San Antonio Museum of Art celebrates the fall season with in-person and virtual events. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.
In celebration of the season, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is excited to announce their lineup of fall events, including online lectures, live performances, and trick-or-treating through the galleries. Starting on Saturday, September 28 from 6p.m. – 7p.m. one of the nation’s most acclaimed photographers, LaToya Ruby, will lead an online lecture “Using Photography for Social Change,” highlighting how art is a powerful tool for social transformation. Tickets are available online and are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Check online to learn more about SAMA’s fall events. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
San Antonians can learn more about their city’s deep brewing history on Friday, October 8, from 6p.m. – 7p.m. during the online lecture “Brewing History is American History” with Theresa McCulla, PhD, Curator of the American Brewing History Initiative at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. This talk will explore the role of beer in histories of technological innovation, immigration, and culture in San Antonio. Tickets are on sale here for $5 for members and $10 for non-members.
On Tuesday, October 12, San Antonio-based artist Jose Villalobos will perform in SAMA’s West Courtyard from 6p.m. – 6:30p.m. as part of the 2021 Texas Biennial. Having exhibited and performed nationwide, Villalobos’ San Antonio display reconciles the identity challenges in his life. Admission to the in-person artist performance is free.
Families can also enjoy trick-or-treating throughout the museum on Sunday, October 31 from 10a.m. – 5p.m. Visitors are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes as they explore the museum’s galleries. Swords, scepters, weapons, wands, and full-face masks will not be permitted.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic former Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Artist Sandra Gonzalez’ mural at Tony G’s Soul Food. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.
On Friday, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) unveiled one of three community murals during a press conference at Tony G’s Soul Food. Three local artists completed the mural series as part of a generous grant awarded to SAMA by the Art Bridges Foundation earlier this year. The purpose of the three community-inspired murals is to celebrate the vibrancy and people of San Antonio. The murals are now on display at Tony G’s Soul Food (915 S. Hackberry), Wicho’s Mexican Deli (1110 N. Zarzamora St.), and SAMA (200 W. Jones). (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Designed by artists Suzy González, Victor Zarazua, and Sandra Gonzalez, and in partnership with San Anto Cultural Arts, the initiative celebrates the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework.
Artist Suzy González created the mural installed on-campus at SAMA. Painted on wood panels that were then drilled into the brick wall, the mural features the Yanaguana river surrounded by local artists, poets, and musicians that progress the community.
Artist Victor Zarazua represents San Antonio’s Westside at Wicho’s Mexican Deli. Victor planned his mural to be include several types of paint, including spray paint. His design represents the landscape in the area.
Artist Sandra Gonzalez created San Antonio’s Eastside mural at Tony G’s Soul Food. Sandra created her mural, which features portraits of Miles Davis and Etta James, using polytab. During a community painting day, volunteers participated in the mural creation.
Judge Nelson Wolff, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores, and Judge William “Cruz” Shaw attended the press conference and each shared remarks on the impact of art on our community and the hope that murals will continue to populate the Alamo city.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum enriches the cultural life of the city and the region and to supports its creative community.
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art in all regions across the nation. The foundation strives to bring great works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of 150 museums of all sizes and locations, providing financial and strategic support for exhibition development, collection loans and programs designed to engage new audiences. Art Bridges funds projects that inspire deeper relationships between arts organizations and their communities, develop expanded relationships built on inclusivity and respect, and encourage meaningful personal connections that lead to stronger, more vibrant cities and towns.
Lady Arundel restoration. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.
