By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor How much do you really know about your parents and grandparents?Yes, you know them as parents and grandparents but their lives are bigger than those roles, and we often forget to ask questions about their childhood, their struggles, challenges and the important moments of their lives. Actress/playwright Anna De Luna decided not to make that common …

The big event this weekend is the San Antonio Film Festival which will take place Aug. 5-8 at the Radius Center downtown. Since last year’s fest had to go online because of COVID-19, this year’s celebration is extra special for all, organizers, filmmakers and audiences. “It’s very fulfilling to be back in-person to celebrate the 27th anniversary of SAFILM,” said …

by JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor What are the priorities of the Arts & Culture Department right now?My priority is equity, in the sense that we want to make sure that art is accessible to everyone but we also want to make sure that San Antonio artists are equitably represented in the art that we promote. We are also working right now …

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 …

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor The summer artists-in-residence have left but the work they created during their two months at Artpace, is now on exhibit at the downtown art center. This summer’s trio included Bogota-born, Paris resident, Ivan Argote, Los Angeles-based Nao Bustamante and San Antonio artist Michel Menchaca. The first exhibit you are likely to see is Argote’s clever, amusing …

BY SUZI CASTELLAW with JASMINA WELLINGHOFF As the winds begin to blow with the promise of a cool shower, I am waiting to meet with Nicolas Valdez under the beautiful Jesse Trevino three-dimensional mosaic of a Mexican votive candle that adorns the Guadalupe Theater on South Brazos.  Valdez is a conjunto musician and playwright who recently premiered his play “Conjunto …

Did you know that there’s a National Day of the Cowboy? Neither did we but, yes, there’s one and this year it falls on July 24. Not every state has officially adopted a special day to remember and celebrate the cowboy legacy but Texas has, and the Briscoe Museum, here in San Antonio, is ready to celebrate. And you are …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor Millions of Americans have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 but there’s still some distance to go to get to that herd immunity level that would help us return to normal life. Here in San Antonio, 1,028,077 people or 61.9 % are fully vaccinated, according to Metro Health data. If the individuals who have received only one …

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor When Opera San Antonio (OSA) staged a live, in-person production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” in May, it became the first opera company in Texas to return to live, theater performances in the state. OSA’s general and artistic director, E. Loren Meeker, attributed that auspicious development to the unique venue where the opera was performed, namely, the …

The Cactus Pear Music Festival continues this weekend but the concerts are moving online. Friday’s event, Beethoven & the Belgians, will feature music by Beethoven, Auerbach, Stravinsky and Frank. So, who are “The Belgians”? You may ask. They are a duo of performing musicians known as the DeMaeyer-Kende Duo. This will be followed Saturday by “American Classics,” an evening-long showcase …