Tag: Briscoe Western Art Museum

Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

National Day of the Cowboy celebration spans day and night on July 24. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum presents the return of its National Day of the Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 24, from 10a.m. to 2p.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. And there is no riding off into the sunset when the daytime National Day of the Cowboy celebration concludes. The fun continues with the Briscoe’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” series at 6:30p.m. with live music in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden. The ticketed event is a night of music, drinks, and tasty bites under the stars. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Cowboy Fun Under the Sun – And Throughout the Museum

One of the Briscoe’s most treasured annual events, National Day of the Cowboy is held on the fourth Saturday of July each year. After a pause in 2020, the celebration returns, inspired by the Briscoe’s blockbuster summer exhibition, Still in the Saddle:  A New History of the Hollywood Western. The exhibition tells the dramatic story of the Hollywood Western from the late 1960s through the 1980s, recreating a 1960s-era theater experience that features more than 60 original movie posters, authentic lobby cards and costumes worn by John Wayne. Do not be surprised if The Duke himself is roaming the exhibit, ready to take pictures with adoring fans.

National Day of the Cowboy Celebration highlights include:

  • Free admission and activities for the whole family, including guided tours of the Briscoe. The tours, with bilingual options, will highlight artworks that relate to cowboys, cowgirls and vaqueros.
  • Cowpoke games and crafts, where you can outfit yourself in a cowboy vest and spurs, make a stick pony and try out some barrel racing, learn how to rope and brand cattle, herd some balloon animals, do a little bull riding, show off your gunslinging skills, and more.
  • Lil Partners Reading Zone, offering up cowboy tales in the museum’s San Antonio Public Library Kampann Library Portal. Sit a spell and enjoy a book reading with Emily Wilson, the Briscoe’s Curator of Art. Wilson’s recently published children’s book, “Charlie Russell and the Gnomes of Bull Head Lodge,” crafts a modern fairy tale based on the life of one of the fathers of Western art, Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), and his many letters. Stop by to learn the art of gnome-making so you can craft your own cowboy gnomes.
  • Bruce Morgan, a stuntman who played a role in making scenes memorable in Hollywood Westerns in the 1970s, shares behind-the-scenes stories about movie stunts.
  • Dairy Farm Demo, with a traveling milking parlor featuring a live cow for all to learn how to milk, with a hands-on practice station with milking balloons.             
  • Chuck wagon cooking with samples of peach cobbler and beans, along with food truck grub available to satisfy any hungry cowpokes.

The fun continues after the sun sets with the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Sips and Sounds of the West series at 6:30p.m. in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden. With live music from singer/songwriter Marcy Grace and band, drinks and tasty bites under the stars, enjoy a night out celebrating all things cowboy. Surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery, kick back and soak in the sounds of West with music, drinks, and food until 9:30p.m.

Named 2019 Solo Artist of the Year by “Formo” Magazine, Grace was nominated by the 2021 Texas Radio Music Awards for Best New Female Artist and has had three Top 40 singles on the Texas Regional Radio Chart. Her song “Margarita Man” is featured in the film “The Margarita Man” starring Danny Trejo and San Antonio’s own Jesse Borrego. Sips and Sounds of the West tickets are available online and are $15 for members, $25 for non-members and each ticket includes two complimentary beer tickets.

The National Day of the Cowboy was designated in 2005 as a day to celebrate and preserve the heritage of the American cowboy, cowgirl and vaquero in the United States. The state of Texas declared it a day of honor in 2015 and the Briscoe annually hosts a celebration event, throwing open the doors of the museum to honor the cowboy, cowgirl and vaquero in us all.

From its McNutt Sculpture Garden to the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events and a fantastic Museum Store, providing art, culture, history and entertainment. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. Per the latest CDC guidelines, vaccinated guests are welcome to enjoy the museum and Jack Guenther Pavilion without a mask. The Briscoe respectfully requests all non-vaccinated guests wear face coverings.