Over the course of its 40-year history, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) has developed an expansive 30,000-object collection that represents human creation and experience from across thousands of years and from cultures spread across six continents. In its upcoming exhibition, 40 Years, 40 Stories: Treasures and New Discoveries from SAMA’s Collection, SAMA will present works from the collection that are currently held in storage and that have been selected by members of the Museum’s curatorial team as works of particular personal interest, inspiration, and fascination. Many of the 40 objects chosen for the show have been off view for numerous years, while others are being presented for the first time. In other instances, artworks capture little-known or under-studied artistic and cultural narratives. Together, the works engage audiences anew with SAMA’s broad-ranging holdings and highlight the depth, range, and dynamism of the collection. 40 Years, 40 Stories will be on view from October 16, 2021–January 2, 2022. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Among the highlights in the exhibition is the reinstallation of the monumental painting Mary, Lady Arundell of Wardour (1767) by the famed English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds. The full-length portrait was acquired by SAMA in 1981 and held a prominent position in its European decorative arts gallery for many years. In 2016, the painting was sent to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston for a multi-year conservation project, which was completed this year. The newly conserved painting reveals a new depth of detail and color within Reynolds’ composition. The removal of old, discolored layers of retouching and varnish has given the portrait a fresher and more balanced look. Another work in the exhibition that is being presented following recent conservation is the late 17th- to early 18th-century Chinese handscroll, Peach Blossom Spring. The work depicts the tale of a fisherman who discovers a utopian community. The handscroll, which has been in storage for many years, was repaired and remounted, so that it can be safely unrolled for viewing.
40 Years, 40 Stories also presents for the first time several new acquisitions, including an exquisitely carved Islamic amulet that was acquired in 2013. The amulet is inscribed with 63 Names of God and a verse from the Qur’an, and was intended to invoke divine protection. The exhibition will also feature a recently acquired Petrosphere, a massive stone sphere that weighs more than 600 pounds and was produced by the ancient inhabitants of Costa Rica. Found in groups, these spheres demarcated features of the landscape for communities in the Diquís region, though their precise meaning is not yet understood. The exhibition will also be the first occasion to show Celia Eberle’s sculptural installation Moss Grotto (2016) at SAMA. Recently acquired in 2019, this monumental work invites contemplation of the inevitability of Nature and of human loss.
Other objects in the exhibition include embroidered textiles made by Salvadoran refugees who fled their country’s civil war in the 1980s that have never previously been shown; a mosaic depicting a Nereid that was thought to be an ancient Roman work but was later discovered to be a 20th-century copy after a floor in the Baths of the Seven Sages, Ostia; a richly carved Yoruba veranda post; and a painted portrait of Pola Negri, a femme fatale of 1920s and 30s Hollywood who retired to San Antonio and left her glamorous portrait to the Museum.
Works in 40 Years, 40 Stories will be organized loosely by subject, function, and aesthetic resonance, capturing the ways in which seemingly disparate objects relate to and connect in dialogue together. The exhibition is curated by Powers, with objects selected by members of SAMA’s curatorial, collections, and education teams.
40 Years, 40 Stories is generously supported by the Sue Denman Memorial Exhibition Fund, the Helen and Everett Jones Exhibition Fund, the Amy Shelton McNutt Exhibition Fund, and the Daniel Sullivan Exhibition Fund.
“All of the artworks featured in the exhibition have a story to tell about culture, community, and history. The exhibition provides an exciting range of creative and technical innovation through time and captures the ways in which material culture has always been and continues to be essential to both constructing and understanding the world in which we live. At the same time, re-examining our collection felt like the perfect way to celebrate the Museum’s 40th anniversary. It’s an opportunity to explore how the collection has evolved and is also instructive as we continue to bring works into our holdings that capture the diversity of artistic production across time, geography, and media.” – Jessica Powers, Interim Chief Curator and The Gilbert M. Denman, Jr. Curator of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Detail of jaguar and coatimundi way on Cylinder Vase with Animal Figures, Belize, AD 650-750, earthenware and mineral paint. Photo: The Mopan Valley Archaeology Project, Bernadette Cap, used with permission.
