Photography: Recent Acquisitions is now on view through Fall 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The latest installation at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA), Photography: Recent Acquisitions, is now on view through Fall 2021 during standard hours of operation in the Museum’s Arcade Gallery. Spanning different generations and diverse backgrounds, the artists whose photographic works are on view are united by their insightful awareness of everyday life, especially the experiences of marginalized communities. Their ability to capture a formally rich image with socially conscious content makes their voices some of the most vital today. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Influenced by photojournalism and documentary photography approaches, these works are drawn from larger photo-essays or series and often motivated by a personal desire for social change or justice. Featuring works by Danny Lyon, Leonard Freed, and LaToya Ruby Frazier, the installation focuses on photographers who have a close relationship with their subjects—immersing themselves in the communities and the lives of those who inhabit them. Through their cameras, these photographers capture life in America—both monumental and everyday moments—in unforgettable images that explore the connections we have with our surroundings and one another. This exhibition of recent acquisitions was curated by Lana Meador, Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Lavanderia #2 by Christina Fernandez
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.
‘The Mural Connection’ will feature murals by a range of local, regional, and national artists. Photo: Pabst Blue Ribbon, used with permission.
Pabst Brewing Company is excited to announce “The Mural Connection,” a one-day art walk event taking place on Saturday, April 24, 2021, celebrating San Antonio’s arts community. As part of its commitment to supporting emerging artists, Pabst Blue Ribbon has partnered with the San Antonio Street Art Initiative (SASAI) and various artists to showcase new murals by local, regional, and national artists throughout downtown San Antonio. (Pabst Blue Ribbon, 2021)
Anyone interested in participating in “The Mural Connection” art walk can RSVP online. Tickets to participate in “The Mural Connection” are free by reservation only; limited tickets are available due to COVID restrictions. The after party will be open to the public, but participants who RSVP will have first access to the space. Masks and social distancing are enforced for each stop and hand sanitizer stations will be available at various stops along the way.
Participants in “The Mural Connection” will start at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) and end the walk at Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios in Southtown. The event will feature several stops along the trail, with one “hot stop” at Hopscotch where walkers can rest, grab something to drink, and take in the sights. The trail is as follows:
Start: 1p.m. – San Antonio Museum of Art – 200 W Jones Ave. As the starting point of the day, participants can check in at the Museum from 1p.m. to 2p.m. to scan the official event mural map QR code, featuring event details and the mural map for the participant’s journey. Participants can then experience the first mural by San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney and grab refreshments before they continue the rest of the mural walk. Participants are encouraged to find free parking at the SASAI pillars located on the corner of Quincy & St. Mary’s and walk a few blocks to the first stop at SAMA. Paid parking is also available at SAMA.
Former “San Antonio Brake & Clutch” Building – 891 Avenue B. Participants can view a mural by Los Otros at their leisure.
Pabst Marketing/Culture Building – Corner of Avenue B & 6th St. Participants will have a chance to view murals by Angela Fox, Connie Chapa, and Jenkins2D at their leisure.
3p.m. to 4p.m. – “Hot Stop” at Hopscotch – 711 Navarro St., Suite 100. Participants are encouraged to stop along their journeys at Hopscotch’s lounge to refresh and take in the sights and sounds, including music by DJ Pop Guy Freakshow. Participants will be given a code to receive 30% off admission to experience the rest of Hopscotch’s interactive gallery at the day of the event or return and use the code for a future visit.
Corner of S. Alamo and Commerce St. Participants will have the chance to view a mural by Manola & Maria Ramirez at their leisure.
Corner of S. Alamo and Market St. Participants will have the chance to view an art installation by Essential Collective at their leisure.
328 Martinez St. Participants will have the chance to view murals by San Antonio artists James Supa and Albert Gonzales at their leisure.
