Category: Art News

North Star Mall boots celebrate 40 years

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The North Star Mall boots celebrates 40 years this month.  In honor of the artist, Bob “Daddy O” Wade, a commemorative limited edition Fiesta medal will be out in February.  Photo: North Star Mall, used with permission.

The adage that everything in Texas is bigger and better is best illustrated by the massive cowboy boot sculpture that adorns North Star Mall’s northern face. The “World’s Largest Cowboy Boots” sculpture stands an impressive 35-feet, three inches tall, 30-feet long, nine–feet wide and weighs in at 10,000 pounds. (North Star Mall, 2019)

Artist Bob “Daddy O” Wade was 36 years old in 1979 when he was contacted by the Washington Project for the Arts out of Washington, DC to create a Texas-themed sculpture to be featured in an empty lot, mere blocks from the White House. Built on site, Wade created two structures that in 2016 became Guinness World Record-certified Cowboy Boots – the largest such sculpture in the world. Approximately forty feet high and thirty feet long, the boots are made of tubular steel sprayed with polyurethane foam. Wade is known for several other giant creations, including a 40-foot long iguana that now sits atop the Ft. Worth Zoo, dancing frogs that can be found on the roof of a Taco Cabana in Dallas and a 70-foot high saxophone in Houston, among others.

Shortly after its creation, a bidding war ensued between a company in Houston and The Rouse Company, then owners of North Star mall, who purchased the landmark for $20,000. Getting them from DC to San Antonio is a story that includes getting stuck under an overpass. From that point on the truck drivers responsible for moving the boots took back roads all the way to Texas.

The World’s Largest Cowboy Boots is celebrating its 40th anniversary in January. They have become iconic – used in commercials and highlighted in every San Antonio event that garners state and national attention. According to Wade, they’ve even been the subject of a master’s thesis – a fitting study for boots that have earned their place in Texas culture.

“The North Star Mall family was deeply saddened to learn of Bob Wade, artist of the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, passing on Christmas Eve.  In his honor and memory, we are creating a commemorative Fiesta Medal that will be available in February. Please check our website and Facebook page for details. The Boots, much like the artist who made them, are larger than life and have a special place in San Antonio’s heart. Bob will always be an important part of North Star Mall history; may Bob’s legacy live on through his sculptures.” Brenda Crawford, Sr. General Manager, North Star Mall

October events at the Pearl

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The Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival is one of the events taking place at the Pearl in October. Photo: Matt Buikema, used with permission.

Pearl recently announced its campus-wide programming throughout October. The property will host numerous family-friendly and fall-focused events including the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival, San Antonio Herb Market, Pumpkin Patch and more. (Pearl, 2019)

October programming includes:
Bottling Department Two Dollar Tuesdays
The Bottling Department is excited to launch Two Dollar Tuesdays which kicked off on October 1. The following $2 specials will run all day every Tuesday at the food hall:

  • Maybelle’s: $2 soft serve cones
  • Bud’s Rotisserie: $2 jambo
  • Tenko Ramen: $2 edamame
  • The Good Kind: $2 corn in a cup
  • Fletcher’s Hamburgers: $2 large fry
  • Bar at the Bottling Department: $2 Pearl beer

San Antonio Herb Market – Saturday October 19 from 9a.m to 2p.m.
The 28th annual San Antonio Herb Market kicks off on Saturday, October 19 from 9a.m. to 2p.m. during Pearl Farmers Market. The featured herb of the year is Agastache Foeniculum (Giant Blue Hyssop), a perennial plant that belongs to the mint family. From 12p.m. to 1p.m., there will be a cooking demo held outside of Pearl Stable conducted by La Botanica Chef/Owner Rebel Mariposa. Pearl patrons can stop by to try recipes that use the highlighted herb.

Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival – Sunday, October 20 from 10a.m. to 2p.m.
Pearl and The Texas Butterfly Ranch are proud to host the fourth annual Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival on Sunday, October 20 from 10a.m. to 2p.m. Promising a weekend of science, education and fun, the festival will celebrate the Monarch Butterfly’s majestic migration through Texas on their way to Mexico to roost for the winter. The event will include a people for pollinators parade, monarch butterfly tagging, educational demonstrations, live music and the world debut of the Waggle Dance at noon. Costumes are encouraged. More information about events taking place around the city is available online.

Pumpkin Patch at Pearl Farmers Market – Saturday, October 26 from 9a.m. to 1p.m. and Sunday, October 27 from 10a.m. to 2p.m.
A weekend pumpkin patch provided by Braune Farms is set for right before Halloween and will take place during the Pearl Farmers Market. The annual Teal Pumpkin Project initiative will also be on site offering teal pumpkin painting to help grow awareness of a worldwide initiative that aims to cultivate inclusiveness of all children, especially those with food allergies, during the fall season/Halloween. Paint, brushes, and decorations are provided and families are encouraged to purchase small pumpkins from the patch to participate.