Nature, Power, and Maya Royals, an exhibition of thirty-four artworks and objects discovered by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) researchers in two royal Maya burials at the ancient city of Buenavista del Cayo, Belize, is now on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). This exhibition is the first time the selection of works will appear for public viewing. This exhibition is an exciting collaboration between UTSA, SAMA, and the Belize Institute of Archaeology. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Nature, Power, and Maya Royals: Recent Discoveries from the Site of Buenavista del Cayo,Belizewill be on view through February 27, 2022. It was organized by the San Antonio Museum of Art in collaboration with the Belize National Institute of Culture and History’s Institute of Archaeology and scholars in the University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Anthropology. It is supported by the Gloria Galt Endowment Fund, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and UTSA Maya Archaeology Excellence Endowment. The UTSA excavations that recovered the objects were conducted with the permission of the Belize Institute of Archaeology and funding from the Alphawood Foundation and Termini Endowment for Maya Archaeology.
In 2014 and 2019, a team of UTSA archaeologists led by Jason Yaeger, President’s Endowed Professor of Anthropology at UTSA and Senior Associate Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts found finely painted ceramic vessels that display kings and symbols of authority as well as shell pendants, earrings, and bracelets worn by a king. “The objects in the exhibition are priceless to us and to the government of Belize for what they tell us about the ancient Maya. This show presents a wonderful opportunity to grow connections with institutions across San Antonio and Belize,” Yaeger said.
The discovery is particularly extraordinary because looters had previously trenched the building in which one of the royal burials was located, missing it by just a few inches. Finding the site and objects following the looters’ destructive actions is incredibly lucky and makes the discovery particularly special. “We are delighted to share these beautiful and precious artworks. Visitors will also be able to view images taken during our excavation in Belize. The recovery of the objects such as these from known, well documented locations provides essential information for interpreting similar Maya art held by museums,” said Bernadette Cap, Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Postdoctoral Fellow at SAMA and curator of the exhibition.
The artworks date between AD 450 and 800, a period when Maya kings and queens reigned over large populations and lived in elaborately designed cities. The exhibition highlights how two Maya rulers commissioned artwork that featured commanding iconography to express and legitimate their power. For example, a common theme in rulers’ art was the portrayal of jaguar pelts worn as clothing and used as decorative elements of royal palaces. The Maya admired the jaguar for its strength and skills as an apex predator, and rulers retained exclusive rights over jaguar imagery and products.
One of the most outstanding pieces in the exhibition is a large, elaborately carved pendant made of marine shell. Incised Maya glyphs appear on it and have been deciphered to read, “This is the pendant of Naah Uti’ K’ab, king of Komkom.” The discovery of the pendant confirms that the buried individual is a king. Given the context of recovery, Komkom is likely the original name of the site we now call Buenavista del Cayo. Maya texts at nearby sites state that Komkom had been attacked and conquered in the AD 600s and 700s. The shell pendant dates to around AD 450, however, and thus provides the earliest reference to the site of Komkom.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Hispanic Serving University specializing in cyber, health, fundamental futures, and social-economic development. With more than 34,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property—for Texas, the nation and the world.
“We are thrilled to come together with these extraordinary performing arts nonprofits to empower the arts in our community,” said Dr. Emily Sano, Co-Interim Director, Coates-Cowden-Brown Senior Advisor for Asian Art. “We have much to celebrate after this past year. We hope people will join us in supporting the arts in San Antonio.”
Throughout the evening, gala attendees can enjoy performances by participating organizations in the Tobin’s H-E-B Performance Hall, as well as a live auction, catered dinner, and a live performance by renowned 10-piece band, Professor D., at the conclusion of the evening in the Carlos Alvarez Theater overlooking the Will Naylor Smith River Walk Plaza. Tickets are on sale now including individual and VIP options, as well as sponsorship options. Purchase tiers are available below:
Individual Ticket – $300
Includes audience seating in the H-E-B Performance Hall for the arts showcase
Cocktails and a buffet in the Red and Charline McCombs Lobby
VIP Tickets for Two – $1,000
Includes cabaret seating, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails during the artists showcase
Cocktails, buffet, and a reserved cocktail table in the Red and Charline McCombs Lobby
Tiered Sponsorship Packages
Sponsorship levels are available ranging from $2,500 to $10,000
More information on each sponsorship tier is available online.
