+ Pride Month Event Series, “Youth Voice, Youth Pride,” that will take place this June. The local nonprofit is committed to supporting and amplifying the voices of young artists and also recognizes the importance of highlighting the voices of the LGBTQ+ community. “Youth Voice, Youth Pride ” will feature an online film series and discussion, as well as a writing workshop. Both will be held virtually later this month. (SAY Sí,2021)

The online film series will be held on Tuesday, June 22 via Zoom, with a live discussion to follow that will be streamed live on SAY Sí’s Facebook and YouTube channels. The film series will feature three LGBTQ+ youth films created by SAY Sí alumni Carlo Rodriguez, Alejandro Peña and Yoomi Park. Links to the films will be provided to participants to watch before the livestreamed Q&A with the filmmakers at 6p.m. that evening. Students will have the opportunity to ask SAY Sí alumni questions about their roles in the film industry, the inspiration behind their films and their experiences with the LGBTQ+ community. Summaries of each film can be found below. To register for the event, visit SAY Sí online.

Featured films include:

PEDAZOS – Alejandro Peña

After a garish and violent ceremony, two lovers are thrown into a mysterious cave inhabited by flying creatures. A reflection on the beautifully loud dress of the ancients, a meltdown of repressed romance and a hyper vision of a fantastical world. PEDAZOS is a series of technical video-art experiments strung together by a narrative about restrained, intimate feelings between two friends.

Skye – Yoomi Park

Skye is a semi-autobiographical short film about a young teenage girl who starts to question her sexual orientation after yet another break up with a boy. The film follows Skye as she talks things out with her friends, has discussions with her church youth group, and even as she comes out to her mom through an email. The biggest hurdle for Skye is if and how she will ever tell her best friend that she is gay, and whether or not she is ready for her reaction, good or bad.

Ty – Carlo Rodriguez

Ty was being homeschooled by Claudia when he was diagnosed with Asperger’s. Although hesitant, she was persuaded to let him experience his last year of high school. On Ty’s first day, he experiences ableist comments from both staff and classmates. However, Austin, a classmate, befriends him. As weeks pass, Ty and Austin become good friends, to the point where Austin invites Ty over, and kisses him. Unable to process this, Ty stays home for a couple of weeks to sort out his emotions. After a needed conversation with Claudia, he returns to school.

On Tuesday, June 29 from 6p.m. to 8p.m., SAY Sí will present a virtual writing workshop, “Documenting Joy,” with acclaimed poet and public speaker Yosimar Reyes. Open to high school and college students 14-22 years of age, the two-hour virtual workshop will give participants an opportunity to take inventory of the rich cultures they come from and build narratives of strength. The goal is to honor the powerful legacies everyone comes from and envision futures in which each individual and collective thrives. Registration is required to participate and can be done online.

Yosimar Reyes is a nationally-acclaimed poet and public speaker. Born in Guerrero, Mexico and raised in Eastside San Jose, Reyes explores the themes of migration and sexuality in his work. Reyes was named one of “13 LGBT Latinos Changing the World” by The Advocate and Remezcla previously included Reyes on their list of “10 Up And Coming Latinx Poets You Need To Know.” His first collection of poetry, For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly…, was self-published after a collaboration with the legendary Carlos Santana

“As a young queer person growing up in San Antonio, I desperately searched for community spaces that accepted me. Now, as a leader at SAY Sí, I am able to contribute to a community that welcomes and empowers all marginalized groups, including our LGBTQ+ community. It’s important for us to amplify voices that have historically been silenced and celebrate creative youth exploring their identities. We invite the community to join us in celebrating LGBTQ+ youth voices who can show us how to be a more inclusive and equitable society.” – Stephen Garza-Guzman, SAY Sí Co-Executive Director

Alejandro Peña is an LA-based experimental artist. Born and raised in San Antonio, TX, he first began making short films at the age of 17. Ranging from handmade animation to special effects, his short films mix acting with distorted narrative structures and vibrant, fever-dream textures and colors. His body of film work from 2012 to 2016 includes a music video and four short films, two of which screened at festivals around the world. Currently, Alejandro is primarily a painter and photographer, hoping to start making short films again.

