Tag: Briscoe Western Art Museum

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.

Briscoe Western Art Museum celebrates Native American Heritage month

The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Yanaguana celebration will take place November 21 and 22. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

November is Native American Heritage month and the Briscoe Western Art Museum is honoring the role that Native Americans played in shaping the American West with special events, exhibitions and family activities. The celebration spans both in-person events at the museum and activities to enjoy at home, as well as the museum’s annual Yanaguana:  Indian Arts Celebration, which will be a virtual event for everyone to enjoy November 21 – 22. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Named in honor of the Payaya people who were indigenous to the San Antonio area, “Yanaguana” was the word they used to describe what is now known as San Antonio River. Yanaguana: Virtual Indian Arts Celebration is free to enjoy online.

This year’s virtual event offers a glimpse into traditional and contemporary Native American culture, with musical performances and dancing, as well as storytelling and artist demonstrations. The celebration pairs with a visit to the Briscoe, where everyone can enjoy VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art. Providing a modern view of Native American heritage from 15 contemporary Chickasaw artists, the traveling exhibition includes more than 55 artworks on display through January 18, 2021. The exhibition will be the main feature during Yanaguana, with both a virtual artists panel and the debut of the VISUAL VOICES virtual tour. Admission to VISUAL VOICES at the Briscoe is included with museum admission.

A traditional part of the Briscoe’s Yanaguana:  Indian Arts Celebration is an array of children’s activities focused on Native American heritage. With the event going virtual this year, the Briscoe invites everyone to “Bring Home the Briscoe” throughout the month of November. Part of the museum’s popular Lil Partners children’s programming, “Bring Home the Briscoe” features Western Art activities and hands-on art, letting children join in the celebration. The activity boxes are available for purchase both online and from the Museum Store.

Families who visit the Briscoe will also enjoy the family guide that accompanies VISUAL VOICES, providing a fun exploration of the exhibit, as well as Chickasaw art and culture. The guide is available for free within the VISUAL VOICES exhibition.

Yanaguana:  Indian Arts Celebration Schedule of Virtual Events

Saturday, November 21 – 10a.m. – Event Kick-Off and Blessing. Members of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation will open Yanaguana:  Indian Arts Celebration with a blessing.

11a.m. – Virtual Missions Tour. Join the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions to experience San Antonio’s Missions in a new way through a guided virtual tour by lineal descendants of Mission San José de Aguayo, Mission Concepción de la Purísima, Mission San Francisco de la Espada and Mission San Juan Capistrano. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the missions were built in the mid-18th Century by members of the Pampopa, Payaya, Sanas, Maraquitas, Pamaques, Quijanes, Tocanes and other tribes of the San Antonio area.

1p.m. – Ledger Art Workshop with George Curtis Levi. Ledger Artist George Levi leads participants through a historical and creative journey centered on ledger art—Plains-style narrative drawing.

2p.m.-  VISUAL VOICES Gallery Tour (Public Debut) – VISUAL VOICES program manager Laura Clark will lead a virtual tour of VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art.

3p.m. – Flute Performance by Tim Blueflint Ramel. Artist, educator and performer Tim Blueflint draws his creative and musical influence from the memories and stories shared by his family and those who have graced his life. As a self-taught musician and artist, Blueflint has shared his improvisational traditional music, art and memories as a featured performer at venues throughout Indian Country and beyond.

Sunday, November 22 – 10a.m. Silversmithing Demonstration with Shane Hendren. A member of the Indian Arts & Craft Association (IACA), an organization committed to promoting the integrity of materials, Hendren shares his expertise as a silversmith.

11a.m. – Huichol Art with Karla Saenz. Karla Saenz will be demonstrating the ancient art of Huichol Art. While Huichol art is a relatively wide umbrella term, it is most commonly thought to encompass the production of beaded and string art, which is always brightly colored and features symbols, animals and designs which are centuries old and of great significance to the Wixáritari people.

Noon – Storytelling with Amy Bluemel. A gifted storyteller and educator, Amy Bluemel’s appreciation for cultural awareness came early. As the great-granddaughter of Eastman Kaney, an original Dawes Commission enrollee, Bluemel, a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, often performs with the dance troupe Chikashsha Hithla during nationwide tours. She shares Chickasaw customs, and those of other southeastern tribes, with audiences of all ages.

