Category: Community news

Free Family Saturday at Blue Star Contemporary

Free fun and art making for families at Blue Star Contemporary’s Family Saturday. Photo: google

Blue Star Contemporary (BSC), San Antonio’s first and longest- running contemporary art nonprofit, welcomes the public on Saturday, June 25 for Free Family Saturday. From 1p.m. to 4p.m., families with children of all ages are invited to enjoy free hands-on art making activities, led by artists on view Jenn Hassin, Sarah Sudhoff, and Jill Ewing with Bihl Haus Arts. Also in attendance will be Vicki Johnson, who will be leading a letter writing activity with Operation Gratitude, a nation-wide nonprofit dedicated to providing people across our great country with opportunities for hands-on volunteerism to say ‘thank you’ to our Military, Veterans, and First Responders. (Blue Star Contemporary, 2022)

This free family event focuses on BSC’s current exhibitions and gives families an opportunity to interact with local artists and community organizations. The artworks on view inspire art making that encourages children to look deeply and understand contemporary art better through fun activities. Families are invited to enjoy BSC’s exhibitions as well as complimentary food and refreshments.

On View at Blue Star Contemporary
BSC’s main gallery features Travel Distance, curated by independent curator and interdisciplinary artist Amber Zora. The exhibition features the work of Miridith Campbell (Kiowa), Joe Devera, Claudia Hare, Jenn Hassin, Gina Herrera, Monte Little (Diné), Jessica Putnam–Phillips, Daniel Rios Rodriguez, Renee Romero, and Sarah Sudhoff. The artworks featured represent how veterans and their families have processed, moved through, purged, and reclaimed their experience around military service.

The Learning Lab at BSC presents The Veterans Book Project, a library of books authored collaboratively by artist Monica Haller and dozens of people who have been affected by, and have archives of, the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In their printed format, the books provide a place, or “container,” that slows down and materializes the great quantity of ephemeral image files that live on veterans’ hard drives and in their heads. Each book re-deploys volatile images with the aim of rearticulating and refashioning memories. It stands both independent of and in concert with the larger collection.

These exhibitions coincide with the Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums. Running from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2022, museums across the United States offer free general admission to active-duty military personnel and their families. BSC participates in this program in an effort to say “thank you” to our military community.

Opening on July 1, Andreas Till: De Ami, focuses on the influence of the presence of American troops in artist Andreas Till’s hometown Heidelberg, Germany and the relationship between Germans and Americans between 1945 and 2013 born out of this presence. The Other Side, is a selection of films referencing ideas of transitions and events that foundationally change someone, i.e. “to be on the other side of something.” The video works also allude to ideas of mortality and the spiritual concept of metaphysical selves entering a new plane. The films were selected from Darmstadt Sezession’s 2021 prize shortlist for our collaborative Projection/Projektion grants and screenings program, and feature the work of Faezeh Nikoozad, Aki Pao-Chen Chiu, Breech Asher Harani, and Fumiko Kikuchi. Fake Plastic Forest features the work of France Dubois, Annette Isham, Işık Kaya, and Leigh Merrill, contemporary photographers and lens-based artists dealing with themes of artifice, truth and fiction, and the theatricality of our interactions with nature.

BSC 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, BSC contributes fresh insight and perspective on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art.

BSC was founded for artists by artists in 1986 in a grassroots movement sparked by the cancellation of the first major museum exhibition of contemporary art in San Antonio. Six arts supporters and artists founded Contemporary Art for San Antonio to provide an exhibition venue for artists and the public. With the support of a handful of donors and property developers, the founders, artists, and volunteers converted an abandoned warehouse into a gallery for the first annual Blue Star Exhibition. Over the years, BSC has grown to encompass a professional staff, a robust calendar of onsite and offsite exhibitions, community collaborations, creative youth development programs, international exchange opportunities for artists, and public art projects.

