Tag: Full STEAM ahead

Current events at Briscoe Western Art Museum

Guests can paint a Western Halloween, craft and celebrate Día de los Muertos, honor Native American culture and heritage, and view ‘American Cowboys’ exhibit, among other activities. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Fall in the West is picture perfect and thanks to the stunning art and fantastic programming at the Briscoe, everyone can enjoy the season. Step into the intimate lives and culture of today’s cowboys through a showcase of stunning black and white photographs at the Briscoe Western Art Museum during Anouk Masson Krantz: “American Cowboys,” on view through January 22, 2024 and mark your calendar for everything from Western Halloween fun to stories for the smallest cowpokes and their caregivers to enjoy. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)

Community Ofrenda and Crafts: Celebrating Día de los Muertos in the West
Ofrenda: October 5 through November 2
Art Sessions: October 28, 11a.m. – 3p.m.

In celebration of Día de los Muertos, the community is invited to participate in the Briscoe Museum’s Community Ofrenda honoring influential figures in Western art and the American West, as well as the museum’s late namesakes, Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe. Everyone is welcome to add photos of lost loved ones and personal offerings to help celebrate their lives. The ofrenda will be on display in the museum lobby and free Día de los Muertos-themed crafts will be available for those who would like to participate. The Briscoe’s Hendler Family Museum Store will have Día de los Muertos items available for those who wish to add to their offerings.

Learn about the art traditions behind papel picado, then create your own, and paint your own calaverita – “little skull” – with local artists at the Briscoe’s Día de los Muertos celebration. Artist Renée Letapi-Gamez will lead everyone in painting calaveritas while artist Kathy Trenchard will lead an informal discussion and work with two classes to demonstrate the craft of papel picado. Both programs are included with museum admission and all materials are provided. Two papel picado sessions will be held on a first-come, first-served basis at noon and 2p.m.

Halloween Western-Style: Painting with Gio
October 26, 6p.m. – 8p.m.

Enjoy a Halloween painting session led by energetic and charismatic international artist Gio DiZurita. Based in San Antonio, DiZurita tells stories through her art, an everlasting transformation of life experiences. Add some spooky Western vibes to your Halloween during a relaxing evening sipping beer, wine and acrylic painting on an 11 x 14 canvas in a hands-on session with Gio as she guides guests through their own creepy take-home work of art. Tickets are $45, or $35 for museum members. Registration for this 21+ event is per person and includes beer, wine and all supplies. Class size is limited, so register today to secure your spot.

Honoring Native American Heritage: Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival
November 11, 10a.m. – 4p.m.

Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities, the free Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival offers a glimpse into traditional and contemporary Native American culture. Featuring Native American artists, musical performances and dancing, the free event includes storytelling, artist demonstrations of painting, printmaking, pottery, weaving and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food and free museum admission. Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival also features workshops and lectures celebrating Native American culture.

Monthly Fun: Free Admission for Locals, Hands-on Education, Storytime

• Locals Days: First Sundays Free for Local Residents
First Sunday of the month, November 5 and December 3

To thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum makes the first Sunday of each month “Locals Day,” greeting locals with free general admission. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2023, with free admission. As always, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for local families to enjoy any time.

• Full STEAM Ahead: Free Education Series Offers Hands-on Learning Fun
First Sunday of the month, November 5, 1p.m. – 3p.m.
Topic: Engineering Challenge – Native American Homes

Families and visitors of all ages can learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s free monthly education series, “Full STEAM Ahead.” Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West by engaging in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences. Each of the activities ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is included with general admission.

• Storytime Stampede: Stories and More for Little Cowpokes
Third Saturday of the month, October 21, November 18, December 16, 10:30a.m. – 11 a.m.

Families and caregivers of young children can enjoy Western fun and stories each month at the Briscoe’s Storytime Stampede. Featuring 30 minute programs designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, Storytime Stampede includes stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun. Adults bringing children to Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission. Children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, making Storytime Stampede affordable family fun.

Putting Western Virtues on Display: Anouk Masson Krantz

Highlighting the enduring traditions around ranching and rodeo life from an outsider’s perspective, American Cowboys shares an intimate look at America’s Western heritage. Nearly 100 images captured on solo journeys across the American West by the celebrated photographer Anouk Masson Krantz reflect the greatest virtues of America’s heritage.

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

Storytime Stampede and Full STEAM Ahead fall themes

Briscoe Storytime Stampede offers young children a FREE fun way to learn about the west. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

Families and caregivers of young children can enjoy Western fun and stories each month at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s new Storytime Stampede. Featuring 30 minute programs designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, Storytime Stampede will include stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun. The new program series kicks off Saturday, September 16 and will be held 10:30a.m. – 11a.m. the third Saturday of each month. Adults bringing children to the Storytime Stampede will receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, turning Storytime Stampede into affordable family fun.