1p.m. – Chickasaw Artist Board Panel Discussion. Join the Chickasaw Artist Board in a discussion about the VISUAL VOICES exhibition. Artists Joanna Underwood Blackburn, Kristen Dorsey, Margaret Roach Wheeler, Brent Greenwood, and Daniel Worcester will engage in a discussion of the show’s origins, the themes it is centered on and its significance for the Chickasaw Nation community.

2p.m. – Ty Defoe Dance Performance. Grammy-award winning performing artist and educator Ty Defoe (Oneida/Ojibwe) shares his culturally significant dance traditions through song, movement and storytelling.

The Native American Heritage “Bring Home the Briscoe” activity box includes many beautiful and diverse native groups of the West. Available for purchase through December 31, the box contains supplies to complete six different activities, plus a book and links to additional video content for added context. Activities include storytelling medallions, The Three Sisters, ledger art, mini canoe carving, basket weaving and pinch pots. The kits are ideal for children ages 6–12, making them perfect for keeping hands busy over Thanksgiving break. The kits are $20 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Available in the Museum Store, “Bring Home the Briscoe” can be ordered online with curbside pickup or shipping available.

Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West series

Sips and Sounds of the West of the Briscoe this Friday October 16. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is offering guests the opportunity to kick back and kick up their heels on the banks of the River Walk with its new Sips and Sounds of the West series. Debuting Friday, October 16 in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, Sips and Sounds of the West features live music, drinks and food under the stars and the watchful eyes of the fantastic bronze sculptures that call the garden home. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

The first of the planned quarterly music series features Clint Tomerlin, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, aspiring author/poet and occasionally funny man who has performed with and opened for artists including Wade Bowen, Bruce Robison and Drew Kennedy. Tomerlin’s music will fill the air as everyone enjoys a socially distanced evening featuring a cash bar with specialty cocktails and tasty treats from food truck Mi Taquito Arandas Jalisco. Doors open at 6:30p.m. with music, drinks and food until 8:30p.m.

Sips and Sounds of the West will take place 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 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, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.

Advanced tickets for Sips and Sounds of the West are $12 per person and include three drink tickets, as well as an admission ticket to come back and enjoy the rest of the Briscoe during regular museum hours. The event is free for museum members. Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis to guarantee a safe, socially distanced event and members must RSVP to attend. To safely ensure proper social distances are maintained, groups are asked purchase tickets in one transaction. A minimum of two tickets must be purchased to ensure guests are seated appropriately. Groups of three to five will be seated at a larger round table. Groups of two will be seated at intimate cocktail tables. Tickets will be available at the door but will be $20 per person.

Briscoe Western Art Museum’s fall exhibit: Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art

Brenda Kingery Pow Wow. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is giving everyone a modern view of Native American art and showcasing stories of the West that go far beyond boots and spurs during its fall exhibition, VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art. The traveling exhibition, which includes 15 Chickasaw artists and almost 60 artworks, will be on display at the museum from Friday September 25, 2020, through Monday January 18, 2021. The public was invited to enjoy a first view of the exhibition during its opening reception on Thursday, September 24 and there will also be a virtual curator’s talk on Saturday, September 26. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Featuring the artworks of present-day Chickasaw painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths and weavers, 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 Brenda Kingery, Brent Greenwood, Daniel Worcester, Billy Hensley, Margaret Roach Wheeler, Norma Howard, Maya Stewart, Lisa Hudson, Dustin Mater, Paul C. Moore, Tyra Shackleford, Erin Shaw, Lokosh (Joshua D. Hinson), Joanna Underwood Blackburn and Kristen Dorsey.

Featured in the exhibition, Dustin Mater’s “Cosmic Warrior II”, a 2015 mixed media work that includes acrylic on molded plastic, as well as rabbit fur, deer antler and black lip oyster shell, is the stunning stormtrooper helmet that goes beyond anything George Lucas ever envisioned. And is definitely not a typical Native American headdress.

