Category: art

Briscoe Summer Fun: Workshops, Free Admission, and Scavenger Hunts

Don’t miss the Scratchboard Art Workshop taking place today June 20 with Master Scratchboard Artist Sally Maxwell. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

There is always something interesting happening at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, especially in the summer. This week’s summer spotlight event at the Briscoe is the Scratchboard Art Workshop, taking place today with internationally recognized, local artist Sally Maxwell. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2024)

Scratchboard Art Workshop
A hands-on session for all skill levels with San Antonio artist Sally Maxwell
Thursday, June 20, 5:30p.m. – 8 p.m., $25 for members, $45 for non-members

Join San Antonio-based, internationally recognized artist Sally Maxwell to leave your mark in art. Scratchboard art, also known as scratch art, is a form of direct engraving where the artist scratches off dark ink to reveal a white or colored layer beneath. Following a presentation to introduce everyone to the scratchboard process and the different kinds of boards and techniques used, guests will work on a 5” x 7” personalized square to complete and take home. The workshop is for all skill levels and all supplies are included. Pre-registration is required. 

Selected by the International Society of Scratchboard Artists to be designated as one of only 12 in the world with the status Master Scratchboard Artist, Maxwell is a Signature member in the Society of Animal Artists, a Silver Signature member of Artists Changing Tomorrow, and a Master Signature member of American Women Artists. Maxwell will have pieces of her work on display during the workshop, as well as copies of her book for purchase.

Can’t make it to the Scratchboard Art Workshop? No Worries. Here are some more events scheduled this summer.

Thanks to the Briscoe Western Art Museum, families can unleash fun and learning to keep kids engaged and educated all summer long with a wide array of programming that includes wildlife, cowboys, movies, art, and more. From free locals days and hands-on education sessions and story fun to a day celebrating cowboy life and a summer filled with art, the Briscoe is the place to be to survive this summer.

Cool Summer Fun: Free Admission and Scavenger Hunts
Locals Days: Free for Local Residents – First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

To thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum greets locals with free general admission on the first Sunday of each month. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2024, with free admission on July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1. Online registration for Locals Day is recommended. If you can’t stop in on Locals Day, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for everyone to enjoy any time.

Scout the Briscoe: Free Scavenger Hunt – First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

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

Unleash Hands-on Education: Monthly STEAM Learning
The Briscoe’s free monthly education series Full STEAM Ahead educates and entertains from 1p.m. – 3p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. Full STEAM Ahead is included with museum admission and all supplies are provided.

Learners of all ages work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences about the American West. Each of the activities ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning.

Summer 2024 Full Steam Ahead dates and topics include:

July 7: Full STEAM Ahead – Whose Track is That? – Learn how to identify the tracks different animals leave behind. After a short presentation, families will have the opportunity to identify animal tracks and make some tracks of their own to take home.

August 4: Full STEAM Ahead – Creating Colors – Discover how color is harnessed from nature in this survey of dyes and pigments from around the world. After a short discussion, everyone will have the opportunity to make their own paint to take home or use in creating artwork to take home.

September 1: Full STEAM Ahead – Nature in Art – Bring nature and pottery together, learning about how Native Americans used nature for colors to create designs in their pottery. After the presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a pinch pot and decorate it with pressed flowers and leaves.

Stories and More
The younger set – and their caregivers – can stampede into the Briscoe on the third Saturday of the month, 10:30a.m. – 11a.m. to enjoy Storytime Stampede, then enjoy the Briscoe’s collection. With stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, the short session is timed to keep young children engaged and entertained. Adults bringing children to Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, making Storytime Stampede affordable family fun.

Summer dates include:
July 20: “Rio Ruby Invents the Pecan Pie” by Robin Davis. Rio Ruby makes the yummiest pies this side of the Rio Grande, but one day after she’s closed her pie shop, she finds out that she’s almost out of ingredients. Even worse, all the animals seem to have eaten all the pie-worthy fruit! She sets out to find a new ingredient to invent a new kind of pie, but one just as delicious and yummy.