Free Family Saturday at Blue Star Contemporary. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

County Line Community Band summer concert

The County Line Community Band will perform in the Buena Vista Theater on the UTSA downtown campus. Photo: google

On Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 3p.m., the County Line Community Band will perform their “Concert Favorites and Solos” in the beautiful Buena Vista Theater on the UTSA Downtown Campus from 3p.m. to 4p.m. This concert will feature world renowned Saxophonist, Dr. Andy Wen and Tyler Neufer, French Horn instrumentalist with the U.S. Air Force Band of the West. The band will also highlight music considered some of the favorites in band literature like, “Funiculi, Funicula,” “Bugler’s Holiday,” “Lassus Trombone,” and more. (County Line Community Band, 2022)

This concert is free and open to the public. Parking is free at the Cattleman’s Square parking lot across the street from the theater. Come out and support community music in San Antonio. Donations deeply appreciated.

The CLCB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and our mission and endeavor is to create an environment whereby our all-volunteer organization can further their musical education and enjoyment through the performance of concert and symphonic music, to further the efficacy of music as an integral piece of the culture of the local community, to advocate for the synergistic integration of music education, to work with our cultural partners in our communities for the advancement of the arts and to be a source of pride for our members and the communities we serve.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Teatro Salon presents La Niña Girasol

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center proudly presents the Teatro Salon’s world premiere of La Niña Girasol (The Sunflower Girl) by J. Cesar Duenas. Photo: The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, used with permission.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center proudly presents the Teatro Salon’s world premiere of La Niña Girasol (The Sunflower Girl) by J. Cesar Duenas, scheduled for June 22 – 25, 2022 at the historic Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., San Antonio, TX 78207. Clint Taylor, who has over 25 years working with numerous theater companies in San Antonio and New York, will be directing this unique and imaginary children’s play. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2022)

“Follow a brother & sister on a journey through their dreams to save their maternal line from being lost forever…. A magical tale of family, history, and the struggle to keep their roots alive,” this, according to playwright J. Cesar Duenas. Mr. Duenas is a local theatre actor and while La Niña Girasol is his first play, he has acted with VIVA 48hr Play, Teatro Audaz, Killer Productions, Overtime Theatre, and Jumpstart. He is a first-generation American and a US Army veteran who was born and raised in San Antonio. “I am so excited with this rare opportunity to have my first play produced and enjoyed by the community.”

Teatro Salon is a project of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center that provides opportunities to developing new plays and is sponsored by City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, Trinity University and National Performance Network.

Show times include two morning performances on Wednesday and Thursday June 22 and 23 at 11a.m. and two evening performances on Friday and Saturday June 24 and 25 at 7p.m.. Admission is $12 Adults, $6 Teens and Seniors and $2 Children (13yrs and under). All performances will take place at the historic Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St. San Antonio, TX 78207.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a non-profit, multidisciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the United States. Its mission is to cultivate, promote, and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino, and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.

Texas Women for the Arts awards grants to arts organizations

Texas Women for the Arts awards 33 arts organizations with $171K in grants at 16th annual meeting in San Antonio. Photo: google

Texas Women for the Arts, a program of the Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT), has selected 33 arts programs across the state to receive nearly $170,000 in grants at their 16th Annual Meeting that took place on April 25 – 26, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. Texas Women for the Arts (TWA) is one of TXCT’s statewide giving circle, with nearly 200 members from all over Texas. Through their collective generosity, TWA invests in the arts and arts education with the mission of increasing access to the arts for all Texas children. TWA grant applications for 2023 will open for submission on October 1, 2022 and will close December 1, 2022. For more information on the Texas Cultural Trust and their Texas Women for the Arts program, please visit Texas Cultural Trust. (Texas Cultural Trust, 2022)

“Since its inception in 2005, Texas Women for the Arts has awarded 318 grants, totaling nearly $3.7 million to arts programs across the state of Texas, and we are honored to continue this legacy in 2022.” – Heidi Marquez Smith, Executive Director of Texas Cultural Trust

On Tuesday, April 26, day two of their annual meeting, Texas Women for the Arts granted Leslie D.
Blanton the Donna Axum Whitworth Champion of the Arts Award for her continued support, promotion, and generosity for arts and culture in the state of Texas. Blanton currently serves as Chairman of the Governing Council for the Shepherd Society of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. She is a member of the Liberal Arts Development Board and the National Leadership Board of the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas. Blanton is also a long-time member of the Texas Cultural Trust Board of Directors, serving in various capacities including Board Chairman and Co-Chairman of the 2019 Texas Medal of the Arts Awards and is a founding member of Texas Women for the Arts, of which she previously chaired and will chair again in 2022-2023.