Summer events at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Briscoe’s Sculpture Garden at night. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Summer fun takes on a Hollywood flavor as the Briscoe Western Art Museum showcases the cinematic art and storytelling of the Western. From an actual red carpet, velvet ropes and the unmistakable smell of popcorn to film clips rolling throughout the exhibition, the Briscoe transforms into a 1960s movie theater for its new exhibition, Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western, now at the Briscoe until September 6, 2021. To add even more blockbuster fun to the exhibition, the museum is hosting a stellar line-up of programming and events to further bring the Hollywood Western to life. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Summer of Cinema Events Line Up:

Trivia with a Western Twist
Wild West Trivia at the Briscoe
Friday, June 11, 7p.m. – 9 p.m.

Enjoy a fun night of Western trivia and test your smarts at the Briscoe’s first Wild West Trivia Night. Bring your friends to create a team or join a table of soon-to-be-friends and test your Western smarts. Teams will revel in some friendly competition to score prizes while enjoying food, beer, and wine under the stars in the McNutt Sculpture Garden. Gather your posse, grab margaritas from La Gloria’s margarita truck onsite and see who ends the night still in the saddle, with the top three teams taking home prizes. Participants must be 21 to attend. Tickets are $10 for members, $25 for future members, and include two drink tickets.

Popcorn, Beer and Cinematic Art: Summer Film Series

Perfectly paired with the exhibition, the Briscoe’s popular Summer Film Series returns with an eye toward the West. The Summer Film Series features an iconic film on the third Sunday of each summer month, with Briscoe guest curator Dr. Andrew Patrick Nelson introducing each movie and explaining how it relates to Still in the Saddle. Nelson, the guest curator of Still in the Saddle, is a historian of American cinema and culture, film programmer, museum curator, and media commentator, as well as the Chair of the Department of Film and Media Arts and Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Utah and the author and editor of numerous books and essays on Western cinema.

Each film is free with museum general admission and as always, museum members enjoy the museum and movie for free. Briscoe Summer Cinema passes include three films for $25 or enjoy all five films for $50 and receive an individual museum membership, granting you unlimited access to the Briscoe’s exhibitions and programming throughout the year. Tickets are available online, while Summer Cinema passes are available by calling 210.299.4499.

Father’s Day Special “Little Big Man”
Sunday, June 20, 1p.m.

Bring Dad to an afternoon at the movies with a Texas twist: a side of barbecue and whiskey. Father’s Day is Locals Day at the Briscoe, where all Bexar County residents receive half off of general admission. Enjoy the museum and the movie for $6. Treat Dad like a king with a free whiskey tasting from Ranger Creek Whiskey and free Ranger Creek Beer, perfect to wash down the fantastic barbecue onsite. Then enjoy the 1970 classic, “Little Big Man”, the story of Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, telling the tale of his life being raised by Native Americans and fighting with General Custer.

“True Grit”
Sunday, July 18, 1p.m.

Grab a beer with The Duke and enjoy 1969’s “True Grit”, where John Wayne’s performance as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn earned him an Oscar. Popcorn, candy, and free beer from Ranger Creek, alongside fantastic food truck fare, make it a perfect way to enjoy a classic.

“The Long Riders”
Sunday, August 22, 1p.m.

Escape the August heat with an afternoon at the movies with 1980’s “The Long Riders”. Grab your brother and watch real-life brothers portray the Jesse James gang in a sympathetic portrayal of the brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge. Brothers James and Stacy Keach star as Jesse and Frank James; David, Keith and Robert Carradine play Cole, Jim and Bob Younger; Dennis and Randy Quaid play Ed and Clell Miller, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest play Charlie and Bob Ford.

“The Shootist”
Sunday, September 5, 1p.m.

Close out the summer with John Wayne in his final film role in 1976’s “The Shootist”. Wayne portrays a dying gunfighter spends his last days looking for a way to die with a minimum of pain and a maximum of dignity. Still in the Saddle closes on Labor Day and this last film of the summer series is a great way for a fantastic exhibition to ride off into the sunset.

Cinematic Books

Briscoe Virtual Book Club: “True Grit” by Charles Portis
Tuesday, July 6, 6:30p.m.

The museum’s virtual book club will focus on titles that have become blockbuster movies including “True Grit” by Charles Portis in July, then “Blood Meridian” by Cormack McCarthy in September. There is no charge to participate in the book club.

