Tag: art

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.

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.

New movie release: 5000 Space Aliens

5000 Space Aliens will be available November 21, 2023. Photo: Google

Director Scott Bateman and Producer Lucas A. Ferrara are excited to share the trailer for their new genre-bending animation, 5000 Space Aliens, which is coming to digital download worldwide on November 21, 2023. Get ready to meet a new space alien every second in this bonkers and groundbreaking one-of-a-kind animated film. (October Coast, 2023)

Imagine meeting a space alien. Now imagine meeting one space alien every second. This is what happens in Scott Bateman’s groundbreaking animated film 5000 Space Aliens. Scott Bateman has turned found footage, vintage photo studio pictures from Venezuela and Romania, scraps from a 100-year-old psychology textbook, and more into 5000 one-second shots of animated characters.

Instead of a typical narrative, 5000 Space Aliens is more like a ride: You just let the hypnotic rhythm of images wash over you. This one-of-a-kind animated extravaganza was made by just one animator, director Scott Bateman. Bateman also created the electronic-tinged soundtrack.

5000 Space Aliens was Medusa Underground Film Festival’s ‘Best Picture’ and has received multiple ‘official selections’ at a raft of international festivals. Pulled from the mind of Director Scott Bateman whose previous work includes The Bateman Lectures on Depression and You Your Brain & You. Not your average filmmaker, Bateman took the incredible leap to fund his projects via game shows, winning $100,000 (and a cruise) on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, as well as becoming a one-day Jeopardy! champion.

On making the film, Scott Bateman says, “Storytelling is everywhere these days, it’s ridiculous. But not everything has to tell a story. I believe movies can do other things as well, and still be fun and entertaining to watch. So with 5000 Space Aliens, I set out to create an entertaining, non-narrative film.

5000 Space Aliens has a visual rhythm of one shot per second, and it is an absolutely hypnotizing movie-going experience. It’s like a ride: you don’t have to think, you just let it wash over you. The music acts as a thread through the whole film, your friend who’s on the ride with you.

I’m very happy that it all worked. 5000 Space Aliens is a very fun movie to watch with a group of friends at home or in a theater. There are so many ‘What did I just see?’ moments, and it’s highly re-watchable.

But also, I wanted to make a film but had no money at the time. So I was looking for a way I could make a movie all by myself. This was a fun challenge, as it’s been one so rarely. I did all this animation, created all this music, did the editing, all of it. I had a blast making this film, and I’m so happy it’s a blast so audiences can experience this groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind film. There’s never been another film like this.”

“…If you’re looking for something quirky, off-beat, and extremely entertaining, check out this unique film. And while you’re at it, you’d best fasten your seatbelts, as you’ll likely encounter some turbulence as this mesmerizing movie takes you on a fast-paced, high-speed joyride. An engaging alternate reality awaits.” – Lucas A. Ferrara, Producer

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.

Summer 2023 exhibitions open at Contemporary at Blue Star

Public opening for the Summer 2023 exhibitions will be on First Friday, July 7 from 6p.m. to 9p.m. Photo: Contemporary at Blue Star, used with permission.

Contemporary at Blue Star, San Antonio’s first and longest running exhibition space for contemporary art, proudly announces the opening of three solo exhibitions on July 7, 2023. These exhibitions feature new work by Brittany Ham, Adam Schreiber, and Michael Velliquette, three artists with strong ties to the San Antonio community. Ham and Schreiber are alumni of the Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program and Velliquette is a former San Antonio resident, now based in Madison, WI. This year marks the 20-year anniversary since his first solo exhibition at the Contemporary. These exhibitions offer unique perspectives on self-portraiture, urban landscapes, and intricate paper sculptures, captivating audiences with their distinct artistic visions. (Contemporary at Blue Star, 2023)

Brittany Ham: Unmooring reaches into the exploration of interior and exterior spaces, both architecturally and psychologically. Through oil paintings, Ham chronicles her personal experiences with lockdown, social distancing, and the challenges of early motherhood. The seemingly longing subjects in her artworks often escape claustrophobia through imagined landscapes. Her works draw inspiration from sculptures, woodcuts, and paintings of exhausted women, including the Virgin Mary which she researched during her time at Künstlerhaus Bethanien International Studio Program as a grantee of Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program. Ham’s works employ line and value to create molded planes that provide multidimensional perspectives. The curious contortions and collapsing of space in her pieces evoke a melancholic humor, inviting viewers to reflect on challenging times and the unknown horizons ahead.