After graduating from Texas with degrees in Radio-Television-Film and Sport Management, Yoomi Park worked as a set PA for a few years before moving to NYC, then worked at Instagram in content and policy review. They serendipitously landed at HBO’s Creative Services department as an editing PA in 2019, contributing to campaigns for shows such as Westworld, Room 104, Legendary, and the upcoming reboot of Gossip Girl. At WarnerMedia, Yoomi continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ employees and other marginalized groups in the workplace while also focusing on connecting fellow creatives to each other to continue telling new and personal stories.

Say Si Alumni, Carlo Antonio Rodriguez, was born in San Antonio, Texas. Carlo’s art focuses on how personal experiences influence human connection. He utilizes his own experiences as a gay man to portray the obstacles that prevented him from making human connections with others. He hopes that anyone who encounters his work will reflect and break down any borders that they placed around themselves. Carlo believes that once people rid themselves completely of these borders, it would allow them to establish deep, strong, and powerful connections with others and themselves, allowing the world to become a more unified and accepting place.

Founded in 1994, SAY Sí is a national award-winning, art-based nonprofit youth development program located in San Antonio, Texas. The goal of the organization is to provide San Antonio area students in grades 6-12 with the opportunity to develop artistic and social skills in preparation for higher educational advancement and career building. SAY Sí programs serve over 200 students from all of San Antonio’s school districts – in addition to serving 4,000 youth in community programs. SAY Sí’s unique approach to education has placed the organization on the national stage, with recognition as one of the top out-of-school-time organizations in the country by The Wallace Foundation, as well as serving as one of seven international youth arts organizations chosen to receive an inaugural Creative Catalyst Award by Adobe Project 1324 in 2016.

SAY Sí and Alamo Colleges District offering free art kits to the community

SAY Sí will be providing the community with free art supplies. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

With the start of summer upon us, SAY Sí has once again partnered with Alamo Colleges District to provide community members with free art supplies for kids. Free art supply bags will be available for curbside pickup for parents with elementary- and middle school-aged children on a first come, first served basis while supplies last; limit two kits per car. Those interested in receiving an art supply bag can complete the interest form online. (SAY Sí, 2021)

Kits will be available for pickup this Friday, June 4 from 10a.m. to 1p.m. at the ACD District Support Operations building, located at 2222 N. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX, 78215.

ACD District Support Operations

The DoSeum accepting applications for 2021 Artist-in-Residence Program

The DoSeum seeks artists who will create a miniature exhibit to complement ‘DoSeum Express: Tiny Trains and Trolleys’. Photo: google

The DoSeum is now accepting applications for their fifth-annual Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR). For this year’s Artist-in-Residence exhibition, The DoSeum is looking for a San Antonio-based or regional visual or multidisciplinary artist who has experience or has worked in miniatures or miniature scenery. The artist’s installation will complement DoSeum Express: Tiny Trains and Trolleys, a new holiday exhibition featuring working train sets which will become a holiday tradition at The DoSeum in the years to come. (The DoSeum, 2021)

For this program, The DoSeum seeks to partner with professional mid-career artists who seek ways to challenge the young, curious minds of San Antonio through their art. The Artist-in-Residence program provides children with the opportunity to interact with the work of a professional artist to appreciate the artistic process while connecting to themes of STEM and literacy.

The DoSeum will provide the venue, staging, and trains. We request artist support to create the miniature scenery through which the trains will travel. Imagination, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking is encouraged. Children will not touch the scenery but will be viewed through interactive pop-up bubbles, periscopes, and cameras (provided by The DoSeum). We are seeking up to 6 artists to provide a 4’x8′ landscape (base material will be provided).

Previously chosen residents submitted proposals that simultaneously challenged themselves to explore new facets of their own work while incorporating meaningful experiences for guests. We are seeking up to six artists. The selected AIR artist(s) will receive an honorarium of up to $1,000 and production costs of $2,500 to aid them in the execution of their project.

ELIGIBILITY

Artists must meet these following requirements to be considered:

Open to visual and multidisciplinary artists.
Desire to work collaboratively with museum staff and the public to create works that step away from traditional models.
Experience creating social engagement participatory works of art.
Experience with miniatures and creating miniature scenery
Local and regional mid-career professional artists are encouraged to apply.
Artists presently enrolled in post-secondary or graduate-level programs are encouraged to apply after completing studies.
Chosen artists will need to pass a background check.