The “Celebration” gala is chaired by Kristin and Dick Tips. Funds raised during the gala will support the missions of the San Antonio Museum of Art, Ballet San Antonio, The Public Theater of San Antonio, San Antonio Chamber Choir and YOSA.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Yesterday the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) announced the acquisition of important historic Chinese artworks, including a gilt openwork crown and a gilt plaque decorated with a standing lion, both from the Liao dynasty (907–1125); a set of jade belt plaques from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), and a set of gilt silver hairpins embellished with kingfisher feathers from the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). These new artworks expand SAMA’s stellar collection of Chinese art, which has particular strengths in ceramics from the dawn of Chinese civilization to modern time. The new acquisitions are part of an ongoing effort to enhance under-represented areas within the Museum’s wider Asian art collection such as metal work and jade. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
“The artworks announced today capture the incredible artistry and skill of Chinese craftsman from across history, while also illuminating the importance of these objects—and the imagery and material they hold—to Chinese culture and society,” said Shawn Yuan, Associate Curator of Asian Art. “We are delighted to enhance the Museum’s Chinese art holdings with these stunning works, which further our ability to share narratives and develop understanding of Chinese material culture through time.”
Crown China, Liao dynasty (907-1125) Gilt bronze H. 11 7/16” Purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund 2021.1.1
The magnificent gilt crown is a mortuary item for a noblewoman of the semi-nomadic Khitan people, who lived in today’s northern China and Mongolia in the 11th to 12th century. The domed cap is covered with chased floral scrolls and surmounted by a lotus flower and a now-missing deity. On each of the attached standing “wings,” two glorious phoenixes, with wide spreading wings and long tails, are positioned among scudding clouds. This crown is an example of the luxurious lifestyle of the Khitan elite, who established the powerful Liao dynasty and controlled an enormous landmass bordering Korea to the east and central Asia to the west. Acquiring this crown helps the Museum to present a more complete image of the rich Liao dynasty material culture, along with the Museum’s expansive collection of Liao ceramics.
Plaque with a Standing Lion China, Liao dynasty (907-1125) Gilt bronze L. 8 3/8” W. 4 7/8” Purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund 2021.1.2
The gilt bronze plaque decorated with a standing lion is an example of the impressive craftsmanship of the Liao dynasty. The energetic lion, hammered in low relief, stands on his left hind leg while thrusting the other forward. The lion’s broad chest rises, and his massive head turns backward as his flamboyant mane sweeps upward. Under the bushy eyebrows, the lion’s eyes focus intensely on a flaming pearl. The imagery has a Buddhist origin: the lion guards the Buddha’s teaching while the flaming pearl represents the Buddha’s wisdom. The images of a lion with protective power are rarely seen on other Liao works in the Museum’s collection.
Belt Plaques China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Jade Elongated tab: 3.5”x1.4”; rectangular: 3.1”x1.4”, 2.2”x1.4”, 1.4”x0.7”; tear-drop: 1.4”x1.3” Purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund 2021.1.3.a-r
The set of eighteen jade plaques is the first important jade work to enter the Chinese collection. Jade has been China’s most valued gemstone since the dawn of its civilization. These plaques were once attached to belts worn by noblemen. The rectangular plaques are carved in high relief with lively scenes of male figures teasing frolicking lions with ribbons—an auspicious subject with a long history in Chinese art. The hardness of jade is second only to that of diamonds. The delicate carvings on these plaques present the impressive craftsmanship of the jade carver.