An oasis of Western beauty just off the River Walk, the McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events and a fantastic museum store, providing art, culture, history and entertainment. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. Per the latest CDC guidelines, vaccinated guests are welcome to enjoy the museum and Jack Guenther Pavilion without a mask. The Briscoe respectfully requests all non-vaccinated guests wear face coverings.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Briscoe Western Art Museum has membership packages perfect for Mother’s Day. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

This year, celebrate mom by lassoing the perfect gift this Mother’s Day:  the wide open spaces of the West. Let mom get away from it all and head West whenever she likes with a membership to the Briscoe Western Art Museum, where she can soak in art and beauty all year long. The Briscoe is offering Mother’s Day membership specials paired with fantastic gifts from the Museum Store to make Mother’s Day gift-giving a breeze. All mothers receive free museum admission on Mother’s Day, the perfect way to surprise mom with her gift. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Now through Mother’s Day, save 30-40% off select membership packages that include a year-long membership to the museum along with gifts for mom to enjoy. The membership specials may be ordered online with gift pickup from the Briscoe’s Museum Store. Package options include:

  • “Lone Ranger” Individual Membership: Allow mom to escape to the museum on her own with an individual membership, along with a Cacti garden tea towel and dish set from the Briscoe’s Museum Store, $65.
  • “Roam on the Range” Duo Membership: A membership for two that allows mom to share the beauty of the West and the museum’s events with a guest, along with a Cacti garden tea towel and dish set, a Votivo red currant travel candle, and a Bee Bella lip balm from the Museum Store, $85.
  • “The Whole Posse” Family Membership: Museum admission for two adults and all children/grandchildren under 18, as well as a Cacti garden tea towel and dish set, a Votivo red currant travel candle, a Bee Bella lip balm, and the book “The Texas Ranch Sisterhood:  Portraits of Women Working the Land” from the Museum Store, $100.

Each gift membership provides unlimited access to the Briscoe’s unforgettable exhibitions, lectures, and community events for a full year. Memberships are instrumental in helping the museum preserve and present the art, history, and culture of the American West. Memberships are tax-deductible. Full membership benefits are available online.

Spend Mother’s Day exploring the Briscoe, where the talent, skill, and nuanced storytelling of Western women is showcased in its collections and exhibitions. Through May 9, enjoy the scenic landscapes, inspired Native Americans and classic cowboys, stunning wildlife and a strong representation of Western women featured in the Night of Artists 20th Anniversary Exhibition and Sale. Night of Artists features the best contemporary Western artists in the country, including a wide range of women artists. If you are looking to step up your Mother’s Day gift, some works in Night of Artists are available for purchase. 

For more stories of Western women, stroll the Briscoe’s Ruth McLean Bowman Bowers:  Women of the West Gallery. Highlighting works that feature Western women and those created by women artists, the gallery includes both a mixture of art about women and by women artists. The diverse stories represented include Native American women from diverse cultures, working the land, as well as Hispanic women promoting the culture and legacy of Mexico; immigrant women looking for new and better opportunities; freed women forming colonies; and women ranchers reclaiming the West.

An oasis of Western beauty just off San Antonio’s River Walk, the Briscoe campus features 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. From the McNutt Sculpture Garden to the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events and a fantastic Museum Store, providing art, culture, history, and entertainment. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. The museum is operating with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks.

Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.

Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Night of Artists

Live auction from the outdoor sculpture garden. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the event that sparked the museum’s creation, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is expanding its signature exhibition and sale to create a hybrid format. One of the premier Western Art events in the world is now in-person and online, allowing everyone to view and participate in the museum’s Night of Artists 2021 Exhibition and Sale. Night of Artists includes the viewing and sale of more than 250 new works of painting, sculpture and mixed media by 75 of today’s leading contemporary Western artists. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Featured artists include Logan Maxwell Hagege, Martin Grelle, Billy Schenck, Mark Maggiori, Kim Wiggins, George Hallmark, Michael Ome Untiedt, Teresa Elliott, Paul Rhymer, Stefan Savides, Mary Ross Ruchholz and C. Michael Dudash.

Open now, the Night of Artists Online Art Auction concludes during the event’s Grand Live Auction at 10p.m. on March 27, which will be livestreamed to registered bidders. Night of Artists then continues as a public exhibition and sale March 28 – May 9 at the Briscoe and online. Bid registration in the Online Art Auction and the Grand Live Auction is free. The Grand Live Auction includes online and in-person bidding, phone, mobile app and absentee bidding. 