VISUAL VOICES Virtual Curator’s Talk

Saturday, September 26, 11a.m. – Noon

Join Ryan Badger, the Briscoe’s Curator of Education, and VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art curators, Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man and Karen Whitecotton as they discuss VISUAL VOICES. Well-Off-Man, chief curator of the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, and Whitecotton (Citizen Potawatomi), the director of collections at the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, will discuss the background of the VISUAL VOICES exhibition as it closes out its national tour at the Briscoe. Tickets are free for museum members and $10 for nonmembers. Briscoe members please RSVP by phone: 210.299.4499 or email: rsvp@briscoemuseum.org.

VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art is made possible by a grant provided by the Chickasaw Nation, guidance from the Chickasaw Artist Board and assistance from First Americans Museum. This exhibition is also made possible with funding from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal CARES Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The museum’s health and safety protocols require temperature checks and that both staff and guests wear masks. Additional sanitizing and cleaning protocols are observed throughout the day and both visitor services and the museum store feature plexiglass shields for additional protection.

Museum hours are 10a.m. through 3p.m. seven days a week. 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.

Briscoe Western Art Museum announces monthly Locals Days

Briscoe Western Art Museum announces monthly Locals Days.

To thank the San Antonio community for its support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is making the third Saturday of each month “Locals Day,” greeting locals with 50 percent off of general admission. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through Fall 2020, including September 19, October 17, November 21 and December 19. Since children 12 and under receive free admission, as do active duty members of the military, the Briscoe is the perfect spot for local families to enjoy. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Safe and Socially Distanced:  Travel West Without Leaving San Antonio

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.

One of the latest additions to the Briscoe is a bronze bust of President Lincoln sculpted by Gutzom Borglum, the artist who carved Mount Rushmore. The bust was crafted before Borglum began carving the likenesses of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Texas history fans will enjoy the Briscoe’s A-Tex Elliott Family Gallery, home to the museum’s popular display on the Battle of the Alamo. Featuring a legal document signed by Travis when he was working as a lawyer in San Felipe de Austin on the eve of the Texas Revolution, the gallery offers a new glimpse into William Barret Travis’ life before the Alamo.

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 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 scavenger hunt that explores the museum, play musical match-up or musical bingo, bringing the museum’s extensive collection to life for all ages.

The Briscoe continues to operate at 50 percent of its admission capacity by monitoring attendance through ticket counts. The museum encourages social distancing through its acre and a half campus on the banks of the River Walk, with outdoor displays that include 32 sculptures extending from the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden and a lush public space that features a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West. The Briscoe’s collection also spans 14 galleries in a restored 1930s building that offers high ceilings and spacious areas for guests to stay safely socially distanced. The museum’s health and safety protocols require temperature checks and that both staff and guests wear masks. Additional sanitizing and cleaning protocols are observed throughout the day and both visitor services and the museum store feature plexiglass shields for additional protection.

Museum hours are 10a.m. through 3p.m. seven days a week. 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.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s mission is 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 museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.

“Like everyone else, we’ve been impacted by COVID-19. We’re grateful to the San Antonio community for its continued support. Whether it’s the story of the cowboy, the vaquero, the Native American or the wildlife that still roams the range, Western history is unique to the United States. San Antonio played a key role in shaping the West, making it a must for locals who enjoy our diverse history.” – Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Briscoe Western Art Museum celebrates all things cowboy

briscoecowboyday20
Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission. 

Lassoing a good time at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration is taking a pause this year due to COVID-19. Rather than have cowboys and cowgirls crowd the museum’s grounds to celebrate all things cowboy, the Briscoe invites everyone to “Bring Home the Briscoe” throughout the month of July. Part of the museum’s popular Lil Partners children’s programming, “Bring Home the Briscoe” features four weeks of Western Art activities and hands-on art, letting little cowboys and cowgirls immerse themselves in fun. The museum has also created a new program, “Briscoe Buddies,” to share the kits with nonprofit children’s organizations across San Antonio. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Cowboy Fun and More
One of the Briscoe’s most treasured annual events, National Day of the Cowboy, is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July each year. It traditionally attracts Western fans for a day filled with fun, music and art throughout the museum’s home on the River Walk. With continued safety concerns surrounding social gatherings, the Briscoe decided to create something that celebrates not only cowboys, but all four pillars of Western Art:  wildlife, Native American heritage, Spanish and Mexican heritage and of course, cowboys.