Hairpins China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) Silver and kingfisher feather 5 ¾” to 5 ¼”x3 ¼” by 3 1/8” Purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund 2021.1.4.a-c
The set of three gilt silver hair pins is an exciting addition to SAMA’s collection of Chinese dragon robes, embroidered brocade, shoes, and jewelry—all items from the wardrobes of upper-class families. All three hairpins are inlaid with kingfisher feathers, whose colors are as brilliant as azurite, lapis, cobalt, and turquoise. They were iridescent under the sunlight, creating a dazzling visual effect. Kingfisher feathers were a luxury material used on hair ornaments and crowns for thousands of years. The dominant image on each hairpin is a stylized bat with foliate wings outlined in thin silver. Bats are considered auspicious because the word bat is pronounced the same as luck and blessing.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Plaque with a Standing Lion China, Liao dynasty (907-1125) Gilt Bronze L. 8 3/8″ W. 4 7/8″ Purchased with funds provided by the Bessie Timon Endowment Fund 2021.1.2 Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Jenelle Esparza, Continent. Photo: Jenelle Esparza, used with permission.
The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) announced yesterday that it has acquired eight artworks by seven San Antonio-based artists, including Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Jenelle Esparza, Joe Harjo, Jon Lee, Ethel Shipton, Chris Sauter, and Liz Ward. The acquisitions are part of the Museum’s Initiative to Acquire Art by Contemporary San Antonio Artists, which was developed to enhance the Museum’s commitment to support the city’s visual artists by acquiring works for its collection. The artists were chosen with the support of an Advisory Committee comprised of San Antonio-based visual artists, professors, collectors, arts leaders, and Museum staff and Trustees, who have also made recommendations for additional artists whose work could be purchased in the future. The Committee was Co-Chaired by SAMA Trustees Katherine Moore McAllen, PhD, and Dacia Napier, MD. All of the artworks, which include textiles, painting, photography, prints, and sculpture, mark first entries by the artists to SAMA’s collection. The new acquisitions are scheduled to go on view at the Museum in late fall, with more details about the presentation to follow. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Over the past several years, as part of its vision to diversify its collection and best represent its community, SAMA has placed a particular emphasis on acquiring works by artists from San Antonio as well as from across Texas. Recent acquisition announcements have included works by Texas-based artists Ana Fernandez, Kirk Hayes, Earlie Hudnall Jr., Michael Menchaca, Marcelyn McNeil, Daniel Rios Rodriguez, and Liz Trosper. In 2020, SAMA also presented Texas Women: A New History of Abstract Art, which focused on women artists from across the state that have and continue to contribute to the development of abstract art—a subject that previously had not been explored in depth. Artist Liz Ward, whose acquisition was announced today, was among the artists featured in the exhibition.
More details on each of the artist and artworks below:
Jennifer Ling Datchuk (American, born 1980) Enter the Dragon, 2020 Porcelain, ceramic decals from Jingdezhen, China, wood, gold mirrors 65 × 16 × 5 in. (165.1 × 40.6 × 12.7 cm) San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.2
Trained as a ceramicist, Jennifer Ling Datchuk’s practice is grounded in explorations of identity, beauty, and femininity—drawing from her own experience as an Asian American woman. Utilizing found and handmade ceramics and porcelain motifs in her sculptures, installations, performances, and photographs, Datchuk calls attention to both historic and contemporary cultural appropriation, while also blurring the boundaries between craft and fine art. Datchuk was named 2021 Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist by the Texas State Legislature.
Jenelle Esparza (American, born 1985) Continent, 2017 72 × 100 in. (182.9 × 254 cm) Handmade quilt, recycled fabric and clothing, embroidered blocks, batting, cotton blends San Antonio Museum of Art, Gift of Zoe A. Diaz, 2021.8
Jenelle Esparza’s multidisciplinary practice examines the connections between agriculture, gender, race, and bodily experience. Through photography, textiles, and installations, Esparza uncovers the history of cotton farming in South Texas and its principally Mexican American labor force.
Joe Harjo (Muscogee Creek, born 1973) The Only Certain Way: Faith, 2019 24 Pendleton beach towels, 24 custom memorial flag cases 78 × 104 × 4 in. (198.1 × 264.2 × 10.2 cm) San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.3
Joe Harjo is a multidisciplinary artist from the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. His practice redresses the historic erasure of Native American art, culture, and people. Through photography, sculpture, performance, and installation, Harjo explores Native American identity, debunks stereotypes and myths surrounding Indigenous People, and asserts the vibrant, contemporary presence of Native communities.