812 S. Alamo St. Participants will have the chance to view a mural by Ricardo Oviedo aka Trout at their leisure.
Finish: 5p.m. – 8p.m. – Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios – 1112 S. St. Mary’s St. To close out the event, Pabst will host an artist reception at their recently opened gallery space to be installed by acclaimed street art gallery curator, Shek Vega of Gravelmouth Gallery. The celebration will feature music from DJ Rob Wolf, a mural by Ashley Dreyfus – Pabst 2020 Art Can Contest Winner, additional artwork, prizes, and more. The event will also feature a food truck vendor as well as refreshments.
Guests are encouraged to share pictures of their journeys on social media using the hashtags #Pabst and #SanAntonioStreetArt at the various stops along the way. Participants that tag and post at each of the mural stops will have a chance to win official prizes from SASAI at the reception at Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios from 5p.m. to 8p.m.
Artists involved in “The Mural Connection” include Gary Sweeney, Nik Soup, Shek Vega, Angela Fox, Connie Chapa, Jenkins2D, Manola and Maria Ramirez, Essentials Collective, James Supa, Albert Gonzales, Ricardo Oviedo AKA Trout, and Ashley Dreyfus – Pabst 2020 Art Can Contest Winner.
Pabst Blue Ribbon has done similar art walks in other cities across the globe, but following the company’s move to San Antonio last year, Pabst has tapped into San Antonio’s vibrant art culture. The brewing company hopes that “The Mural Connection” will encourage San Antonians to support local artists while becoming more familiar with walking and biking trails throughout downtown. The event also supports SASAI’s Phase III initiative to build “The Largest Outdoor Gallery in Texas™” and continue advocating for public art and its artists through SASAI’s signature Artist Development Program.
“Ever since Pabst’s headquarters relocated to San Antonio last year, the city’s various communities, especially its artistic community, have embraced us with open arms,” “Pabst has always been a supporter of change-makers and creative doers across the U.S., so we definitely want to highlight and support the doers here. San Antonio is filled with so much creativity and we’re excited to be a part of it.” – Moima Chowoe, Pabst Community and Social Impact Lead.
Since 1844, Pabst has been American-owned and operated, and is North America’s largest privately held brewing company. Pabst’s portfolio includes iconic brands with deep ties to American heritage, such as its flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon and others such as Lone Star, Rainier and Old Style. Their people and their brands are committed to embracing change and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.
San Antonio Street Art Initiative (SASAI) is a private non-profit charity that focuses on two areas of advocacy: education and mural art programming. SASAI scouts talent to participate in the city’s best, highly visible, community projects that showcase their artwork on a larger scale and also seeks to create educational programming for career development. This ultimately allows our diverse and colorful city to be recognized and celebrated globally, across the world while advocating for artists through fair-pay, continued work opportunities, and professional development to aid in the artists’ continued career growth. To date, SASAI has completed almost 50 murals and advocated for the careers of over 36 artists.
In Living Pixels’s Pabst Immersive Art Show will take place at the Aztec Theatre in April. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Pabst Brewing Company and Wide Awake are excited to announce a new interactive art pop-up at the Aztec Theatre in downtown San Antonio next month. The art experience titled In Living Pixels will feature seven San Antonio-based artists’ creative interpretations of the digital and natural world around them. The pop-up is free to the public and takes place April 9-15. (Pabst Brewing Company, 2021)
In Living Pixels is a series of immersive and interactive installations that allow guests to have a multi-dimensional view of themselves and the spaces around them. The artists and collectives featured in the exhibition are Wide Awake, Chris Sauter, Natalia Rocafuerte, Charlie Kitchen, Domeinic Jimenez, and Ryan Hunter.
In Living Pixels will contain five separate installations:
Garden Party – Wide Awake + Dom Jimenez – Guests will be surrounded by neon flowers, greenery, and more as they are invited to sit in retro lounge chairs while their faces are projected on vintage TV sets, though their bodies appear as they are, making for a unique photo opportunity.
Let’s Meet Up – Wide Awake + Alan Weissling Pallares – Guests can catch their reflections in 18 large mirror security domes as they seesaw back and forth.