Adam Schreiber: Stadtwald showcases photographs created during and since his residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien as part of Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program. Employing large format film cameras, he adopts the role of a photographic surveyor to document the city’s quiet and suspended scenes devoid of action. Schreiber’s images of isolated and decontextualized objects ignite viewers’ curiosity. Some of Schreiber’s photographs are visually dense with textural descriptions of the subject, yet they leave the viewer to decipher what exactly the subject is and what its significance might be. Grids, recurring in his work, hint at the artist’s camera lens and reflect the meticulous process of inspection. By presenting his subjects as unknown and encouraging active observation, Schreiber’s work engages viewers in a delightful game of curiosity and concentration.

Michael Velliquette: The Direct Path features an extraordinary display of intricate paper sculptures, making it the most comprehensive exhibition of these works to date. Velliquette’s installations create intimate spaces that invite viewers into these structural collages. Through layering, complexity, and vibrant colors, his works communicate a sense of ornate preciousness. However, their material and meditative creation process—meticulously measuring, cutting, composing, and gluing paper—reveal a delicate yet ordinary quality. This convergence of methods symbolizes transformation, showcasing unexpected metamorphoses of materials and offering moments of reflection to viewers as they visually enter these temple-like constructions.

As an artist-centric organization, the Contemporary is delighted to showcase the work of these talented artists and to nurture their creative practices. This commitment to supporting artists highlights the vital role that accessible spaces play in fostering a vibrant and dynamic art scene, encouraging artistic growth, and amplifying the diverse voices and perspectives that contribute to the richness of our cultural landscape. 

Expressions through painting

On a more personal note, I consider myself first and foremost a writer even though I came into the game in my later years but as most people, I kept journals while growing up. I also took art classes and joined my school’s choir for a couple of years and in college, I took art and music appreciation. Art has always been a big part of who I am.  I have always known I have an artistic eye, whether drawing or writing. As far as writing is concerned, I have had some of my poetry published and I enjoy blogging to keep people connected and informed.

Now during this pandemic, when most people are spending more time at home, I found myself with more time on my hands. In July, my husband and I made the choice to relocate to my hometown in the Rio Grande Valley, Los Fresnos to be more specific.  I left my job to do this big move and to have more time to do the necessary renovations to our new home. This was the perfect time to dive into painting and put into canvas the many images I have clogging up my head.  I have done several already and submitted a couple to local art shows and now I want to share them here.

This most recent one does not have a title yet, but that is okay, not all of them must have a title to make an impact. I have always believed in the duality of life: good/bad, yin/yang, etc.  This is my version of it; I already painted a self-portrait, so this is similar in a way. I have always had dreams where I am flying and for anyone who has never had one, they feel awesome. The feeling of flying and freedom that comes with it is exhilarating, so I am obsessed with wings. This is me, a brown-eyed woman with wings and a big heart. The wings are pink/blue to represent the male/female side of me and the squiggly lines around the whole thing, well, they represent the bloodlines in the heart.

Television adaptation: ‘Tales From the Loop’ by Simon Stålenhag

talesfromtheloop
Tales From the Loop is available on Amazon Prime. Photo: google

Simon Stålenhag is a Swedish artist, musician and designer specializing in retro-futuristic digital images focused on nostalgic Swedish countryside alternate history environments. Most of Stålenhag’s artwork was initially only available online but was later released for sale as prints. Since then, it has been turned into two narrative art books, “Tales From the Loop” in 2014 and “Things From the Flood” in 2016. Both focus on the construction of a supermassive particle accelerator called the Loop. The settings of his artwork have formed the basis for the Amazon television drama series Tales From the Loop. All eight episodes of the first season were released simultaneously April 3 on Amazon Prime Video.