Jon Lee (American, born South Korea, 1968) O1701, 2017 and O1702, 2017 Woodcut 17 × 12 in. (43.2 × 30.5 cm), each San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.4.1-2
Jon Lee’s woodcuts explore the poetic subtleties of color and line, reinventing traditional printmaking processes and materials. Born in Seoul, he draws on his native Korea’s rich and long history of printmaking, which includes the implementation of moveable type predating Gutenberg’s fifteenth-century printing press. For over ten years, his practice has focused on a traditional Japanese woodcut technique called mokuhanga that he honed during residencies at the Mokuhanga Innovation Lab in Japan, where O1701 and O1702 were printed.
Chris Sauter (American, born 1971) Shape of the Universe, Kandariya Mahadeva, 2013 Cut acrylic mounted photography, Sintra 60 × 30 in. (152.4 × 76.2 cm) San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.5
Chris Sauter is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores connections between biology and culture, science and religion, the personal and the universal, and the past and the present. He often deconstructs materials in order to reconstruct them in new ways that challenge viewers’ perceptions.
Ethel Shipton (American, born 1963) The Valley – RGV, 2021 Archival digital prints on Hahnemühle German Etching Matte paper Series of 6 prints, Edition 1/8 24 × 36 in. (61 × 91.4 cm), each San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.6.a-f
Ethel Shipton is a conceptual artist, who works across painting, installation, printmaking, photography, and text. She grew up in Laredo, TX, and her experience of a fluid US-Mexico border informs her practice, which focuses in particular on place, space, language, time, and movement. Her focus on signage observed along Texas roadways is an ongoing body of photo-based works on paper that began in 2014.
Liz Ward (American, born 1959) Ghosts of the Old Mississippi: Dismal Swamp/Northern Lights, 2015 Watercolor, gesso, silverpoint, pastel, and collage on paper 71 5/8 × 31 7/8 in. (181.9 × 81 cm) San Antonio Museum of Art, Purchased with The Brown Foundation Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and funds provided by Dr. Katherine Moore McAllen, Dr. Dacia Napier, Edward E. (Sonny) Collins III, and The Sheerin Family, 2021.7
Liz Ward’s practice—which includes paintings, drawings, and prints—is informed by natural history and our current environmental crisis. Ghosts of the Old Mississippi, a series of fifteen large-scale drawings, is based on maps of the ancient courses of the Mississippi River and reflects on society’s relationship to the environment.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Bakery Lorraine’s Tobacco Bourbon Macarons. Photo: Halee Holland, used with permission.
With Father’s Day right around the corner, local businesses have special offerings and specials for the big holiday. (Twang, Bakery Lorraine, The Jerk Shack, Hopscotch, EVO Entertainment, La Panaderia, Peeler Farms Wagyu, Lone Star Beer, San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
Twang Twang, the San Antonio based makers of seasonings, beer salts, cocktail mixes and more, is making Father’s Day gifting easy with the creation of its Father’s Day Buckets. The package includes: o Beer Salt Bucket o Beer Salt Bandana o Beer Salt Hat o 2 Beer Salt Pint Glasses o 2 Camo Holster Koozies o 1 Pickle Beer Salt Bottle o 1 Lemon-Lime Beer Salt Bottle o 1 Lime Beer Salt Bottle
The Father’s Day bucket will retail for $29.99 online on Twang’s site while supplies last. Orders over $40 are eligible for free shipping. This is a limited quantity item.
Bakery Lorraine In honor of Father’s Day, Bakery Lorraine will offer Tobacco Bourbon Macarons available only on Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20 at all Bakery Lorraine locations. The Tobacco Bourbon Macaron is made with steeped loose leaf tobacco from Club Humidor that enhances the tobacco flavor. The limited time macarons are available at all Bakery Lorraine locations in Austin and San Antonio. The macarons sell individually for $2.65, in a six pack for $13, or a 12 pack for $26.