Bring Home the Briscoe:  Summer Fun with a Western Twist
With the Bring Home the Briscoe kits, families can saddle up for arts and crafts, western storytelling and cowpoke games. Choose one theme or go for all four since each kit offers a different excursion through the West. The kits are recommended for children ages 5-10 years old. To purchase a kit, visit the Museum Store, order online or call the Museum Store (210.507.4852) to arrange for contact-less, “river side” pickup outside of the Briscoe. Each take home kit is $20 for members or $25 for nonmembers. Kits are available throughout the month of July.

Briscoe Buddies
The Briscoe traditionally hosts field trips and museum visits for children’s groups throughout the year. To give children the chance to experience the West outside of the museum, the new “Briscoe Buddies” program provides free activity kits to local children’s organizations. Distribution is scheduled throughout July with several community partners including Boys & Girls Club, Haven for Hope, St. PJ’s Children’s Home and Mission Road. To support the Briscoe Buddies effort and give these Lil Partners the chance to “Bring Home the Briscoe,” donations are being accepted and can be made in person at the Museum Store or online.

Briscoe Membership Takes You West All Year Long
If you are ready to dust off your saddle and travel West, there is no need to travel far. Buy a Briscoe membership to see the beauty and spirit of the West in the heart of downtown San Antonio. The Briscoe offers membership packages that include unlimited admission to the museum and through the month of July, every membership includes one free “Bring Home the Briscoe” activity kit. Memberships may be purchased online with contact-less curbside gift pickup from the Briscoe’s Museum Store.

Family membership includes museum admission for two adults and all children/grandchildren under 18, making it great for family fun all year long. Members receive unlimited admission to the Briscoe and free or discounted admission to its events, as well as invitations to private members-only events. Full membership benefits are detailed online. Memberships are instrumental support that help the Briscoe continue to share the art, history and culture of the American West and are tax deductible.

See the West Indoors and Out at the Briscoe
The McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 30 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life, giving everyone the opportunity to get out and enjoy the West. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, galleries, exhibitions, monthly talks, exclusive member events and a fantastic museum shop provide art, culture, history and entertainment year-round, but especially now thanks to the 2020 Night of Artists Exhibition and Art Sale.

Night of Artists draws artists, collectors and art enthusiasts from around the country each year to celebrate Western art. The museum’s largest annual exhibition features more than 300 new works of painting, sculpture and mixed media by 80 of the country’s leading contemporary Western artists on display through July 26.

Museum hours are 10a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10a.m. to 3p.m. on Sunday. The museum is located on the River Walk, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Now through August, parking is free at city-owned garages, pay-stations and meters all day Saturday and Sunday and 4p.m. to 2a.m. Monday through Friday. Museum hours and admission details are available online.

“Celebrating cowboys and all of the traditions and spirit of the West is something we do every day at the Briscoe. With our spacious galleries and outdoor sculpture garden, everyone can safely visit the museum. Adding to the museum experience, ‘Bring Home the Briscoe’ includes summer fun that families can explore at home, while our new ‘Briscoe Buddies’ program brings the Briscoe to children’s groups who can’t enjoy field trips to the museum right now.” – Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Briscoe Western Art Museum

The Briscoe Western Art Museum celebrates dads and grads

plainsman
“The Plainsman” membership at the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Courtesy photo, used with permission. 

This June, to keep the celebration going for this year’s graduates and to give dad the special nod he deserves, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is offering special deals for dads and grads. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

To honor this year’s graduates, the Briscoe is offering the Class of 2020 free admission to the museum through the month of June. Just show your student ID or come on down with your cap and tassel and explore the West courtesy of the Briscoe. Graduate free admission is good for all 2020 high school and college graduates. The Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden is a fabulous spot for spontaneous graduate pictures, so bring the family along and document your accomplishment with the perfect shot in a lush oasis of Western beauty just off of the River Walk.

To honor fathers and the trails they blaze, the Briscoe is giving away an annual museum membership to one lucky dad. Nominate a fantastic father you know, then be sure to take him to the Briscoe for the perfect Father’s Day celebration. Entries close June 18.