The 2022 Texas Women for the Arts Impact Grantees are:
• Creative Kids, El Paso
• Art Center of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi
• Artpace San Antonio, San Antonio
• Hope Stone, Inc., Houston
• Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport
• Texas Ballet Theater, Inc., Fort Worth
• Ellen Noel Art Museum of the Permian Basin, Odessa
• Imagination Fort Worth, Fort Worth
• Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association Inc., Fort Worth
• El Paso Symphony Orchestra Assn., Inc., El Paso
• Art League Houston, Houston
• Harris County Cultural Arts Council, Houston
• Victoria Ballet Theatre, Victoria
• The Kindness Campaign, Austin
• Lubbock Community Theatre, Lubbock
• Magik Theatre, San Antonio
• Contemporary Art Museum Plainview, Plainview
• Jewish Federation of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, Fort Worth
• Gillespie County Children’s Foundation, Fredericksburg
• Alcorta’s Folklórico Diamante, Inc., Corpus Christi
• Zachary Scott Theatre Center, Austin
• Amphibian Productions, Inc., Fort Worth
• Cypress Creek Fine Arts Association, Spring
• Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo
• Longview Museum of Fine Arts, Longview
• Kids Excel El Paso, Inc., El Paso
• Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi
• The Citadelle Art Foundation, Canadian
• Amarillo Symphony, Inc., Amarillo
• Austin Classical Guitar, Austin
• Texas Book Festival, Austin
• Young Audiences of Northeast Texas, Tyler
• Ballet Austin Incorporated, Austin

Texas Cultural Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and increasing access and awareness for the arts across the state. Programs of the Texas Cultural Trust include the Texas Medal of Arts Awards, Art Can, Texas Young Masters, Texas Women for the Arts, Partners in the Arts, and Arts Access. Texas Cultural Trust efforts are amplified by its partners who are instrumental in the success of leading a cohesive voice for the arts in education, advocacy, and economic impact in Texas, spotlighting the artistic excellence of our state.

Texas Women for the Arts (TWA) is a statewide giving circle and membership program with nearly 200 members from across Texas. Since its inception in 2005, this philanthropic force and champion for the arts in education has awarded 318 grants totaling nearly $3.7 million, impacting nearly 3.5 million Texas children.

Experience the ultimate Americana getaway at Madeline Hotel & Residences in Telluride

Alpine Swim Club at Madeline Hotel & Residences. Photo: Madeline Hotel & Residences, used with permission.

There is no place quite like Telluride, Colorado in the summer. The historic mining town offers a lifetime’s worth of outdoor activities, from hiking, bicycle trails and fishing to camping, natural mineral hot springs and stunning scenery. (Madeline Hotel & Residences, 2022)

This 4th of July weekend, Telluride’s only Forbes five-star resort, Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection, is hosting their Second Annual Alpine Cookout on July 2. Celebrating the spirit of Southwestern cuisine, the event will draw visiting culinary icons such as Salt Lake City celebrity Chef Viet Pham, Texas all-star Chef Dean Fearing, Phoenix famed chef Mark Tarbell and Santa Fe legend Mark Kiffin, who will collaborate with the resort’s Executive Chef Bill Greenwood on a specially curated menu, including Chef Pham’s famed Pretty Bird signature hot chicken sandwich.

The luxury mountain retreat is also debuting a new one-of-a-kind adventure just in time for the long holiday week. Soar and Raft with Red Tail Flights and embark on a unique experience to explore Telluride by air and water. See Moab, Canyonlands, and Arches National Park from above and raft through the famed Westwater Canyon. The day begins with a private scenic flight from Telluride Airport over national parks to a thrilling rafting trip on Westwater Canyon, which is rated “The West’s Best Short Whitewater Trips” by National Geographic. The Madeline culinary team will provide a delicious chef-prepared picnic. 

Additionally, the Wellness Oasis Poolside Pop-up with Free People Movement and Telluride Yoga Festival is taking place Thursday June 23, Friday June 24, and Saturday June 25. It promises to be an immersive wellness journey as Madeline’s Alpine Swim Club transforms into the wellness oasis of your dreams.