Tales From the Loop science fiction drama television series based on Simon Stålenhag’s art book. It explores the mind bending adventures of the people who live above the Loop, a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe. The machine is now making possible what was once considered science fiction. It stars Rebecca Hall as Loretta, Tyler Barnhardt as Danny Jansson and Daniel Zohlgadri as Jakob.

I have not read the book, but after watching the first two episodes, it is understandable why Amazon calls it “perfect for fans of E.T. and Stranger Things.” The series is set in the 80s and has that nostalgic look and feel that has recently become popular. With science fiction themes like time traveling, body swapping and robots, it appeals to fans of The Twilight Zone who appreciate mind-bending stories.

According to Amazon, “Tales From the Loop” is the first narrative artbook from acclaimed author and artist Simon Stålenhag about a fictionalized suburban town in the 1980s inhabited by fantastic machines and strange, imaginative beasts. In 1954, the Swedish government ordered the construction of the world’s largest particle accelerator. The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop. These are its strange tales. From the same author who wrote the imaginative artbook The Electric State, this “haunting,” (The Verge) “sophisticated sci-fi” (The Nerdist) follows the bizarre stories from otherworldly creatures and is a page-turner readers will not be able to put down.

North Star Mall boots celebrate 40 years

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too at McNay Art Museum

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Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too opens at the McNay Art Museum on Thursday September 14 and will be on display through January 14, 2018.  Photo: McNay Art Museum, used with permission.

Chuck Ramirez was a San Antonio artist and graphic designer whose work includes prints and sculptural installations. His pieces revolve around everyday life and allude to ethnicity, gender, sexuality and religion. This month, the McNay Art Museum presents Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too to honor the life and career of the iconic San Antonio artist. His large-scale photographs of everyday objects offer a perspective on cultural consumption and waste and the reality of fleeting life and mortality. The exhibition opens on Thursday September 14 and will run until Sunday January 14, 2018. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10a.m. to 4p.m., Thursday from 10a.m. to 9p.m., Saturday from 10a.m. to 5p.m. and Sunday from 12p.m. to 5p.m. Admission prices are available online.  (McNay Art Museum, 2017)

Ramirez was inspired by opposing themes like life and death and humor and despair. His art explores a personal narrative including his San Antonio upbringing, Mexican-American heritage and HIV status. The exhibition consists of works like Santos, Trash Bag, Quarantine and Seven Days and all explore the human experience. It is co-organized by René Paul Barilleaux, the McNay’s Head of Curatorial Affairs and Hilary Schroeder, 2016-17 Semmes Foundation Intern in Museum Studies. The presentation includes photographs from approximately 20 of Ramirez’ series, Bean & Cheese, a recreation of one of the artist’s early exhibitions at Artpace San Antonio, examples of video and installation work, nine decorated Christmas trees the artist made for friend and patron Linda Pace and other unique artworks.

Visitors will have several chances to interact with the exhibition with Christmas Tree trimming, alternative selfies and sharing about first jobs and dream jobs. Interactive stations include Tree Trimming – decorate a tree with Chuck Ramirez-inspired objects; Check Your Baggage – take an alternate self-portrait, or picture of something personal, at this overhead photography station using the hashtag #checkyourbaggage and Dream Job – visitors can identify their first job, current job and dream job as a way of drawing a line between artist and visitor using the hashtag #mcnaydreaming.

During the Día de los Muertos season, visitors are invited to celebrate and remember loved ones by adding paper marigolds, the traditional Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) flower, to a site-specific altar in the Museum lobby. The McNay’s Día de los Muertos altar, created by artist Carmen Oliver, honors Chuck Ramirez (1964–2010) and will be on display from October 26 through November 5, 2017.

McNay Art Museum
6000 N New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 824-5368