The Jerk Shack The Jerk Shack’s family packs are designed to feed groups of six, making them the perfect option for a Father’s Day gathering. Guests can order Jerk Ribs, Jerk Tacos, and Jerk Chicken with shareable sides to feed the group. Orders can be placed prior to Father’s Day as the Jerk Shack will be closed for the holiday. Jerk Ribs with four sharable sides ($55), Jerk Tacos with two sharable sides ($45), Jerk Chicken with three sharable sides ($45)
Hopscotch In celebration of Father’s Day (June 20), Hopscotch is recognizing dads for all their hard work. Dads can use the code PARENTSROCK at checkout to receive 20% off their ticket order for the gallery every Sunday in June. Dads can also enjoy live music from Brass Tacs, complimentary Pop Rocks candy and drink specials on June 20. The 20% off tickets offer is valid on Sundays in June of 2021 only.
EVO Entertainment In honor of Father’s Day on June 20, 2021, EVO will offer 25% off pitchers of beer at EVO’s Schertz, Kyle, and Springtown locations, as well as 25% off bowling games; discount is valid through in-store and online purchase. Offer is valid on Father’s Day only.
La Panadería With a recently opened third location in La Cantera Heights, La Panaderia is serving up brunch all over San Antonio this Father’s Day. Treat dad to a delicious brunch and try one of the quirky new croissants – “The Elvis” made with peanut butter whipped cream, bananas and bacon. The new La Cantera Heights location also serves up boozy coffee and mimosa kits!
Peeler Farms Wagyu Peeler Farms Wagyu offers the finest in local, ethical and delectable Wagyu cuts that are both tender and flavorful. Load dad up with greatest meats for his grill this Father’s Day.
Lone Star Beer: High Desert Days For beer-loving dads, Lone Star Brewing just released the latest in its culture series, High Desert Days. The new beer is meant to celebrate and embody the spirit and taste of Texas’ Big Bend region and is a smooth, wheat-style beer with an ABV of 4.6% brewed in the Hill Country of Austin with the finest ingredients Texas has to offer. The beer is brewed with white wheat and Pilsen malt and then finished with hibiscus and agave nectar. High Desert Days has a unique-to-Texas flavor that provides a crisp and refreshing taste with sweet honey-like notes from the agave and tart, herbal, almost cranberry-like flavor from the hibiscus. Grab a six-pack or two this year by using Lone Star’s beer finder tool on its website.
San Antonio Museum of Art This Father’s Day, treat dad to an annual membership to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). Featuring latest exhibitions such as Movie Metal and America’s Impressionism, there is something for every art lover to enjoy.
San Antonio Museum of Art to launch ‘Museum Market’ in June 2021. Photo: google
The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is excited to announce the launch of Museum Market, a monthly market kicking off Saturday, June 12, 2021. Produced in partnership with the Southtown Market Co., the Museum Market will feature a variety of products from local artists, designers, collectors, bakers, and other local makers. The market will be an ongoing effort held on SAMA’s campus in the Sculpture Garden the second Saturday of each month and will operate from 10a.m. to 3p.m. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
The goal of the Museum Market is to continue to connect the downtown San Antonio and Museum Reach communities with local makers from the Alamo City while supporting small businesses and encouraging market-goers to shop local. Confirmed vendors for the first SAMA Saturday Museum Market include:
• Beesweetology – Local honey • Trinity – Pop art and jewelry • Be Kind Rewind – Unisex vintage clothing • Republic Bakery – Baked goods • Hazel Laine Studio – Pop art apparel • Relyt.co – Health and beauty goods • La Familia Lorenzo – Fine art • Sundown Vintage – Handpicked vintage clothing • Trinket Armor – Gold plated jewelry and hats
“We’ve had great success with our holiday market and we’re delighted to extend it to a year-round market. Our campus has always been a place for our community to get together, and we hope that the market will bring new people to our campus. It’s a great way to enjoy the neighborhood and to spend the day on the Museum Reach.” – Emily Sano, the San Antonio Museum of Art Co-Interim Director.