Rainbow Xscape – Natalia Rocafuerte + Dom Jimenez – The installation will use cameras mounted on top of televisions and throughout the space that project images onto selected screens, while morphing the images through various color gradients.
Knowing and Seeing – Chris Sauter – The installation features a freestanding room with circular holes scattered through the walls allowing light to filter through the space creating a mildly hallucinogenic effect. The installation aims to inspire viewers to question their perceptions and the way they take in information.
Unnamed – Charlie Kitchen – Charlie Kitchen will use nature and optical illusions to create a space that makes guests look at the natural world differently.
In addition to the installations, In Living Pixels will also feature the Creators Lab, a space where two creators provide exploratory engagements inspired by the installations including nail art and aura photography. The Creators Lab is available on the opening weekend only (April 9-10) for the first three hours each day.
In Living Pixels will be open from 5p.m. to 10 p.m. each day and will take place in the Aztec Theatre located at 104 N St Mary’s St. in downtown San Antonio. The exhibit is free to experience, but time slots must be reserved to ensure a limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks will be required to walk through the installations. Tickets can be reserved online. In Living Pixels will also feature local DJs from Midnight Swim during operating hours and a bar on the upper deck of the theatre.
Since 1844, Pabst is American-owned and operated and North America’s largest privately held brewing company. Pabst’s portfolio includes iconic brands with deep ties to American heritage, such as its flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon and others such as Lone Star, Rainier, and Old Style. Their people and their brands are committed to embracing change and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.
Wide Awake creates and produces experimental and immersive art shows and specializes in connecting artists with community-driven brands. Founded by two San Antonio natives, Paloma Cortez and Pamela Rachél, Wide Awake has collaborated with a wide range of local and global partners to create engaging and thought provoking work. Mantra – “We believe in taking risks and cultivating experiences that inspire each of us to stay curious and connect on a human level.”
Mexican Jazz artist Tino Contreras will perform at Frida Kahlo’s home, the Casa Azul, the flagship museum dedicated to the iconic artist’s life and work. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Legendary Mexican jazz artist Tino Contreras is set to perform a unique streamed show in the most beautiful space in Mexico City – Frida Kahlo’s home, the Casa Azul, which is also home to the flagship museum dedicated to the iconic artist’s life and work. The globally streamed event will be the first ever music stream from the Frida Kahlo Museum and is a celebration of both Contreras’ dynamic contribution to jazz and his 97th birthday. (Vesper Public Relations, 2021)
Inside the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House, are the artist’s personal belongings, as well as memories of the life that she lived there with Diego Rivera. Original paintings by Kahlo, Rivera, and their friends; a collection of Mexican folk art, handicrafts, pre-Columbian pieces, and Mexican regional textiles; as well as photographs, documents, books, and furniture are all showcased. The beautiful garden is an essential part of the Blue House, and crossing it leads to the internationally acclaimed exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s dresses. Many of the items in the museum were exhibited at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in 2018, for ‘Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up’, which was one of the most successful temporary exhibitions in the museum’s history.
Tino Contreras at Frida Kahlo Museum will show at the following times in the following territories on both days and for 24 hours on demand. The stream will not be available on demand after this initial weekend.
Saturday April 10 and Sunday April 11 8pm UK BST (ticket price £12) 9pm Europe CEST (ticket price €14) 7pm Mexico City HV (ticket price $17 USD) 8pm New York EDT (ticket price $17 USD) 8pm Los Angeles PDT (ticket price $17 USD)
Tickets available worldwide from Dice.fm. “The price you pay. No surprises later.”
During Covid 19 The Frida Kahlo Museum has lost all income from admissions, so there is an opportunity to donate to the museum when purchasing a ticket and during the stream.