Night of Artists serves as the primary fundraiser for the museum, benefiting the Briscoe’s full array of exhibitions, engagement and educational programs throughout the year.

Opening March 28, the Fixed-Price Sale features works not previously sold through auction. Available at a price set by the artist, these limited remaining works may be purchased online or in person.

“Expanding the event online provides a larger platform to showcase the beauty and impact of the rich stories illustrated through Western art. We look forward to sharing it with everyone.” – Michael Duchemin, President and CEO of the Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Spring Break at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Spring Break at the Briscoe includes Briscoe’s Lil Partners Saddlebags. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

This spring gather the family and head West with the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Lil Partners Saddlebags. A fun way to learn about the West, each Lil Partners Saddlebag tells the tale of the West from multiple perspectives and includes six activities for children and families to enjoy. Packed in the Saddlebag is a museum pass admitting two adults to the Briscoe. Children under 12 always receive free admission, making the Saddlebags the perfect way for your family to head West this spring. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Briscoe is extending its monthly “Locals Days” programming to include March 11-14, in addition to its regular monthly third Sunday, March 21. To thank the San Antonio community for its support, “Locals Day” at the Briscoe greets locals with 50% off general admission. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for local families to enjoy during spring break.

Lil Partners Saddlebags activities include crafting Puebloan-inspired pottery, making a roaming bison torn paper collage, creating Papel Picado, fashioning your own cowboy boot and paper cowboys, as well as western coloring sheets. All the supplies and directions are included along with the museum pass for two, as well as a special one-time 15% discount on children’s items in the Briscoe’s Museum Store so Lil Partners can head home with more western fun to enjoy. Lil Partner Saddlebags are $20 for Briscoe members and $25 for future members. The admission for two alone is a $24 value, making the kits a terrific spring break deal. To pick up a kit, Lil Partners and their families can visit the Museum Store in person or online or call 210.299.4499 to arrange for a curbside pickup. Saddlebags are available through March 31 and can be shipped for an additional fee.

A must see for all ages – and the perfect place to sit and enjoy your Saddlebag crafts – is McNutt Sculpture Garden, the Briscoe’s lush public outdoor space featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures that depict iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs, and benches to rest and enjoy the view.

Due to COVID restrictions, the Briscoe’s Lil Partners program also offers story times online to introduce little ones to the excitement and adventure of the American West. Museum visitors may enjoy self-guided tours, watch short videos and learn more about the artists behind the works through the Briscoe’s app, available on Google Play and in the Apple Store. Lil Partner activities for children are also available on the app, as well as the museum’s website through the museum’s “Beyond the Briscoe” program. The entire family can enjoy a museum scavenger hunt that explores the museum, play musical match-up or musical bingo, bringing the museum’s extensive collection to life for all ages.

Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks as well as visitor temperature checks upon entry.

Preserving and presenting the art, history, and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs, and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building.

Valentine’s Day at Briscoe Western Art Museum

Enjoy Valentine’s Day at the Briscoe’s ‘Sips and Sounds of the West’ this February 12. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Start your Valentine’s weekend under the stars at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” series on Friday, February 12. With live music, drinks, and tasty bites in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, kick up your heels with your Valentine or enjoy a night out with friends surrounded by the beauty of the fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery that create the perfect getaway on the banks of the River Walk. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Each Sips and Sounds ticket includes chocolate covered strawberries from Choco Fresitas and a Pony Express Love Letter calligraphy kit with everything you need to pen a love letter to your valentine. A virtual option includes a front-row livestream with contact-less curbside pickup of your Pony Express Love Letters calligraphy kit and sweet treats. The calligraphy kit is a nod to the Briscoe’s beloved annual Pony Express Love Letters program, cancelled this year due to COVID. With the antiqued stationary paper and envelopes, mock wax seal, decorative stickers, calligraphy pen kit and ink, a how-to guide and Western love poetry prompts, everyone who enjoys Sips and Sounds will take home all they need to craft the perfect love letter.