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

Unlocking Potential: Advocating for Music and Arts in Education

Wolfpen Branch Donation. Photo: Can’d Aid, used with permission.

Music and the arts are an important part of a well-rounded education, fostering creativity, expression, and critical thinking. In schools, they provide avenues for students to explore their emotions, develop empathy, and cultivate cultural understanding. They offer students alternative means of communication and self-expression, especially for those who may struggle in traditional academic subjects. By integrating music and the arts into education, schools nurture holistic development, preparing students for success in both their personal and professional lives while enriching communities with diverse perspectives and creativity. Now more than ever, it is essential that these programs continue to be a part of students’ curriculum.

In honor of World Music Day this June 21, I’d like to share the excellent work that Can’d Aid is doing to ensure that students have access to musical instruments and music education.

Can’d Aid has donated thousands of brand new instruments to underserved school systems, inspiring the next generation of musicians. Since its inception in 2013, Can’d Aid has donated nearly 3,700 instruments and hosted more than 160 educational music workshops across the country. (Turn It Up, 2024)

Through its Music + Arts program, Can’d Aid partners with nationally touring artists who donate their time, energy and passion while they’re on the road touring to facilitate instrument donations to classrooms across the country as TUNES Ambassadors. Longtime TUNES Ambassadors include Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps, Woody Platt and Charles Humphrey III of Steep Canyon Rangers, The Infamous Stringdusters, and many more. Can’d Aid TUNES Ambassadors host live-music concerts for classes in underserved school districts, introducing kids to the joys of music.

Ambassadors tell their stories and teach hands-on, educational sessions, with the goal of getting kids excited about learning to play an instrument. Creative outlets are essential to fostering good mental health in children, yet arts programs in public schools are typically the first to be defunded, as they’re expensive to run and not considered “core curriculum” or necessary for graduation. The TUNES program is a way for Can’d Aid to offset the decline in arts program funding and keep music in schools. 

Can’d Aid is a nationally recognized nonprofit that rallies volunteers from all walks of life to build thriving communities. Through their unique integrated approach, they increase access and opportunities for underserved youth to experience music, arts and the outdoors; and protect and restore the environment. Since its inception in 2013, more than 19,500 skateboards and bikes have been built for underprivileged youth, more than 3,700 instruments have been donated and nearly 2,000 tons of trash have been diverted from landfills. To donate, volunteer or learn more, please visit Can’d Aid online.

Experience Xicanx Dreamers + Changemakers at Contemporary at Blue Star

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second annual International Space Art and Poetry Contest

Kids and educators are encouraged to enter for a chance to see their creations in space. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Are you a creative who loves to create art or poetry around the subject of space? If so, this is your chance to enter a contest to have your art showcased from the International Space Station. This contest is open for young artists/poets as well as educators. For the second year, Astronaut John Shoffner is hosting the International Space Art & Poetry Contest. The goal is to promote the ‘A’ in STEAM. See more information below.

Have you ever looked at the stars and wondered, “What would it look like if we lived in space?” For the second year, astronaut and contest visionary John Shoffner invites students and educators from across the world to submit a drawing, painting or written poetry showcasing what it would look like if we lived up there. (Axiom Space, 2024)

Participants from around the globe will have the chance to showcase vivid color and curiosity as they take us on a journey into space as they envision it. Eight category representatives will receive special recognition from the International Space Station (ISS) in addition to receiving physical prints of their creation sent down from space. 

Submissions for the 2024 International Space Art and Poetry Contest open are open now and close on April 5. Selected category representatives will receive prints of their creations sent down from space, gift packages provided by Crayola Experience, and more.

Entries will be categorized by age division (5-8, 9-13, 14-18, and a newly added educator category), as well as by genre (visual art and poetry).