Born in Chihuahua in 1924 to a family of musicians, Tino Contreras is a master Mexican jazz drummer who for more than six decades has melded Latin influences with free jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde experimentation, and global sounds from Egypt, India, Turkey, and elsewhere. Tino’s career started in the 1950s and has seen him share stages with many of the greats – including Dave Brubeck, Cannonball Adderley, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Turning 97 on 3 April 2021, Contreras continues to play, record, and receive recognition for his contribution to Mexican jazz and beyond. His latest album La Noche de los Dioses was released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood record label in October 2020.
The Latin American Popular Art collection is one of the San Antonio Museum of Art’s extensive collection. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.
The San Antonio Museum of Art is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and museum curators are hosting a virtual Master Class series to celebrate the museum’s extensive collection. Each Monday in April, art enthusiasts will hear from the curators about their favorite pieces from the museum’s 40-year history of collecting art from around the world. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Master class dates are April 5, 12, 19, and 26. Tickets for the series are $200 and registration for the event is available online.
The San Antonio Museum of Art enriches lives through exceptional experiences with art. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret significant works of art, representing a broad range of history and world cultures to strengthen our shared understanding of humanity.
SAY Sí will have a student art contest, complimentary art kits, and a community survey raffle. Photo: google
This March, San Antonio nonprofit SAY Sí is offering area students and educators the opportunity to recognize local teachers and engage with the arts, in addition to enlisting feedback from the San Antonio community on the nonprofit’s latest efforts. (SAY Sí, 2021)
With Spring Break just around the corner, SAY Sí has partnered with the Alamo Colleges to provide community members with local and virtual resources that everyone can enjoy, including 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 this weekend; limit two bags per car. 1,250 art kits will be available for pickup from the Palo Alto College Arts Center from 4p.m. – 6p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021, and another 1,250 art kits will be available for pickup from 10a.m. – Noon at the ACD District Support Operations building (2222 N. Alamo St.) on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Those interested in receiving an art supply bag should complete an interest form. Each kit will include a transportable bag with watercolors, markers, glue, a sketchbook, pipe cleaners, and sidewalk chalk. The community can consult SAY Sí online for additional ideas for at-home art projects.
Now through March 21, 2021, San Antonio students in grades Kinder-9 can submit original portraits of their teachers for a chance to win a $100 H-E-B gift card, (for the educator) as well as an art kit for their class (supplies for a class size of 25). A total of 10 teachers will be selected, one educator per grade level, and will be chosen by SAY Sí staff. To enter, students can visit here to fill out their application and upload an image of their original artwork, as well as explain why their teacher should be chosen. Any medium is accepted, including painting/drawing/coloring, photography, mixed media/collage, song/spoken word, written poem, sculpture, comic, digital drawing, or other creative outlets.
SAY Sí is also offering the San Antonio community an opportunity to win an H-E-B gift card by completing their community impact survey. To enter for a chance to win an H-E-B gift card, entrants must be 13 years of age or older. Four winners will be chosen on Monday, March 22, 2021; gift card amounts are valued at $10, $15, $25 or $50.
In 2019, SAY Sí announced its relocation to the Westside of San Antonio with an all new, expanded campus. The new location, a former industrial warehouse located at 1310 S. Brazos, boasts nearly 98,000 square feet of space that will allow for the integration of three new programs into their existing offerings, including: Culinary Arts, Digital Music Composition and Journalism. SAY Sí’s diverse programming and state of the art technology and resources make the arts program one of the best in the world. While currently closed for in-person programs and community visits during construction, SAY Sí continues to offer virtual programs and resources to encourage participation in the arts from home.
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.
The Harlingen Public Library is putting out an official call for art submissions for its Virtual Spring Art Show. Photo: Harlingen Public Library, used with permission.