The Museum Market will offer seasonal items and a rotation of new and ongoing vendors each month. For more information on SAMA’s monthly market, visit SAMA’s website. To apply to participate in the market as a vendor, contact Southtown Market.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Sandra Gonzalez is one of the artists chosen to curate murals for the community mural project. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
As part of the generous grant awarded to the San Antonio Museum of Art by the Art Bridges Foundation this spring, SAMA has selected three local artists to create community murals celebrating the vibrancy and community of the Alamo City. Positioned on San Antonio’s eastside, westside and onsite at SAMA’s campus, the artists will begin creating their works this July and will showcase their completed murals this August. The community is invited to participate in the process through voting this June and sharing their ideas starting this week. The purpose of the initiative is to celebrate the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)
The mural curation project is a joint effort between SAMA’s education department, the San Anto Cultural Arts, and the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum
About the Artists:
Suzy González – Mural Location: San Antonio Museum of Art Campus Suzy is an artist, curator, zinester, educator, and organizer based in San Antonio, Texas. She has had solo exhibits at Presa House Gallery, Hello Studio, Palo Alto College, and two-person exhibits at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the University of Connecticut. Suzy co-publishes the Yes, Ma’am zine, co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, and is half of the collective Dos Mestizx, who recently curated XicanX: New Visions in New York and Texas. She has created public art with the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Street Art Initiative, Centro San Antonio, and the City of San Marcos, and is currently working on a project with the City of Pasadena.
Victor Zarazua – Mural Location: Wicho’s Mexican Deli on the Westside As a practitioner of the Graffiti Art Subculture, Victor started painting at the age of ten. Victor used this medium as an escape from outside influences in his neighborhood and schools. As a youth, he began to appreciate art, what it could do, and where it could lead him to. During high school, Victor found himself looking for like-minded youth and found SACA & SAY Si. Those two programs opened the door further for him to delve further into the arts and the “lowbrow” art movement.
Sandra Gonzalez; Mural Location: Tony G’s on the Eastside (Mural to be created in partnership with Malachy McKinney) Sandra is an active muralist in South Texas and an art educator at Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, who has also participated in numerous art exhibits throughout the U.S. In 2013, Sandra received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Sandra learned about engaging with the community through her work for the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program where she worked for over a year and assisted with various large-scale murals, involving different communities such as inmates, mental health patients, students, and several artists.
From Saturday, June 26, 2021, to Saturday, July 10, 2021, the San Antonio community will have the opportunity to vote on one of three themes designed by each artist to create for each mural location. Those interested in voting may do so by visiting SAMA’s website where a landing page will be available for voting or in-person at SAMA using the onsite voting box; both will be available starting in late June. Each mural will be constructed throughout the summer starting July 12, 2021, and the completion of each will be revealed on Sunday, August 15, 2021. The San Antonio community is also invited to join in a special conversation between the mural artists and committee panel that Sunday.
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains nearly 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the city and the region, and to supporting its creative community.
Art Bridges is a nonprofit arts foundation whose mission is to expand access to American art across the U.S. Founded by arts patron and philanthropist Alice Walton, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art around the country by partnering with institutions of all sizes and in all regions on projects that deeply engage communities via thematic traveling exhibitions, long-term loan sharing collaborations, among additional initiatives.
“Murals have always been a powerful tool to educate and commemorate local histories. By asking for community input and having residents of San Antonio be a part of the mural selection process, we are emphasizing that art is for all and that art can be enjoyed anywhere. Communal relationships are the foundation of any society, so we must continue to build and grow with the people of San Antonio. We hope that the selected businesses continue to be an anchor in their community, and that these murals shine a light on how San Antonio is a beautiful, culturally rich city.” – Yohanna Tesfai, Public Programs Manager for San Antonio Museum of Art.
SA Examiner 