Artists with the above-mentioned experience, interested in exploring non-traditional exhibition spaces, and available for The DoSeum’s 2021 production and exhibition timeline are strongly encouraged to apply.

TIMELINE

Application Deadline: Friday, June 18, 2021

· June 2 at 10a.m.: Optional Virtual Question Forum – Registration link for Q&A.

· June 18: Application Deadline

· June 18-25: Organization Deliberation

· June 25: Finalists Announced

· July 16: Finalist Proposal Deadline

· July 23: Winners announced

· August – October: Prototyping and Fabrication

· November 6: Exhibition Opening

For information regarding the Artist-In-Residence program, eligibility, or questions about the process please contact Meredith Doby, VP of Exhibits.

More information about the program is available online.

The DoSeum is one of the leading children’s museums in the nation; a place where your mind is always at play. The DoSeum offers innovative exhibits and experiences to get children excited about concepts in science, math, art, and literacy and encourages them to take the excitement into the world. Through joyful learning and discovery, The DoSeum Experience grows curious minds, connects families, and transforms communities. For more information, visit TheDoSeum.org The DoSeum is a 501 c3-non-profit organization.

Blue Star Contemporary presents summer exhibition The Sitter

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC), San Antonio’s first and longest-running contemporary art nonprofit, announces the opening of its first summer 2021 exhibition, The Sitter, opening to the public on Thursday June 3, 2021. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2021)

The Sitter features works by artists using contemporary portrait painting and figuration to build narratives and generate conversation around the subjects’ actions, experiences, or identities. The exhibition highlights how contemporary artists expand their definition of portrait painting and how they can activate the figure through paintings, drawings, and photography. The sitters or subjects transcend the role of model or muse and are sometimes collaborators or activators, giving access to broader contexts and unraveling complicated stories.

The exhibition, curated by BSC’s Curator and Exhibitions Manager, Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray, features the work of La Vaughn Belle, Suzette Bross, Ruth Leonela Buentello, Carmen Cartiness Johnson, Madison Cowles Serna, Natan Dvir, Sarah Fox, LaToya Hobbs, Loc Huynh, David Johnson and Philip Matthews, Zora Murff, Cruz Ortiz.

For the first time at Blue Star Contemporary, The Sitter is accompanied by an interactive app featuring an in-depth look at the exhibition through gallery texts, visitor prompts, and information aimed at giving visitors a broader context to engage with the works of art. The newly launched app is free to download and available at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

“As our community heals and feels ready to venture out, we are thrilled Blue Star Contemporary stands strong and ready to be a place for inspiration and enjoyment of contemporary art. We had long planned to launch an interactive app to accompany our exhibitions, and now seems like the perfect time to launch a digital component that enhances the visitor experience on-site and provides an opportunity to revisit and reflect on the art once back home.” – Mary Heathcott, Executive Director.

Opening later in the summer on July 1 are new exhibitions featuring the work of three distinctive artists. Doerte Weber presents weavings reflecting on COVID-19, everyday life during the pandemic, and climate issues. Joanna Keane Lopez is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blurs boundaries between contemporary sculpture and architecture through the medium of adobe mud. Her BSC presentation will include a newly commissioned sculptural work. Terran Last Gun presents an exhibition of ledger drawings, a form which rose to prominence among Native American artists in the mid-1800s and continues today. All of BSC’s summer exhibitions will be on view through September 5, 2021.

Blue Star Contemporary’s exhibitions are supported in part by the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, and the Texas Commission on the Arts. Terran Last Gun’s exhibition was made possible in part by First Peoples Fund.

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC) is the first and longest-running nonprofit space for contemporary art in San Antonio, Texas. Founded by artists and grown from a grassroots art exhibition in 1986, BSC arose from the need to provide a platform for the work and ideas of contemporary artists.