Enjoy summer with Auberge Resorts Collection’s Commodore Perry Estate

Commodore Perry Estate in Austin. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resort Collection will charm guests this season with Father’s Day and July 4th celebrations and immersive activities that embrace Austin, a city with so much to offer travelers. Where Southern hospitality and European elegance meet – the Estate is Austin’s luxury urban escape for a summer getaway the family won’t forget. (Commodore Perry Estate, 2022)

Father’s Day at The Estate (June 19): Bring dad to an exclusive private session with Austin’s Trovador Custom Hats to design his personalized custom hat from scratch at their studio on South Congress. Afterward, join the Estate team for a Father’s Day Grill and Chill at the Mansion Loggia where award-winning chefs, Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu will be serving up specials straight from the grill, paired with delicious frozen drinks to cool down.

Fourth of July at The Estate (Weekend of July 4): From July 1 – 4, Milk & Honey will be bringing mini versions of their signature organic treatments to the intimate property. Poolside facials, hand, and foot massages, lasting from 10a.m. to 2p.m. each day, are the perfect ways for guests and members to enjoy the holiday poolside. On July 2, a KUTX Show featuring Austin-based creative Mobley will take place from 6p.m. to 8p.m. with free entry and cocktails available for purchase. On July 3, join the property for a BBQ with old-school, finger-lickin’ good purveyors, LeRoy & Lewis; which will be open to the public. Tickets are $100 and include food and two (2) drinks. From 6p.m. to 11p.m., visitors can enjoy delicious locally sourced and inventive barbecue while roaming the beer garden (featuring oversized lawn games) and enjoying a live DJ at Lutie’s Cocktail bar. On July 4, sparklers & bubbles will be available on the Loggia to end off this picture-perfect weekend.

In addition, summer-long activities will be available, from curated hiking trails to traditional weekday punchbowls to the Summertime Poolside Theater series to tarot card reading.

The Jerk Shack announces new menu

Popular Jamaican-style eatery, The Jerk Shack, is now offering brunch on Sundays. Pictured: Sweet Potato and Cream Cheese French Toast and Catfish and Grits. Photo: The Jerk Shack, used with permission.

Starting June 5, Popular Jamaican-inspired restaurant The Jerk Shack started offering brunch service on Sundays. (The Jerk Shack, 2022)

The new menu items will be available from opening (11a.m.) until 5p.m. and will feature items like:

• Catfish and Grits – herb butter broth, collard greens, red pepper coulis, jerk remoulade
• Sweet Potato and Cream Cheese French Toast – sweet potato, cream cheese, Frosted Flake-crusted powdered sugar, dulce de leche
• Texas Toast Benedict – choice of bacon or jerk pork or jerk chicken, sunny-side-up eggs, habanero hollandaise, parmesan cheese

The Jerk Shack’s regular menu will still be available throughout the day in addition to the new brunch menu.

The Jerk Shack
10234 TX-151
San Antonio, TX 78251

The Jerk Shack is a concept by Chef Nicola Blaque and her husband Cornelius Massey. After serving ten years in the Army, Blaque began working as a private chef to explore her passion for cooking. She relocated to San Antonio from Hawaii to pursue a degree at the Culinary Institute of America where she graduated in 2016. Blaque returned to her Jamaican roots and began focusing on Caribbean cuisine, working to bring the unique flavors to South Texas. In 2018, the team launched The Jerk Shack, a restaurant inspired by the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Jerk Shack has received national praise including being featured by Eater as one of the 2019 Top 16 New Restaurants in America as well as being included in GQ’s 2020 Best New Restaurants in America.

Magik Theatre announces 2022/2023 season

The Hero Twins: Blood Race is one of the productions in the upcoming 2022-2023 Magik Theatre season. Photo: Magik Theatre, used with permission.