Submissions will be scored by an esteemed panel of judges including: 

  • NASA Icon and Axiom Space Director of Human Space Flight Peggy Whitson, who holds more time in space than any American or woman in history
  • STEAM advocate, contest visionary and Axiom Mission (Ax-2) Pilot John Shoffner
  • Executive Director of Limitless Space Institute, Kaci Heins 
  • Visual Artist, poet and published author, Moniqe Lorden  

The contest is hosted by The Perseid Foundation in collaboration with Crayola Experience, Limitless Space Institute, International Space Station National Lab, and Axiom Space. 

The inaugural International Space Art and Poetry Contest received more than 930 entries from 26 countries including the U.S., Colombia, Ghana, Ireland, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and more. Surrounded by floating colorful artwork and written creations inside the Cupola, Shoffner announced the category representatives during the Ax-2 mission last May. 

“Your creativity has inspired my perspective on space in ways I never imagined,” said Shoffner from the ISS. “Your big ideas, bright colors, and thoughtful words have served as a gentle reminder to hold onto that wide-eyed curiosity that often escapes us over time.”

Axiom Space is building for beyond, guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. 

Axiom Space collaborates with The Perseid Foundation and Limitless Space Institute to boost STEAM education for the next generation of space explorers. Through this collaboration, these education partners aim to inspire curiosity in STEAM related careers. 

Last year’s winning submissions. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Spring Break activities at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Spring into the West for extra hours and hands-on programming during Spring Break Round Up at the Briscoe. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Spring into the west without ever leaving the River Walk at the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Normally closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, extended hours during spring break mean the Briscoe will be open 10a.m. – 5p.m. each day March 7 – 18, giving everyone the opportunity to lasso some western fun this spring. With the museum’s location in the heart of the River Walk, it’s the perfect stop for families exploring downtown – and anyone enjoying the St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivities March 16-17. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2024)

The Briscoe is also hosting its annual Spring Break Roundup March 11-16. Art and craft activities, building with LEGOs, stories and fun capture the excitement and adventure of the West for all ages, while adults can get in on the fun with an evening painting session served with a side of margaritas. The come-and-go family programs includes activities that celebrate the heritage and culture of the American West. Different activities will be available each day, bringing the West to life in a variety of hands-on ways.

Spring Break Roundup is included in museum admission, with no charge for craft supplies and no reservations required. The adults-only painting session is a ticketed event for those 21 and up. Children 12 and under and active duty military members always receive free admission to the Briscoe, making it a wonderful destination for family fun. Caregivers must accompany participating children for each activity.

Spring Break Roundup scheduled programming includes:

Monday – Friday, March 11 – 16: Hands-on Arts & Crafts, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

Head West for hands-on fun any time during the day to make and take fun crafts that tie to the pillars of Western art – cowboys, Native Americans, wildlife and vaqueros, all themes celebrated by the Briscoe’s popular Community Days. Stop in and make bison masks, a fun balancing cowboy or weave your own basket. Families can choose and create one – or all! – of the crafts using the free supplies provided. This is a drop-in event included with museum admission.

Thursday, March 14:  Building the West: Native American Homes, 11a.m. – 2p.m.

Drop by the Briscoe to explore the museum’s collection of Native American paintings and sculptures, then create your own Native American home or village. Honor the environment and the native beauty of the West by using recyclable and found materials to build a tipi, longhouse, wigwam or other type of traditional Native American shelters. Decorate it and take your creation home.

Thursday, March 14: Painting with DiZurita!, 5:30p.m. – 8p.m., $45, $35 for museum members

Kick back and enjoy your Spring Break during a painting session with energetic and charismatic international artist DiZurita. Based in San Antonio, DiZurita tells stories through her art, an everlasting transformation of life experiences. Enjoy a relaxing evening sipping margaritas while painting an agave plant – a Western plant and the source of tequila. Create your own agave acrylic painting on an 11 x 14 canvas in a hands-on session as DiZurita guides guests in creating their own work of art. Registration for this 21+ event is per person and includes drinks and all supplies. Class size is limited, so register today to secure your spot.

Friday, March 15:  Building the West: Stop Motion LEGOs, 11a.m. – 2p.m.