Storytime Stampede is designed to foster art awareness, fine motor development, language and literacy, cognitive development and social-emotional growth. Providing an excellent opportunity for families to unplug and practice their social skills, children can also work on language development and listening skills. Listening to stories provides children with a chance to be introduced to new words. As they learn new words their vocabulary will build – all while they’re having fun.

Stories and topics for the series include:

  • September 16: Hear “Bertie the Buffalo,” by Wendy H. Jones and make bison masks so you can play buffalo at home.
  • October 21: Enjoy “The Three Little Javelinas,” by Susan Lowell and make maracas to enjoy the sounds of the West.
  • November 18: Listen to “Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez,” by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales, then make Native American pinch pots to celebrate National Native American Heritage Month.
  • December 16: Mark the holiday season with “The Gingerbread Cowboy,” by Janet Squires, then craft gingerbread cowboys from paper.
  • January 20: Hear “Fry Bread,” by Kevin Noble Maillard, then make drums to start the new year off on a musical note.
  • February 17: Learn the story of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, the groundbreaking Black tap dancer through “Rap a Tap Tap: Here’s Bojangles – Think of That!” and craft rhythm instruments to mark Black History Month.
  • March 16: Squeeze some learning fun into Spring Break with special programming.
  • April 20: Enjoy a Western twist on a classic story with “There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea,” by Jennifer Ward and Steve Gray, followed by coloring and creativity.
  • May 18: Get prickly with “Cactus Hotel,” by Brenda Z. Guiberson and have fun crafting cactus art as you learn about the desert.
  • June 15: Giddy up for “Cowboy Camp,” by Tammi Sauer and decorate a cowboy boot together.
  • July 20: Add some sweet to your summer with “Rio Ruby Invents the Pecan Pie,” by Robin Davis, then have fun coloring the official small mammal of Texas, an armadillo.
  • August 17: Meet the coolest coyote around with “Way Out West Lived a Coyote Named Frank,” by Jillian Lund, then stay cool with some bandana art.

Full STEAM Ahead on the First Sunday: Free Education Series Offers Hands-on Fun
The Briscoe also offers “Full STEAM Ahead,” a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experience to educate and entertain families about the West. Full STEAM Ahead is paired with the museum’s monthly Locals Day on the first the Sunday of every month, giving locals free admission to the museum and free hands-on educational opportunities. Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West, with each activity tying back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts to bring the West to life in a new way.

From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is designed for all ages to enjoy, making it a terrific family activity. Enjoy STEAMing with your family 1p.m. – 3p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at the Briscoe.

Upcoming programs include:

  • September 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Art in the Sky – Study the night sky through Kim Wiggins’ “Colonel Crockett’s Return to Cibolo Creek”. After a short study of the painting, everyone will create a bedroom planetarium to take home.
  • October 8: Full STEAM Ahead – Pottery of the Southwest – Learn more about the pottery made by Native Americans in the southwest, including the techniques they used to craft their pieces. Use those techniques to create a piece of pottery of your own.
  • November 5: Full STEAM Ahead – Native American Homes – Native Americans lived in a variety of homes. The type of home they built fit their culture and lifestyle. While learning about these different homes, put your engineering skills to the test and use materials provided to try to build a tipi, longhouse, wigwam or other types of Native American shelters.
  • December 3: Cowboy Christmas – Join the Briscoe to celebrate the holidays and meet Cowboy Claus as he makes a stop at the Briscoe to hear what all of the cowpokes want for Christmas.  Cowboy Christmas at the Briscoe is free holiday fun, making the Briscoe the perfect way to make holiday memories with your family.

Briscoe Western Art Museum pairs Free Locals Day with family programming

The Briscoe brings together locals day and full STEAM fun and a fantastic new exhibition. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is steaming into spring by pairing its monthly free days for local visitors with its popular “Full STEAM Ahead” educational series. The new double feature means locals can enjoy the museum for free, while families enjoy free, hands-on – and fun – educational activities. The new combination kicks off Sunday, April 2. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)

The Briscoe campus includes the McNutt Sculpture Garden and features 35 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life in the garden and around the museum’s beautifully restored historic building that once housed the San Antonio Public Library. The collection spans 14 galleries with Western art and artifacts, including 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. Best of all, locals can enjoy it all for free on the first Sunday of each month.

The Briscoe continues to tip its hat to its neighbors with the first Sunday of each month greeting Bexar County residents with free admission. The museum’s “Locals Day” waives museum admission so everyone can enjoy heading West without ever leaving San Antonio.

Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2023, with free admission on April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 8, November 5 and December 3. Online registration for Locals Day is recommended. If you can not stop in on Locals Day, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active-duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for everyone to enjoy any time.

The Briscoe’s free monthly education series “Full STEAM Ahead” will now educate and entertain on the first Sunday of every month as well. Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West by engaging in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences. Each activity ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way.