The Magik Theatre is thrilled to announce its 2022/2023 season filled with classics, timeless tales, and new works. This season presents a range of titles that celebrate diversity, inspire curiosity, and encourage an appreciation for the arts. There is something for everyone. We are offering Sensory-Friendly, Pay What You Wish, and American Sign Language Interpreted performances for each production, all designed to create a welcoming environment. Season subscriptions, flex passes, and single tickets are now on sale. (Magik Theatre, 2022)

“If the past two years have been about change and survival, then I am happy to say we are moving into a season of growth. As we begin to find life’s new rhythm, the plays and musicals in Magik’s upcoming season will remind us not only that change is possible throughout our lives, but necessary for growth. We see this through the eyes of a very hungry caterpillar, a young woman trying to find her place in the world, a boy who embraces his learning differences, a toy rabbit who becomes real through love, and a young person speaking truth to power. I hope you will join us for what promises to be an exciting year!” – Artistic Director Anthony Runfola

The 2022-20203 season:
Performance times vary and programs/dates are subject to change.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, Based on Eric Carle’s Books
Directed by Jon Gentry
July 9–August 7
Recommended for ages 3 +

The critically acclaimed production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, created by Jonathan Rockefeller, features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets. The production faithfully adapts four stories by author/illustrator Eric Carle: The Very Lonely Firefly, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, and of course, the star of the show–The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has delighted generations of readers since it was first published in 1969 selling more than 48 million copies worldwide.

SELENA MARIA SINGS
By Miriam Gonzales | Music by Daniel French
Co-Production with Childs play in Phoenix, AZ
Directed by Andréa Morales
September 6–October 2
Recommended for ages 9+

Named after Selena Quintanilla, Selena Maria has much to live up to. Selena Maria has a passion for music. While her Selena superfan mother hopes she takes after the popstar, Selena Maria is working to find her own beat. Selena Maria Sings tells a story of music, family, immense love, and the strength it takes to be yourself.

EDDIE & VINNIE (World Premiere)
by Jenny Millinger Directed by Anthony Runfola
October 15–October 28, 2022

Recommended for ages 6+Eddie has dyslexia and struggles with schoolwork, and finds out he cannot play on the basketball team unless he gets his grades up. With the help of his pet gecko, Vinnie, and the overly-helpful new girl in class, will Eddie’s final class presentation come together, or will his basketball dreams be dashed forever? A Magik Theatre world premiere, produced in collaboration with Celebrate Dyslexia.

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
Adapted for the stage by Magik Theatre
Based on the book by Margery Williams
November 19–December 24

Recommended for ages 5+The Velveteen Rabbit is a delightful ‘Magikal’ retelling of the classic children’s story of a boy who receives a stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen as a present on Christmas Day. When another toy is lost, the Rabbit quickly becomes the Boy’s new favorite. As the Rabbit’s dapper appearance gets worn and shabby from play, a wonderful change begins to happen. Join us this holiday season for the heart-warming and much-loved classic story about a shy toy rabbit who longs for nothing more than to become real.

THE HERO TWINS: BLOOD RACE
By Ramón Esquivel
Director TBD
February 4–March 5, 2023
Recommended for ages 7+

Who will win the Blood Race, an ancient competition between two tribes that takes place in the underworld? The winner rules the capital city and all the people who labor for it, while the loser remains trapped forever in the underworld. Cricket has trained for his entire life with his twin sister, Moth, and he is favored to be the first of their tribe to win the Blood Race. When Cricket fails, the high priestess, Iguana, challenges Moth to compete in the next race against King Jaguar. When Moth learns the truth of the Blood Race, she is faced with a choice that could turn the world upside down. An invented mythology inspired by classic Mayan narratives, The Hero Twins: Blood Race is an action-filled adventure that is also an allegory about inequality, justice, and liberation.

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!
Originally Adapted and Produced for the Stage by Theatre BAM | Form the Series Created by George Newall and Tom Yohe | Based on an Idea by David McCall
Book by Scott Ferguson, George Keating, and Kyle Hall
Music and Lyrics by Lenn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall, and Tom Yoha
Directed by Anthony Runfola
April 15–June 4, 2023

Recommended for ages 6+Now’s your chance to catch the musical that wowed audiences nationwide. Schoolhouse Rock Live! follows Tom, a nervous schoolteacher who is anxious about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching TV and discovers that his favorite show comes to life on the set. Together with the Schoolhouse Rock gang, Tom realizes how fun learning can be. Enjoy classic songs such as “Just a Bill,” “Interjections,” and “Conjunction Junction” at this fun-filled retro revue.