Sips and Sounds of the West is the Briscoe’s seasonal music series that kicked off last fall with a safe, socially distanced, limited attendance sold out evening. The second event in the series is the perfect way to kick off Valentine’s weekend with Ty Dillon, a singer-songwriter who will fill the garden with a fantastic acoustic set. The socially distanced evening features a margarita bar and food available on site by True Flavors. Doors open at 6p.m. with music, drinks, and food until 9p.m.

Sips and Sounds of the West flows in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, a lush public outdoor space featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures that depict iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs, and benches to rest and enjoy the view. With the lights of downtown in the background, and the River Walk’s famous holiday lights glowing through Valentine’s, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.

If purchased in advance, tickets for Sips and Sounds of the West are $20 per person for museum members and $25 per person for future members and include an admission ticket to come back and enjoy the Briscoe’s full collection during regular museum hours, as well as a 20% off coupon to the Museum Store. To safely ensure proper social distances are maintained, groups are asked to purchase tickets in one transaction. A minimum of two tickets must be purchased to ensure guests are seated appropriately. Groups of three to five are seated at a larger round table. Groups of two are seated at intimate cocktail tables. Tickets will be sold at the door as available and are $25 per person while supplies last. To enjoy the at-home livestreamed evening, a single ticket reserves your front row seat and includes four chocolate strawberries for sharing, as well as a Pony Express Love Letters calligraphy kit.

The museum’s health and safety protocols require that both staff and guests wear masks. Temperature checks are also part of this protocol.

Latest news from Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Briscoe Western Art Museum. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the fall series, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is extending its monthly “Locals Days” programming through the spring. To thank the San Antonio community for its support, the third Sunday of each month is “Locals Day” at the Briscoe, greeting locals with 50 percent off general admission. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days on February 21, March 21, April 18, and May 16. As a further thank you, the Locals Days offer is being extended to the federal holidays of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 18) and Presidents’ Day (February 15) as well, giving everyone additional opportunities to enjoy the museum. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission, as do active-duty members of the military, making the Briscoe the perfect spot for local families to enjoy. Parking at City of San Antonio downtown meters is also free on Sundays and federal holidays, making it an affordable day of fun for families. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

The Briscoe routinely updates its galleries to share new acquisitions and donations, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy more of the museum’s collection. The latest additions include “1876, Gall – Sitting Bull – Crazy Horse,” a 2011 bronze by John Coleman on loan courtesy of the Jack and Valerie Guenther Foundation. One of today’s leading contemporary Western artists, Coleman’s works portray the historical nature and mythology of western subjects in sculpture, paint, and charcoal. Guests can enjoy the sculpture in the museum’s San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Gallery.

Another recent addition is “Once Upon a Time,” by artist Mark Maggiori and donated to the Briscoe’s permanent collection to highlight the story of working Black cowboys. An award winning Western contemporary artist known for his realistic and academically tuned works, Maggiori is a French artist who paints modern cowboys in the nostalgic American West. The artist is a graduate from the prestigious Academie Jullian in Paris and has lived in the United States since 2010. The piece is now permanently installed in the Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Gallery.

The Briscoe also features rotating works in its New Works Gallery. The new year brings a new selection of rotating works in the museum’s New Works Gallery as well. A collection of historic Western photographs, including 19th and early 20th century works from well-known western native photographer Edward S. Curtis and landscape photographer William Henry Jackson feature prominently in the gallery. Part of the museum’s permanent collection yet rarely on display, the images share a glimpse of the west as it was and highlight how photography preserved the landscape, life, and diverse western cultural groups before they experienced irreversible changes.

While at the museum, visitors may enjoy self-guided tours, watch short videos, and learn more about the artists behind the works through the Briscoe’s app, available for iOs systems. Lil Partner activities for children are located on the app, as well as the museum’s website through the museum’s “Beyond the Briscoe” program. The entire family can enjoy a scavenger hunt that explores the museum, play musical match-up or musical bingo, bringing the museum’s extensive collection to life for all ages.

An oasis of Western beauty just off the River Walk, the McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. The Briscoe’s collection of Western art and artifacts showcases the stories of the West through visual art. Collection highlights include Santa Anna’s sword, works by Frederic Remington, Pancho Villa’s last known saddle, a fantastic Alamo diorama and artifacts, contemporary and historic paintings, sculptures, an impressive spur collection, and other cowboy and Native American relics, weapons, and photography.