As an artist-centric, educational, forward-thinking, inclusive institution that strives to exceed expectations, BSC welcomes 30,000 residents and cultural tourists each year to experience contemporary art through its exhibitions, public art projects, and education programs. In 2016, BSC became the only San Antonio arts organization to be W.A.G.E.-certified, solidifying its commitment to fair compensation of artists and creative professionals.

Blue Star Contemporary

San Antonio Museum of Art announces artist selection for community mural project

Sandra Gonzalez is one of the artists chosen to curate murals for the community mural project. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

As part of the generous grant awarded to the San Antonio Museum of Art by the Art Bridges Foundation this spring, SAMA has selected three local artists to create community murals celebrating the vibrancy and community of the Alamo City. Positioned on San Antonio’s eastside, westside and onsite at SAMA’s campus, the artists will begin creating their works this July and will showcase their completed murals this August. The community is invited to participate in the process through voting this June and sharing their ideas starting this week. The purpose of the initiative is to celebrate the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)

The mural curation project is a joint effort between SAMA’s education department, the San Anto Cultural Arts, and the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum

About the Artists:

Suzy González – Mural Location: San Antonio Museum of Art Campus
Suzy is an artist, curator, zinester, educator, and organizer based in San Antonio, Texas. She has had solo exhibits at Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. Suzy co-publishes the Yes, Ma’am zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is half of the collective Dos Mestizx, who recently curated XicanX: New Visions in New York and Texas. She has created public art with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Street Art Initiative, Centro San Antonio, and the City of San Marcos, and is currently working on a project with the City of Pasadena.

Victor Zarazua – Mural Location: Wicho’s Mexican Deli on the Westside
As a practitioner of the Graffiti Art Subculture, Victor started painting at the age of ten. Victor used this medium as an escape from outside influences in his neighborhood and schools. As a youth, he began to appreciate art, what it could do, and where it could lead him to. During high school, Victor found himself looking for like-minded youth and found SACA & SAY Si. Those two programs opened the door further for him to delve further into the arts and the “lowbrow” art movement.

Sandra Gonzalez; Mural Location: Tony G’s on the Eastside (Mural to be created in partnership with Malachy McKinney)
Sandra is an active muralist in South Texas and an art educator at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, who has also participated in numerous art exhibits throughout the U.S. In 2013, Sandra received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Sandra learned about engaging with the community through her work for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program where she worked for over a year and assisted with various large-scale murals, involving different communities such as inmates, mental health patients, students, and several artists.

From Saturday, June 26, 2021, to Saturday, July 10, 2021, the San Antonio community will have the opportunity to vote on one of three themes designed by each artist to create for each mural location. Those interested in voting may do so by visiting SAMA’s website where a landing page will be available for voting or in-person at SAMA using the onsite voting box; both will be available starting in late June. Each mural will be constructed throughout the summer starting July 12, 2021, and the completion of each will be revealed on Sunday, August 15, 2021. The San Antonio community is also invited to join in a special conversation between the mural artists and committee panel that Sunday.

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.

Art Bridges is a nonprofit arts foundation whose mission is to expand access to American art across the U.S. Founded by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art around the country by partnering with institutions of all sizes and in all regions on projects that deeply engage communities via thematic traveling exhibitions, long-term loan sharing collaborations, among additional initiatives.

“Murals have always been a powerful tool to educate and commemorate local histories. By asking for community input and having residents of San Antonio be a part of the mural selection process, we are emphasizing that art is for all and that art can be enjoyed anywhere. Communal relationships are the foundation of any society, so we must continue to build and grow with the people of San Antonio. We hope that the selected businesses continue to be an anchor in their community, and that these murals shine a light on how San Antonio is a beautiful, culturally rich city.” – Yohanna Tesfai, Public Programs Manager for San Antonio Museum of Art.

San Antonio Museum of Art honors military personnel with free admission

Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.

This year, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will once again participate in Blue Star Museums — a national collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and museums across the U.S. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, SAMA will offer active duty military personnel, including the National Guard and Reserves and their families, free general admission into the Museum. This summer, visitors to SAMA can explore new and current exhibitions on view, including Movie Metal (on view through June 20, 2021) and America’s Impressionism: Echoes of a Revolution (on view starting June 11, 2021) as well as SAMA’s collection of works. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)

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.

San Antonio Museum of Art

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