The Briscoe is offering Father’s Day membership specials that include a year-long membership to the museum, as well as gifts for dad to sit back and enjoy. The membership specials are available online, with contact-less curbside gift pickup from the Briscoe’s Museum Store in time for Father’s Day. Package options include:

  • “The Duke”: Allow dad to head West with an individual membership, along with an American Bison bar tool opener, a 2020 Night of Artists exhibition catalog and a branded tote bag from the Briscoe’s Museum Store, $65.
  • “The Cowboys”: Family membership includes museum admission for two adults and all children/grandchildren under 18, as well as two pairs of Socksmith socks in “Early Morning Riser Gold” and “Texas Navy” designs, a 2020 Night of Artists exhibition catalog and a Briscoe-branded tote bag, $95.
  • “The Plainsman”: A museum supporter membership that features expanded membership benefits including admission reciprocity at member museums across the country, as well as a tote bag, a custom Briscoe Woody Shovel Grill Scraper in red oak, and a 2020 Night of Artists exhibition catalog, $140.

All membership options include unlimited admission to the Briscoe and free or discounted admission to its events, as well as invitations to private members-only events. Memberships are instrumental support that help the Briscoe continue to share the art, history and culture of the American West and are tax deductible.

Sharing the spirit and beauty of the West through art and artifacts, the Briscoe brings vibrant history and stories to life. The museum’s monthly gallery talks, book club, exclusive member events and fantastic museum shop provide art, culture, history and entertainment year-round, but especially now thanks to the 2020 Night of Artists Exhibition and Art Sale.

Night of Artists draws artists, collectors and art enthusiasts from around the country each year to celebrate Western art. The museum’s largest annual exhibition features more than 300 new works of painting, sculpture and mixed media by 80 of the country’s leading contemporary Western artists. Everyone will be transported West through scenic landscapes, inspired Native Americans and classic cowboys, stunning wildlife and detailed portraiture.

Museum hours are 10a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10a.m. to 3p.m. on Sunday. The museum is located on the River Walk, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Now through August, parking is free at city-owned garages, pay-stations and meters all day Saturday and Sunday and 4p.m. to 2a.m. Monday through Friday.

Briscoe Western Art Museum
210 W. Market Street
San Antonio, TX  78205
(210) 299-4499

Family friendly fun at Briscoe Western Art Museum’s ‘Tales &Trails’

briscoelilpartners
Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

This month, hit the trail and head West without ever leaving the River Walk during Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Lil Partners spring break series, “Tales and Trails.” With Lego animation, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, storytelling, cowboy games and more fun than you can lasso, capture the excitement and adventure of the West, learn about the Western lifestyle and the see the stories shared through Western art brought to life. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Lil Partners “Tales and Trails” offers children and caregivers different activities to enjoy together. The daily program includes story times and activities that celebrate the heritage and culture of the American west. There will be different activities throughout the week, giving Lil Partners the opportunity to enjoy something special each day. Lil Partners who participate each day will receive a certificate of completion, showing their mastery of Western Tales and Trails.

“Tales and Trails” is included in museum admission and no reservations are required, however, caregivers must accompany participating children. And in case Lil Partners get a hankerin’ for some grub, snacks are included in the program.

The Briscoe’s Lil Partners program regularly offers story times on the first Wednesday of each month to introduce little ones to the excitement and adventure of the American West. Families can also check out “Buckaroo Bags,” with stories and games to play and bring the West to life while exploring the museum’s galleries. Buckaroo Bags are available at the guest services desk during regular museum hours.

Lil Partners Spring Break Series, “Tales and Trails” will take place Monday March 13 through Friday March 13 from 1p.m. to 4p.m. daily.

Scheduled programming includes:
Monday:  Lego Animation, Leather Stamping
Tuesday:  Model Magic – Re-enact Briscoe Sculptures, Drawing – Create a Comic
Wednesday:  Seed Pods – Texas Wildflowers, Scavenger Hunt – Tracking Animals
Thursday:  Red Clay Pottery – Create an Indian Bowl, Monochromatic Drawing
Friday:  Watercolor Painting, Movie screening – “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West”

Open daily, admission to The Briscoe Western Art Museum is free for children 12 and under, as well as active duty members of the military and up to four members of their family. Museum admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and $5 for retired military, first responders, educators, fireman and police officers. The Briscoe offers extended hours and free admission every Tuesday from 4p.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is located on the River Walk, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or at one of many downtown surface lots.

Briscoe Western Art Museum
210 W. Market St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 299-4499