The Harlingen Public Library is once again hosting a Virtual Art Show and is reaching out to the community for submissions. The Harling Public Library is putting out an official call for art submissions for a Virtual Spring Art Show. Artists should send a photo of their work and responses to the Entry Form. The photo should be high resolution (at least 1000 x 1000 pixels), suitable for a family show and any medium is acceptable. All ages are invited to participate but may submit only one piece of art. Participants will have a chance to win some new art supplies via a raffle. Submission deadline is Monday, March 29, 2021. The library website and social media will display the Virtual Spring Art Show on the Harlingen Public Library Facebook page on April 5 at 10a.m. to kick off National Library Week. More information, as well as the Entry Form, is available online. (Harlingen Public Library, 2020)
The Harlingen Public Library provides dynamic and engaging services for a diverse and evolving community. Mission statement: “We exist to build bridges that strengthen the ties of our community. We create innovative pathways for people to connect with information and each other. Working together, the people of our community can experience infinite opportunities and growth. We are the bridge builders; we make ways where none exist.”
Ashley Dreyfus’ ‘There Is No Place Like Home’ was the winner of the 2020 can design competition. Photo: Pabst Blue Ribbon, used with permission.
Pabst Brewing Company, which recently brought its headquarters to San Antonio, is excited to announce the debut of its new art gallery in the Alamo City, Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios, opening on March 13, 2021. The pop-up gallery will feature 2020 Pabst Blue Ribbon can designs submitted by emerging artists from across the U.S. and will feature artwork created by the 2020 winner of the company’s annual can design competition. (Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios, 2021)
Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) hosts an annual competition for emerging artists to create a can design that will be featured on 12-pack cases and displayed in stores for the entire year. The top five finalists are commissioned by PBR, second and third place winners receive cash prizes, and the grand prize winner takes home $10,000 in addition to being awarded the opportunity to have their design appear on millions of PBR cans across the world. Their designs will be among the 25 finalists’ art that will be displayed at Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios in Southtown San Antonio starting March 13, 2021.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios will display the 25 finalists’ art designs for 90 days. After that period, Pabst plans to commission different artists who will showcase their artwork in the space, rotating the artists monthly. Artists will be announced with a planned gallery opening starting each month. Gallery opening events will follow all social distancing protocols and limited capacities; employees and guests will be required to wear a mask.
In addition to the can design competition, Pabst has commissioned hundreds of murals across the country – something the company plans to continue in San Antonio and beyond. In addition to Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios, Pabst Brewing Company has plans for other art installations that will be made accessible to the San Antonio community in Spring 2021.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios is located at 1112 S. St. Mary’s St. in San Antonio. The gallery will be free and open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays starting Saturday, March 13, 2021; the gallery will also be open on the first Friday of every month and will include a live DJ set on those evenings. Gallery hours are noon to 6p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 4p.m. to 10p.m. on first Fridays.
Since 1844, Pabst has been American-owned and operated, and is North America’s largest privately held brewing company. Pabst’s portfolio includes iconic brands with deep ties to American heritage, such as its flagship Pabst Blue Ribbon and others such as Lone Star, Rainier, and Old Style. Their people and their brands are committed to embracing change and making a positive impact on the communities they serve.
“The goal for Pabst Blue Ribbon is to continue to build upon the vibrant arts and culture scene that already exists here in San Antonio. As we settle into our new home here in San Antonio, we look forward to the opportunity to continue to engage with the local community by expanding the city’s public arts offerings with the introduction of our new gallery space, the creation of public murals and more, that not only share the story of our brand, but of up-and-coming artists from across the U.S. and those here in our great city.” – Matt Bruhn, President of Pabst Brewing Company.
Blue Star Contemporary will be screening the all-video CAM Perennial exhibition. Photo: google
Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio’s first and longest-running contemporary art nonprofit, is pleased to announce its roster of Spring 2021 events in celebration of Contemporary Art Month and beyond. These events take place online, on-site, or at special venues following every precaution to ensure COVD-19 safety. More information on these events and how to register is available online. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2021)
First CAM Perennial exhibition Outdoor Screening Thursday, March 11, 2021 | beginning at 6:30p.m. at 116 Blue Star
In partnership with Contemporary Art Month, BSC hosts an outdoor screening of a selection of videos in the first chapter of the 2021 all-video CAM Perennial exhibition, Here, the river runs both ways, by curator Doreen A. Rios. All artists included in the exhibition were selected by CAM guest curator Doreen A. Rios from the CAM Open Call.