From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is designed for all ages to enjoy, making it a terrific family activity. Enjoy STEAMing with your family 11a.m. – 1p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at the Briscoe.

New 2023 Full Steam Ahead dates and topics include:

• April 2: Full STEAM Ahead – Painting Inspired Poetry
Celebrate Poetry Month and Fiesta at the Briscoe. After studying Kim Wiggins’ “Fiesta Day on the Plaza,” a vibrant, activity-rich painting showing a fiesta – families will create a poem about their favorite part of the painting. Bringing those words to life, they will then create their own artwork to illustrate their poetry.

• May 7: Full STEAM Ahead – Exploring Art in Nature
Learn about a form of art called “mandala,” a geometric configuration of symbols. After a short presentation, participants will go on a short nature walk through the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, where we will search for and collect interesting objects from nature. Those objects will be used to create a mandala. Digital photographs will be taken to capture each work of art.

• June 4: Full STEAM Ahead – Add Lightning to your Art
Learn about how electrical currents, including lightning, work. After a short presentation, create a piece of art with a light feature, then make the art glow by creating a paper circuit.

• July 2: Full STEAM Ahead – Tools of the (Cattle) Trade
The cattle industry is a vital part of the West. Hear more about the cattle industry and the simple machines cowboys used in their daily work, then create a simple machine using found and recyclable materials.

• August 6: Full STEAM Ahead – Gone for the Winter
Learn more about wildlife and the fall migration of hummingbirds. After a short presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a hummingbird feeder using found and recyclable materials.

• September 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Art in the Sky
Study the night sky through Kim Wiggins’ “Colonel Crockett’s Return to Cibolo Creek.” After a short study of the painting, everyone will create a bedroom planetarium to take home.

• October 8: Full STEAM Ahead – Pottery of the Southwest
Learn more about the pottery made by Native Americans in the southwest, including the techniques they used to craft their pieces. Use those techniques to create a piece of pottery of your own.

• November 5: Full STEAM Ahead – Native American Homes
Native Americans lived in a variety of homes. The type of home they built fit their culture and lifestyle. While learning about these different homes, put your engineering skills to the test and use materials provided to try to build a tipi, longhouse, wigwam, or other types of Native American shelters.

• December 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Gingerbread Cowboy Storytime at Cowboy Christmas
Join the Briscoe to celebrate the holidays with story time and a visit with Cowboy Claus. Families will listen to “The Gingerbread Cowboy” by Janet Squires. After the story, create a gingerbread cowboy of your own and make sure Cowboy Claus knows what you want for Christmas. Cowboy Christmas at the Briscoe is free holiday fun, making the Briscoe the perfect way to make holiday memories with your family.

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

Celebrate Black History Month at the Briscoe Museum

February events at the Briscoe include stories of Black Cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers, and more. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The stories of the Western United States are as diverse and far-ranging as the landscape that inspires the cowboy in us all. To share that history, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is showcasing those stories during a day focused on the Black history of the West, including two programs to help children and families understand the roles that Black Americans played in the West. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)

Did you know that you can tip your hat to President’s Day at the Briscoe? When you visit, do not miss the bronze bust of President Lincoln sculpted by Gutzom Borglum, the artist who carved Mount Rushmore, in the museum’s lobby. 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, so stop by to wish President Lincoln happy birthday (February 12) or drop in for President’s Day (February 20).

All programs are included with museum admission. Admission is free for children 12 and under, making the museum a terrific destination for families. Active duty members of the military also receive free admission, while active duty family members and retired members of the military receive discounted admission. The museum also is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18: Full STEAM Ahead: Gather Around the Campfire 11a.m. – 1p.m.
Families are invited to join the Briscoe and learn about the history of Black Cowboys in the West. After listening to a short presentation about Black Cowboys and their life on the cattle drives, families will be able to design and make their own musical instrument to play around the campfire. This is a family friendly program.

The Briscoe’s education series “Full STEAM Ahead” helps learners of all ages understand more about the American West by engaging in hands-on, STEAM learning experiences. Sharing the American West through STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics – each of the activities ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. Each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning and is included with museum admission. Children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe.

Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers 2p.m. – 4:30p.m.
Learn the history of Buffalo soldiers from the Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association (BCBSA) members through a short presentation at 2p.m., followed by members sharing stories and artifacts as they interact with visitors through 4:30p.m. The Buffalo Soldiers were members of the all-Black U.S. Army units formed by Congress in 1866 after the end of the Civil War, giving former slaves, freedmen and Black Civil War veterans an opportunity to serve.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Cheatom will lead the 2p.m. presentation as Trooper Cheatom of the BCBSA. Dressed in replica blue union Army uniforms worn by the Buffalo soldiers in the late 1800s, members will share the stories of an 1800s trail driver and the only recorded female Buffalo soldier, Cathay Williams. Since women were not allowed to serve then, Williams disguised herself as a man to enlist in the army, serving from 1866-68.

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