Photo: Magik Theatre, used with permission.

The Briscoe heats up with sizzling events all summer long

Events at the Briscoe include artist demonstrations, paint-alongs, talks, movies, and family activities. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Fathers, sons and tons of fun await everyone at the Briscoe Western Art Museum this summer. Featuring the fantastic summer exhibition The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America, the Briscoe is hosting an array of programming to allow everyone to step into the West from the heart of the River Walk. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2022)

Premiering at the Briscoe and including works from 17 public and private collections, The Sons of Charlie Russell features 70 works of art showcasing the forefathers of Western art and how their great works provide foundations, traditions and ideals for today’s contemporary artists. On display through September 5, the exhibition is the first and only time these works will be viewed together. To accompany the exhibition, the Briscoe is hosting a summer of programming that brings Western art to life through artist talks, demonstrations, and more. 

The summer line-up includes:

Cowboy Creations:  Learn from Cowboy Artists

Bringing the art of The Sons of Charlie Russell to life, members of the Cowboy Artists of America are appearing in a series of demonstrations and talks throughout the exhibition. Guests can enjoy meeting and watching these talented cowboy artists share the processes behind their work. All sessions are included in general museum admission.

  • Saturday June 25 – Mikel Donahue
  • Saturday August 6 – Chad Poppleton (Paint-along)          
  • Saturday July 23, 10a.m. – 3p.m. – Jason Scull (Sculpture demonstration, part of the Briscoe’s National Day of the Cowboy Celebration)
  • Saturday August 27, 10a.m. – 11:30a.m. – Bruce Greene (part of The Lessons of Our Fathers Panel)
  • Saturday September 3, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Teal Blake (Paint-along)
  • Saturday September 3, 11a.m. – 3p.m. – Jason Scull (Sculpture Demonstration)

STEAMing into the West with The Sons of Charlie Russell

Families and visitors of all ages are invited to learn about the American West through the works featured in The Sons of Charlie Russell during the museum’s “Full STEAM Ahead” series on the third Saturday of each month. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is included with museum general admission. Children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe.

  • Saturday June 18, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead:  Red Moon – Participants will learn about the lunar eclipse, and the significance the moon had on the people of the American West. Guests will also learn and practice perspective and contrast in creating art, exploring “Red Moon,” by CAA member Phil Epp and featured in The Sons of Charlie Russell. Children and families will paint their own fizzy moons using special combinations of baking soda and paint to create uniquely textured and colorful moons.
  • Saturday July 16, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead:  All A-Gnome – Families will make their own gnomes inspired by the beloved children’s book “Charlie Russell and the Gnomes of Bullhead Lodge” by renowned author and Briscoe curator Emily Wilson. Wilson curated The Sons of Charlie Russell exhibition.
  • Saturday August 20, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead:  Whimsical Windmills – While conservation and renewable energy efforts may seem like new solutions to the energy crisis, cowboys and settlers alike used renewable energy long before access to gas and electricity was ever invented. Guests will learn how windmills were some of our first sources of alternative energy.

What is a Western? Summer Film Series

The Briscoe’s popular Summer Film Series returns with a question:  What is a Western? What are the elements of a Western and how has the Western been re-interpreted through the years? The first film in the series will explore the traditional components of Western cinema. A short presentation discussing the foundations of the Western will begin at 1p.m., followed immediately by the screening. Each film is included in general museum admission, with free brews courtesy of Ranger Creek Brewery. Popcorn, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.

  • Sunday June 19, 1p.m. “The Searchers” – In the 1956 movie considered by many to be the greatest Western ever made, John Wayne stars as a post-Civil War veteran on a journey to find his niece after Comanche Native Americans kidnapped her. Its influence is reflected in the works of Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and other critical filmmakers.
  • Sunday July 10, 1p.m. “Dances With Wolves” – In his directorial debut and breakout role, Kevin Costner stars as a post-Civil War veteran who comes into contact with the Lakota while on assignment in South Dakota. The 1990 film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture and Best Director, and received Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
  • Sunday August 21, 1p.m. “Wind River” – In this tense neo-western thriller, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen star as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife hunter and an FBI agent investigating a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The 2017 film was “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut.