Chapter 1: Territory as body “Our task is to make trouble, to stir up potent response to devastating events, as well as to settle troubled waters and rebuild quiet places.” – Donna Haraway
RECAPTCHA (2020), Heather Warren-Crow, 4:04 min. Conceptual Migrant (2020), Patty Ortiz, 7:01 min. Don’t Shhh Me (2020), Patty Ortiz, 3:58 min. The Romance of Seeking (2020), Hannah Spector, 5:32 min. Visible nest (2020), Julia Zipporah, 1:00 min. #BIRDEATINGOTHER (2020), Julia Zipporah, 2:00 min. Institute of Memory (2015), Daniel Jackson, 2:50 min. _AnOldRuinousVault_H264 (2021), Daniel Jackson, 2:10 min. A Love Affair with the Desert (2020), Karen Y. Martínez, 2:55 min.
Second CAM Perennial exhibition Outdoor Screening Thursday, March 18, 2021 | beginning at 6:30p.m. at 116 Blue Star
In partnership with Contemporary Art Month, BSC hosts an outdoor screening of a selection of videos in the second chapter of the 2021 all-video CAM Perennial exhibition, Here, the river runs both ways, by curator Doreen A. Rios.
Chapter 2: Territory as land “The knowledge that makes a difference in changing the world is knowledge that travels and mobilizes, shifting and creating new forces and agents of history in its path.” – Anna Tsing
Uncertain Site (2020), Hugo Santana, 3:01 min. Archive for the Unconceivable (2020), Hugo Santana, 8:08 min. (be)coming home (2019), Francis Almendarez, 3:48 min. Dinner as I Remember (2017), Francis Almedarez, 3:14 min. untitled (point in movement) (2015), Betelhem Makonnen, 3:05 min. (w)here is here (2015), Betelhem Makonnen, 2:33 min. Separated Together (2020), Hedwige Jacobs, 0:10 min. Personal Space (2020), Hedwige Jacobs, 0:59 min. Oceanic feeling (2021), Hannah Spector, 7:59 min. Impresiones y paisajes (2019), Verónica Gaona, 5:21 min.
About the 2021 CAM Perennial Exhibition: Here, the rivers run both ways Curated by Doreen A. Ríos When thinking about territories it becomes clear that the first one we inhabit is our body. As we keep expanding the definition, we come to terms with the fact that most territories grow outside our skin, yet our need to visualize said territories is very much embedded in our collective imagination through its representation. Uncharted territories that become lines, traces, boundaries. Always in motion, always recreating their behaviors. Navigating real and imagined territories is an act of placing ourselves within a series of moving flows and everchanging landscapes. This exhibition expands on the notion of wandering, the intimate – yet collective – daydreaming and, of course, the cultural mythologies delineated by migration, gentrification, gender, and communication systems. Scripted in two chapters – territory as body and territory as land – this selection reveals a series of unstable and fragmentary cartographies where constant hybridization is key. The visitor becomes a traveler between physical and symbolic territories inside a city that behaves as a dynamic system in flux where art is released into the wild to activate other sensibilities outside the white cube.
Blue Star Contemporary’s programs celebrate Contemporary Art Month and beyond. Photo: google
Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio’s first and longest-running contemporary art nonprofit, is pleased to announce its roster of Spring 2021 events in celebration of Contemporary Art Month and beyond. These events take place online, on-site, or at special venues following every precaution to ensure COVD-19 safety. More information on these events and how to register is available online. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2021)
Lottie Mae Lounge pop up exhibition featuring Jorge Villarreal Saturday and Sunday, March 6 – 7, 2021, 10a.m. – 5p.m. at Phil Hardberger Park | 8400 NW Military Highway, San Antonio, TX 78231. Register at this link.