The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active-duty members of the military and up to four members of their families. 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. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks.

Community days at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Community days at the Briscoe Western Art Museum include free admissions, programming and entertainment. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum traditionally hosts free community events throughout the year featuring complimentary museum access and activities. Due to the undeniable influence of Mexican and Spanish heritage across Texas and the Southwest, the Briscoe also highlights that influence on Western Art. Community days at the Briscoe include free museum admission, programming, and entertainment throughout the museum campus. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

Fandango

May 1, 2021

Briscoe Fandango celebrates the influences of the Hispanic culture of South Texas with a day that includes music, art, food, and dance. Fandango highlights everything from the important role vaqueros played in cattle drives and ranching, to the heritage’s indelible influence on the region’s food, music, and culture.

National Day of the Cowboy

July 24, 2021

One of the Briscoe’s most treasured annual events, National Day of the Cowboy is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July each year. Attracting Western fans of all ages for a day filled with fun, music, and art throughout the museum’s home on the River Walk, the day is filled with boots, hats and all things cowboy, cowgirl, and vaquero. The celebration typically includes western lessons like the art of the lasso, cowboy poetry, chuckwagon treats, and cowboy crooning filling the air of the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden.

Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration

November 20 – 21, 2021

Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities, Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration offers a glimpse into traditional and contemporary Native American culture. Featuring Native American artists, musical performances and dancing, the event features storytelling, artist demonstrations of painting, printmaking, pottery, weaving and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food. Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration also features workshops and lectures celebrating Native American culture. The event traditionally begins with a Native American blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle where everyone is invited to join.

See the West All Year Long at the Briscoe

An oasis of Western beauty just off the River Walk, the McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events, and a fantastic museum shop, providing art, culture, history, and entertainment.

The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active-duty members of the military and up to four members of their families. 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. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted upon entry.

Exhibitions at the Briscoe Western Art Museum

There is still time to experience Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art at the Briscoe. The exhibit runs until Monday, January 18, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is welcoming 2021 with a wide range of exhibitions and programs, celebrating the new year immersed in the art and beauty of the West. The term “Western Art” may suggest cowboys on the range, yet the genre is as expansive as the region itself, showcasing the rugged beauty of the area alongside the diverse people and wildlife who call it home.  The following are the museum’s 2021 exhibitions. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)

VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art

Through January 18, 2021

The new year opens with the final weeks of a modern view of Native American art that showcases stories of the West far beyond boots and spurs. VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art includes 15 Chickasaw artists and more than 55 artworks, features the artworks of present-day Chickasaw painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths, and weavers. In San Antonio on the last stop of its national tour, the exhibition tells a beautiful and compelling contemporary visual story. From oil and watercolor paintings to textiles and metals, glass and bronze, the artworks are unique, intrinsically Southeastern in design and distinctive among contemporary tribal artists. Chickasaw artists featured in the exhibition include San Antonio native Brenda Kingery.

2021 Night of Artists

March 27, 2021 Celebration and Auction

March 28 – May 9, 2021 Public Exhibition and Sale

The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s 2021 Night of Artists Exhibition and Art Sale marks 20 years of celebrating Western Art with an opening event that includes both in-person and virtual celebrations. The Night of Artists includes the viewing and sale of nearly 300 new works of painting, sculpture, and mixed media by 80 of the country’s leading contemporary Western artists. When COVID forced the 2020 in-person event to be cancelled, the museum successfully hosted the Night of Artists sale online. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Night of Artists, the Briscoe will again welcome a virtual audience, as well as host the event in-person, ultimately allowing more art lovers to participate than ever before through the Briscoe’s first-ever hybrid Night of Artists event. The public exhibition and sale will also span in-person and online.

Still in the Saddle:  A New History of the Hollywood Western

May 28 – September 6, 2021

Premiering this summer at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western tells the dramatic story of the Hollywood Western from the late 1960s to the 1980s. Against a historical backdrop of social unrest, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and generational change, competing cinematic visions of the Old West vied for Americans’ attention within the popular culture of the day. “True Grit,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and “The Outlaw Josey Wales” are just a few of the classic Western films highlighted in this exciting new exhibition organized by the Briscoe. Featuring costumes, props, and dozens of vintage movie posters, Still in the Saddle immerses visitors in the history and artistry of the Western, Hollywood’s greatest genre.

Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Photography of the Contemporary Northern Mexican Cowboy

September 16, 2021 – January 17, 2022

Making its United States debut, Vaqueros de la Cruz Del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Northern Mexican Vaquero – not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. With almost 40 images that span more than 20 years of the lives of the vaqueros, Segarra reflects a complex contemporary composition of the everyday life of the vaquero. Offering realistic moments of how they view themselves, surrounded by the tools of their trade, intertwined with the realities of their existence, the images detail a legacy that reaches back over generations and is the birthplace of the modern cowboy.

The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active-duty members of the military and up to four members of their families. 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. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted upon entry.

Briscoe Western Art Museum’s ‘Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk’

Briscoe’s ‘Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk’ will be this Saturday, December 19, 2020. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

At the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the holidays come with a touch of Western fun. Enjoy the holidays in a new way at “Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk,” this Saturday, December 19 from 11a.m. to 4p.m. when the Briscoe will be brimming with holiday cheer. For guests who pre-book a visit, the experience includes a virtual or in-person story time and a personal visit with Cowboy Claus. “Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk” is included with Briscoe general admission. With safety in mind, visits and story time with Cowboy Claus are ticketed separately and limited to those who pre-reserve. The museum’s health and safety protocols require that both staff and guests wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Cowboy Christmas features a day of family fun exploring the museum, made even sweeter because December 19 is Locals Day at the Briscoe. All Bexar County residents receive half off general admission to enjoy the day. The Briscoe’s halls are decked, carols are quietly echoing in the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, and holiday fun and flavor await with San Antonio food truck favorites Lady Picoza and Saweet Cupcakes onsite offering tasty holiday treats to enjoy in the sculpture garden. During a special 12 Days of Christmas scavenger hunt, guests can browse through the Briscoe’s fantastic collection and there will be Christmas crafts and coloring sheets to enjoy onsite or to take home.

For shoppers looking for the perfect gift, the Museum Store is offering special deals during Cowboy Christmas, including 10% off all holiday, home décor, and gifts for men, women, and children. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission at the Briscoe, as do active-duty members of the military, making the museum an ideal spot for local families to enjoy and find fantastic gifts to take home.

The Briscoe is offering both virtual and in-person contactless visits with Cowboy Claus. For the virtual Cowboy Claus option, morning and afternoon private, personalized sessions are available and include four children per family. Through a Zoom visit, Cowboy Claus will meet and greet each Lil Partner and their family in a 10-minute private visit, featuring one-on-one family time with the man of the season as he visits with your Lil Partners in your home before he comes back in person on Christmas Eve. Santa will know your Lil Partners’ names, favorite things and more, thanks to the magic of the pre-reservation information you provide. The session also includes story time with Santa and a digital activity pack including coloring pages, a Santa countdown calendar and more. Virtual visit families will also receive a fun and engaging children’s craft activity delivered before the big day, as well a 20% discount code to shop online or in person for the perfect gifts in the Briscoe Museum Store and two general admission tickets to enjoy the museum on a future visit. Virtual visits are $45 per family of four children and $35 for museum members and can be booked online.

Santa wants everyone to stay safe for the holidays, so he is stopping by the Briscoe for “contactless” visits in-person with Lil Partners. That means he will meet and greet but will be safely distanced so that everyone can stay on the nice and healthy list. In-person Cowboy Claus sessions include story time with Santa, a 6-minute personal visit with Santa and unlimited personal photos with Santa, snapped by a grownup joining in the fun to capture Christmas memories, the Briscoe’s holiday scavenger hunt, and a fun and engaging take-home children’s craft activity and exclusive discounts to shop online or in person for the perfect gifts in the Briscoe Museum Store. In-person visits with Cowboy Claus are not included with museum admission, however, museum admission may be purchased online, or in-person and the Locals Day admission special applies. “Contactless” Cowboy Claus visits are $35 per family of four children and $25 for museum members and can be booked online. 

Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis to guarantee a safe, socially distanced event and tickets must be purchased in advance.  Virtual visits with Cowboy Claus must be pre-reserved by December 13and in-person time by December 18. No sessions will be sold the day of the event.