Books and Brews:  Briscoe Book Club

  • Thursday July 14, 6p.m. – Briscoe Book Club: “No Country for Old Men” by Cormac McCarthy

Weathered Souls Brewery, 606 Embassy Oaks #500, San Antonio, 78216

Join the Briscoe Book Club for a lively chat in a laid-back social gathering as we explore significant works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction inspired by the vast and varied experiences of the American West. We will discuss a new book each quarter. Books are available for purchase at the Museum Store, or you may reserve a copy for check out through the San Antonio Public Library system before each meeting. There is no charge to participate in the book club. Reserve your spot by registering online.

Free Cowboy Fun:  National Day of the Cowboy Celebration

Tippin’ its hat and celebrating the legacy of the cowboy, cowgirl and vaquero, the Briscoe Western Art Museum presents its annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 23, 10a.m. – 4p.m. at the Briscoe. The free community event, which includes free admission to the museum and its exhibitions, features indoor and outdoor activities for cowpokes of all ages. This year’s celebration will feature The Sons of Charlie Russell, with artist demonstrations to include leatherworking, metalsmithing and more. Saddle up with your family and head west for a day you will not forget.

The Lessons of Our Fathers:  Panel and Artist Presentation

With The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America, the Briscoe Western Art Museum casts a spotlight on the history and significance of the Cowboy Artists of America and its efforts to maintain and evolve the style and subject matter of traditional Western art. The museum is hosting a panel of Western art scholars to discuss the importance of preserving traditions and the necessity for tradition to evolve and undergo revision to remain relevant in a changing world. The panel will also examine the CAA’s success at executing its mission: to authentically preserve and perpetuate the culture of Western life through fine art. The panel will be moderated by Emily Wilson, Curator of Art for the Briscoe Western Art Museum and the curator of The Sons of Charlie Russell. The panel is Saturday, August 27, 2p.m  – 4p.m.  

Before the panel discussion at 10a.m. – 10:30a.m., CAA artist Bruce Greene, the 2022 President of the CAA, will do a presentation detailing his journaling techniques and how he uses his journal to help with the accuracy of his art Both the presentation and the panel are included in museum general admission.

210 West:  Gallery Talks

Join the Briscoe for in-gallery chats featuring selected works from The Sons of Charlie Russell. Using the exhibition gallery guide, Curator of Art Emily Wilson will provide an overview of the tools and strategies used to evaluate narrative art. Guests will leave with a deeper appreciation of the artistic strategy, methods and design choices made by the artists. Gallery talks are included in general admission and start at 1p.m.

  • June 24, July 8, Aug. 12

The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America is supported in part by Jan McCaleb Elliott, the Eddie Basha Collection, Mr. and Mrs. Marrs McLean Bowman, The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992, the Klesse Foundation, Jessica Elliott Middleton, Debbie and John T. Montford, and Western Art Collector.

Admission to the Briscoe Western Art Museum is always free for children 12 and under and for active duty military members. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.

 

Celebrate Father’s Day at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa

Give dad a Father’s Day fit for a cowboy at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, used with permission.

Show that Yellowstone-obsessed Dad some love this Father’s Day and treat him to a weekend at the stunning, 13,000-acre JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora Texas. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2022)

Families can celebrate their favorite cowboy with a gourmet brunch from JL Bar’s expert culinary team on Sunday, June 19, with two exclusive seatings at 11:30a.m. and 1:30p.m. (locals and day visitors can book, too). For $39.95 and $19.95 for children, guests and locals will be treated to a special menu of signatures dishes including Mesquite Grilled Tomahawk Ribeye Steaks, Smoked Pork Spareribs, and Beer Can Chicken.

For those lucky enough to stay for the weekend, there is an activity for every type of Cowboy Father. From a full equestrian program featuring horseback riding and a horse psychology experience to off-road ATV adventures, a putting/chipping Green, and clay and skeet shooting, families will be able to make so many memorable moments at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa.