Arts Alive San Antonio

Lots going on at Artpace this month! In addition to the three exhibits by the recently departed summer artists-in-residence (read feature story from July   ), the art center just opened another, very different show, “Slowed and Throwed”: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses,”  an art show inspired by a unique DJ and his music. The DJ in question is DJ Screw, who lived and practiced his art in Houston before he died in 2000 from a lethal drug overdose. He made a name for himself by slowing, layering and otherwise distorting hip-hop tracks in highly original ways, and ended up releasing 350 mixtapes. As his popularity grew, he opened a shop, Screwed Up Records and Tapes, which still exists in Houston though in a different location. There’s also a store in Austin.

The exhibit now on view at Artpace was originally shown at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and a representative from that institution, show curator, Patricia Restrepo, was present at the press preview of the exhibit. The show is divided into two parts – the documentary part about DJ Screw, and the art exhibit proper. The artists included used visual arts practices that are similar in principle to DJ Screw’s technique: lots of image fragmentation and collaged compositions in both 2-D and 3-D;

Included artists are B. Anele, Rabea Ballin, Tay Butler, Jimmy Castillo, Devin Kenny, Liss LaFleur, Ayanna McCloud, Sondra Perry, Charisse Pearlina Weston, and Karen Navarro, who also traveled to San Antonio to participate in the opening events. She also happens to be the creator of two of the most memorable pieces in the show. (July 29-Nov. 21, 2021; Artpace, 445 N. Main Ave., 78205; 210-212-4900, info@artpace.org)

Did you know that Texas has its own big biennial art event, called appropriately, The Texas Biennial. Well, the 2021 version is coming up, and, we are told, that for the first time in its 7-year history the project will be distributed across several museums and two cities. Organized by Big Medium, with 51 artists participating, “A New Landscape, A Possible Horizon” will debut in San Antonio in September in four venues: Ruby City, Artpace, The McNay and the San Antonio Museum of Art. According to earlier announcements, the biennial was supposed to start Aug.1 at Ruby City but the dates have clearly been changed. (Stay tuned! We’ll bring you more news as we gather it.) In Houston, the venue will be Fotofest.

The San Antonio Museum of Art has a new exhibit, “Nature, Power, and Maya Royals,” an exhibition focusing on objects from the Maya Classic Period (AD 250-900) discovered in Belize.  They are being exhibited for the first time, having been recovered from two royal tombs in recent years. Also displayed are vessels from SAMA’s permanent collection. (July 14, 2021 – February 27, 2022; SAMA, 200 W. Jones Ave.,210-978-8140; https://www.samuseum.org)

As usual, there’s a great deal of activity and excitement at the Tobin Center, starting this weekend with Ozz and the Crue, two tributes to celebrated music personages. The first is a tribute to heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, and the second is a tribute to the “Bad Boys of Sleaze,” the Motley Crew. (July 31, $29-$39; tickets@tobincenter.org)

On Aug. 1, the Tobin is showcasing a remarkable musician, the Jimmy-Hendrix-inspired Swedish guitarist, Yngwie Malmsteen, who also draws inspiration from the great classical composers such as Bach, Paganini and Vivaldi. What a combination! Malmsteen has 20 albums to his name. (Aug.1, 7 p.m.; $24.50 – $54.50; tickets@tobincenter.org)

And coming up on Aug. 6-7 is the good old Shen Yun, no explanation necessary.

Conjunto music has long be dominated by men, but women are elbowing their way in. An organization we only recently discovered, the Conjunto Heritage Taller, will showcase these talented girls and ladies, Aug. 7 in their own tardeada. Both Instrumentalists and vocalists will be included, said the organization’s marketing manager, Valeria Alderete. The performers are Veronique Medrano, Crystal N’ Crew, Susan Torres, Christina Valdez and Brenda Martinez, probably the best known among them. (Aug. 7 at 6 p.m.; Dakota East Side Ice House, 433 S. Hackberry St.; free but donations accepted. The Conjunto Heritage Taller is nonprofit organization mostly devoted to teaching young musicians.)

More music and fun will fill the parking lot at Dellview Music this Saturday. That’s the teaching studio and store that we told you about a couple of weeks ago. They call the event the Super Spintacular Vinyl and Art Pop-up, and expect a lot action – record vendors, artists, performances, food, and more. Check it out and support the two musicians who are running the show at Dellview. (July 31, 4-7 p.m.; 122 Latch Drive, 78213; 210-320-1052.)

And if you into reggae, you can enjoy a whole lot of it during the San Antonio Reggae Festival Saturday, at the Rosedale Park Pavilion. The main attraction will be Mighty Mystic, the brother of the Jamaican prime minister, who will perform with his band for the first time in San Antonio. Caribbean food vendors will be on hand, activities for kids, as well as other performers. (2-10 p.m., July 31, Rosedale Park, $20, kids under 12 free; 340-772-9891, www.facebook.com.sanantonioreggaefest)

And one of our favorite Americana troubadours, Garret T. Capps, who penned the song, “Born in San Antone” has now released another tribute to San Antonio titled: “I Love San Antone.” It will be available starting Aug. 20. (He also runs the Lonesome Rose on St. Mary’s St.)

The San Antonio Film Festival is returning to in-person screenings and gatherings Aug. 5-8. The 27^th annual showcase will feature more than 100 films, plus discussion panels with Hollywood insiders, nightly after-parties “and lots of schmoozing.”

“We are returning to our roots,” said SAFILM founder and executive director Adam Rocha. “It’s time to bring back intimate screenings, safely, as we did in the old days, and celebrate our filmmakers who were cheated from showcasing their work to a REAL audience (last year)” All screening will take place at the Radius Center, right across from the Tobin Center. All parties and mixers will be held at the Thompson San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel. To see the fest’s impressive schedule, go to https://safilm.com/2021-schedule/

For a change of pace, you may want to attend a poetry reading, called “A Bouquet for a Summer Afternoon Poetry Reading.” The name alludes to the exhibits currently on view at Bihl Haus Arts titled “Botanical Sensations,” showing the work of a mother-daughter team, Carmen Oliver and Daniela Oliver de Portillo. Our city’s most prominent poetry advocate, Jim La Villa-Havelin, and guest readers, will read poems and prose about flowers, flowering and the natural world. (Aug. 1 at 2 p.m.; Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Rd., free; 210-383-9723; www.bihlhausarts.org)

The Fiber Artists of San Antonio have issued a call for submissions for the fall Annual Fiber Art Exhibition, scheduled this year for Oct. 8 – Nov. 12. The exhibition will be installed at the Kelso Art Center at the University of the Incarnate World, and the juror will be well-known San Antonio artist Sarah Fox. You can submit your entry until Aug. 3. To see details, go to www.fiberartistsofsanantonio.org.

The Classic theater of San Antonio wants you to know that tickets for the upcoming production of “As You Like It” are now on sale. The play will be staged at the Botanical Garden, Sept. 9-26. Seating is limited. www.classictheatre.org

An Interesting Fact: According to fundraising guru, Jim Eskin, San Antonio nonprofits recently received $100 million in unrestricted funding from the former wife of Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, and her current husband Dan Jewett. In the fundraising world “unrestricted funds” are rare and most welcome.