Pop-Ups at Pearl
Pearl is excited to continue its pop-up experiences during October at Pearl’s Dielmann Building. The Dielmann Building, located in the old Il Sogno space, will host retail shops Miron Crosby and Period Modern. Miron Crosby, a bespoke boot brand from Dallas, occupies the space in the beginning of the month, followed by Period Modern, a brand offering hand-selected vintage and authentic Danish mid-century furniture. Period Modern regularly features the work of makers such as Knoll and Herman Miller, as well as designers Milo Baughman, Paul McCobb and many of the Danish masters. Their vast collection of original vintage art pieces, fixtures and decor is updated daily. Period Modern often collaborates with other San Antonio business owners to sponsor live music shows and art exhibitions both in-house and off-premises. The October schedule includes:

Pearl
303 Pearl Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 212-7260

David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibit coming to the San Antonio Botanical Garden

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David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibit opens this weekend and will be on display through Sunday December 8. Photo: google

David Rogers’ Big Bugs larger-than-life sculptures is coming to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The exhibition opens this Labor Day weekend, August 31 through September1, and will be on display through Sunday December 8. Exhibit viewing times are 9a.m to 5p.m. Regular admission rates apply. Tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for senior citizens aged 65 and older, military (active, retired, reserve) with current ID, dependents not included and students with current ID; $9 for children ages 3-13. Children under 3 and members get free admission. Museums for All rate – per person, up to four people, must show EBT or WIC card with valid ID – $3. (San Antonio Botanical Garden, 2019)

Opening weekend events:

  • Saturday, August 31 from 10a.m. to 2p.m.- Educational Children’s Activities: Children will have an opportunity to participate in an educational scavenger hunt and make insects using natural materials.
  • Saturday, August 31 – Sunday, September 1 from 9a.m. to 5p.m. – Social Bingo and Prizes: Take photos with 5 David Rogers’ Big Bugs and show them at the Gift Shop for a prize. Offer only valid during opening weekend, while supplies last. Use hashtags #DavidRogersBigBugs and #SABOTgarden.

They are big, really big. David Rogers’ Big Bugs stand as tall as 25 feet and have wingspans up to 17 feet wide. David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibit includes 10 larger-than-life insect sculptures, all made from natural materials, positioned throughout the 38 acres of the Botanical Garden. The sculptures are created using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, cut green saplings selectively harvested from the willow family, dry branches, and other forest materials. Guests can shop for bug merchandise and edible insects at the Garden Gift Shop.

For the past 25 years, David Rogers’ Big Bugs exhibition has educated the public about the importance of preservation and conservation on the planet by introducing them to the world of insects, the role they play in the plant world, and their interconnectedness to our lives. Bugs outnumber humans one million to one. Many live in communal groups working as one for the common good of all. Their ranks include engineers, soldiers, weightlifters, weavers, hunters, stalkers, gatherers and even royalty. When you take this remarkable and diverse group of hidden gardeners and recreate them on a gargantuan scale, you have David Rogers’ Big Bugs.

The artist was not a traditional learner. He was not good in school or sports like his siblings. Instead, David found peace in the woods near his home.  As he focused on his artwork, he understood it came from “not fitting a mold.” And it became something much bigger. His art now teaches others about the importance of caring for our natural world. David also finds that his personal story connects with other non-traditional learners.

This exhibit is made possible by the generosity of these sponsors: Dickson-Allen Foundation, Gretchen Swanson Family Foundation, Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation and The USAA Foundation.

PechaKucha San Antonio Vol 33

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Carmen Tafolla, State Poet Laureate, will be one of the presenters at this year’s PechaKucha at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Photo: Josh Huskin, used with permission. 

PechaKucha San Antonio, the global arts and culture series that hosts speakers who share their passions in a unique format, is excited to announce the lineup for its Volume 33 edition, scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, 2019, at the San Antonio Museum of Art. The night will begin with a welcome reception at 7p.m., followed by presentations starting at 8:15 p.m. PechaKucha San Antonio is presented in partnership with the Las Casas Foundation. (PechaKucha, 2019)

Vol. 33 will feature a talented group of locals that includes writers, authors, artists and more.
Presenters include:
· Michaele Thurgood Haynes, Cultural Anthropologist
· Annie Montgomery Labatt, Gallery Director/Professor
· Jesse Mata + Elaine Wolff, Fiesta’s Fifth Column
· Franco Mondini-Ruiz, Compulsive Artsessive
· Michael Quintanilla, Disco Confessionist/Glue Gun Expert
· Carmen Tafolla, State Poet Laureate

Emcees for the evening include popular News 4 San Antonio anchor Randy Beamer as well as artist Justin Parr. The welcome reception will feature live music and complimentary bites curated by local chefs and restaurants. Tickets are $5 per person and are available online.