For San Antonio’s Contemporary Art Month, Lottie Mae Lounge is pleased to present the work of artist Jorge Villarreal in partnership with Blue Star Contemporary and the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy in a special pop-up exhibition. This two-day exhibition inside Lottie Mae Lounge, a fully renovated 1979 Airstream Sovereign, highlights Villarreal’s participation in BSC’s Berlin Residency Program in 2019, featuring artworks inspired by three months spent at the renowned Künstlerhaus Bethanien artist residency in Germany.
Xavier Gilmore performance of Anoriginal Drive for Contemporary Art Month kick-off. Friday, March 5, 2021 | 6:30p.m. Online via @bluestarart Facebook Live. Livestream for viewing in-person at the CAM and Slab Cinema drive-in located in Artpace San Antonio’s parking lot at 513 N. Flores St. Click here to register via Eventbrite.
AnOriginal Drive is a multidisciplinary performance by Xavier Gilmore in collaboration with Andrea Vocab Sanderson, Anthony Francis, Kellen Stanley, Nick Long, and Edwin Stephens. Through sound, scent, and video, they explore the spiritual “Roll, Jordan, Roll” through improvisation and communication. This performance will officially mark the beginning of Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio.
Family Saturday art kit pick-up Saturday, April 10, 2021 | 10a.m. – 6p.m. at 116 Blue Star while supplies last.
Family Saturdays at Blue Star Contemporary continue with the BSC Art Kit. Packed with self-guided activities and artist-created projects, the BSC Art Kit comes with everything you need to let your creativity and imagination take control. A self-guided scavenger hunt will take you through our galleries for a closer look at contemporary art and our at-home art projects will extend our exhibitions into the comfort of your home. Perfect for artists of all ages, but designed especially for children ages 5 – 9, the BSC Art Kit encourages families to explore BSC’s current exhibitions through fun-filled, hands-on activities that encourage reflection and creativity. Make a reservation to explore our gallery kit in hand. Family Saturdays in April will continue all month long while supplies last.
Texas Talks Art: Ryan Takaba with Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray April 20, 2021,12:00p.m. 12:30p.m. via ZOOM. Register here.
Texas Talks Art is a multi-institutional initiative intended to introduce the work of artists across the state of Texas to a wider audience and to foster collaboration between local non-profit arts organizations. Taking the form of virtual 30-minute lunchtime talks, the series features 50 Texas artists and artist collectives in conversation with 50 Texas curators beginning in January 2021 and continuing throughout the year. Texas Talks Art is built on a belief in the need to work collectively to support the remarkable and diverse community of artists living and working in Texas. The series features an intergenerational roster of artists working across mediums and at differing points in their careers. Texas Talks Art encourages dialogue between arts professionals and emphasizes the broad range of concerns and questions that animate Texas-based artists.
“When did you forget you were an immigrant?” Ongoing Through May 9. Participate by calling (210) 342-2667
Now through May 9, 2021 Blue Star Contemporary and Sanctuary City Project invites the public to reflect on its current exhibition by answering the question “When did you forget you were an immigrant?” To participate and leave a response call (210) 342-2667 and follow the prompts.
Sanctuary City Project is a social practice project of artists Sergio De La Torre and Chris Treggiari that engages communities to generate conversations around the history and policies of immigration in the US. Artists De La Torre and Treggiari invite the San Antonio community to reflect on their ideas, personal experiences, and histories with migration through call and response and additional community activations. The exhibition in the gallery includes screen printed posters installed and for take away, a digital timeline representing qualitative and quantitative research surrounding the sanctuary ordinances and immigration issues, a video work compiling peaceful immigration protests since President Trump’s election.
Blue Star Contemporary (BSC) is the first and longest-running nonprofit venue 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, 30,000 residents and cultural tourists experience contemporary art with BSC each year through its exhibitions, public art projects, and education programs. In 2017, 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.
SA Examiner 