Explore the West at the Briscoe, then create a short stop-motion video with LEGOs featuring the Alamo, a train station or other western scenes found in the museum’s collection. Get imaginative at the LEGO creation station and build your own scenes, then create a video using your own phone or device.

Saturday, March 16: Storytime Stampede: Cowboys, 10:30a.m. – 11a.m.

Families and caregivers of young children can enjoy western fun and stories each month at the Briscoe’s Storytime Stampede. Featuring 30-minute programs designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, each event includes stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun.

The spring break story is “Cowboys”  by Lucille Recht Penner. Learn all about the day-to-day life of a cowboy in the Old West, from round-ups and trail drives to meals around the campfire and nights under the stars. Then make a cowboy hat you can wear home.

Adults bringing children to the Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, turning Storytime Stampede into affordable family fun.

Building the West: Stop motion LEGOs. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Call for Luminaria 2024 festival artists now open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy Cowboy Christmas at the Briscoe this Sunday

Head west on the River Walk to take pictures with Cowboy Santa and make western holiday ornaments. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Get wrapped up in Western fun and meet Cowboy Santa at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s annual free Cowboy Christmas, 10a.m. – 2p.m., Sunday, December 3. Cowboy Christmas is included with museum admission, making the Briscoe the perfect way to enjoy holiday fun and make memories with your family, especially since this year’s celebration falls on the Briscoe’s monthly “Locals Day.” On Locals Day, all Bexar County residents receive free admission to enjoy the museum. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)

Cowboy Christmas features a day of family fun exploring the museum with holiday crafts and visits with Cowboy Santa from 11a.m. – 2p.m. Families are welcome to snap pictures with Cowboy Santa, while a special 12 Days of Christmas scavenger hunt leads you through the Briscoe’s fantastic collection. Christmas crafts, including ornament making, will give everyone a bit of the West to take home.

Holiday Fun with American Cowboys:  Anouk Masson Krantz

Everyone who attends Cowboy Christmas can step into the intimate lives and culture of today’s cowboys through a showcase of stunning black and white photographs during Anouk Masson Krantz: “American Cowboys,” the Briscoe’s exhibition that highlights the enduring traditions around ranching and rodeo life from an outsider’s perspective. American Cowboys shares an intimate look at America’s Western heritage through nearly 100 images captured on solo journeys across the American West by the celebrated photographer Anouk Masson Krantz.

A French fine-art photographer and author based in New York City best known for her American Western work, Krantz has logged more than 125,000 miles traveling the West by herself in her quest to reveal the authentic daily lives of humble and virtuous American cowboy. Krantz’s photography has received worldwide acclaim, including the 2023 Western Heritage Award for her latest artbook, “Ranchland: Wagonhound.” The exhibition is included with museum admission and is on view through January 22, 2024.

Howdy Neighbors:  Ways to Head West and Save

To show how friendly the West is and to thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum makes the first Sunday of each month “Locals Day,” greeting locals with free general admission. Bexar County residents can enjoy Cowboy Christmas and Locals Day by registering online.

Not a local? The Cowboy Christmas fun is included with general museum admission. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission at the Briscoe, as do active duty members of the military, making the museum a terrific spot for families to add to their holiday plans. Active duty military families receive half-price admission when accompanied by their active duty family member. Year-round, retired and former members of the military also received discounted admission.

The first weekend of each month also includes free museum admission thanks to Bank of America Museums on Us, allowing Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and U.S. Trust cardholders to gain one free admission to the museum. Through Museums for All, recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP receive free general admission throughout the year.

Fill Your Stocking with the Best of the West

For everyone looking to fill their gift lists, the Briscoe’s Hendler Family Museum Store features something for everyone on your list. Shopping the museum includes holiday finds, home décor, and gifts for men, women and children that aren’t the cookie cutter things you’ll see at traditional retailers. Something sure to be popular in Cowboy Santa’s bag of gifts this year:  gift memberships to the Briscoe. Membership includes free and discounted museum event admission, exclusive member events and so much more, all on the banks of the River Walk.

The museum is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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