PechaKucha San Antonio would not be possible without the support of annual sponsors, including Centro Properties, Lake Flato Architects, Zurich International Properties, Schroeder Art, MBS Fitness, San Antonio River Foundation, RYNO General Contractors and Artist Gary Sweeney.

Pronounced “PEH-chuh KOO-chuh,” PechaKucha is a 20-image x 20 second arts and cultures series that hosts speakers who share their passions in a unique format. Each presenter gets exactly 20 images, and each slide advances automatically every 20 seconds (for a total time of 6:40). San Antonio’s first quarterly PechaKucha Night was held in February 2011 and now attracts hundreds of attendees to venues throughout San Antonio. It showcases a broad range of individuals, including architects, artists, makers, academics, community leaders and more. PechaKucha (Japanese for “chit chat”) is an event format developed by Tokyo’s Klein Dytham Architecture to encourage creative professionals to share projects and ideas that they are passionate about. Since it began in 2003, PechaKucha has expanded to more than 1000 cities around the world.

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

Artist Gary Sweeney launches book based on installation

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‘Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home’ is now available everywhere. Courtesy photo, used with permission. 

Gary Sweeney, a San Antonio-established artist known for his humorous text-based work and art installations throughout the United States, debuts his new book, ‘Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home,’ based on his most popular art installation, A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015. (Gary Sweeney, 2019)

‘Manhattan Beach Memoir’ documents the installation at 320 35th Street in Manhattan Beach, California, made as a tribute to his family as they owned and occupied the home for over 70 years. The site-specific installation pays homage to his upbringing, family and the Manhattan Beach of the past. The photography exhibit consisted of 112 large-scale graphics of personal family photos, which were printed on MDO plywood and covered the entire outside of the artist’s childhood home. The installation was featured in national and international publications, including the Daily Mail UK, People.com, ABC News, Dwell, Architecture Lab, and more.

The project was on display to the public during the entire month of February 2015, after which the photos were removed and the home was replaced by a new development. The collection of photographs were originally taken by Mike Sweeney, Gary’s father. He took hundreds of pictures documenting family events and even built a dark room located in the upstairs of the home where he developed most of the photos. Gary selected images that tell a story of a family and a home across 70 years.

Writers of the book, Wendy Weil Atwell and Neil Fauerso, also discuss the social and economic factors that shaped Sweeny’s childhood, the astronomical increase in real estate values, the meaning of home, photography’s role in society and the Southern California art movements that inspired and influenced Sweeney’s art. ‘Manhattan Beach Memoir: Artist Gary Sweeney Says Goodbye to His Childhood Home’ is available for purchase on Amazon and on the publisher’s website, Material Media.

Gary Sweeney is an artist who works in many forms—from photography to painting to sculpting, resulting in a body of work ranging from neon signs, billboards and murals to wooden furniture, books and flower arrangements. Born into the fertile artistic climate of 1950s Southern California, Sweeney was surrounded by art and artists. He has become known for his appealingly nostalgic and humorous artwork and gained notability for his project Post-Obsessive, where he mailed more than 20,000 personalized, handwritten postcards that were altered with witty images, clippings and quotes taken from newspapers around the country. He also has permanent collections on view including America, Why I Love Her at the Denver International Airport, which is inspired by family road trips and bizarre monuments and roadside attractions, and Nostalgia, Texas at the San Antonio International Airport, where Sweeney designed neo-retro tourist posters with tongue-in-cheek slogans.

The Public Theater and the San Antonio Area Foundation announce scholarship opportunities

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Registration is now open for the Joe Salek Scholarship for the Theater Arts Trust. Photo: The Public Theater, used with permission. 

Scholarship opportunity announcement courtesy of the San Antonio Area Foundation:

The Public Theater of San Antonio in partnership with the San Antonio Area Foundation are pleased to announce Scholarship Opportunities for the 2019-2020 academic year through the Joe Salek Scholarship for the Theater Arts Trust. (San Antonio Area Foundation, 2019)

The Trust was created in honor of Joe Salek, whose years as Executive Director of the San Antonio Little Theater from 1949-1976 demonstrated his dedicated leadership and artistic inspiration and enriched the lives of all San Antonians.

Scholarships are available to students graduating from, or who have already graduated from, any public or private high school in Bexar County. Prospective student applicants must major or concentrate in one or more of the following subjects related to the theater arts: Acting/Performance, Playwriting, Directing, Scenery and Costume Design and Theater Management. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on academic achievement, experience, community involvement and career goals. A minimum 3.0 GPA, sample theater work attachments and a letter of recommendation are required. Scholarship application is now open and will close March 23, 2019.

For application questions or technical assistance, please email Bernice Uresti  or call (210) 225-2243. Anyone interested in making a charitable contribution to the Joe Salek Scholarship for the Theater Arts Trust, please visit The Public Theater online.