Arts Alive San Antonio

This weekend, the San Antonio Museum of Art is opening an interesting and unusual exhibit that features art of Latin American artists of Asian descent. You may be surprised to learn that North America is not the only land of immigrants. A number of countries in South America – Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Argentina, Mexico and others – also have an East Asian diaspora, including descendants of Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Indonesian immigrants.

Called No Ocean Between Us, the new exhibit showcases 65 works of modern and contemporary art by a range of artists, from painters and collage-makers to new-media and installation artists, who hail from ten different countries. In addition to the ones mentioned above, represented countries are Jamaica, Guyana, Panama, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. Also included are American artists who identify as part of these South American communities, such as Guyana-born, Denver-based Suchitra Mattai whose paintings, collages and fiber pieces “question historical narratives and colonialism and reclaim cultural materials.”

No Ocean Between Us was inspired by the permanent collection of the Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States – or OAS AMA – with additional loans from private and public collections. At SAMA, the exhibition was curated by Lucia Abramovich Sanchez, associate curator of Latin American art, and Yinshi Lerman-Tan, acting associate curator of American and European Art. After closing in San Antonio, the show will travel to OAS AMA in June. (Admission to SAMA includes the exhibit, $10-$20, children under 12 free. During free admission hours Tuesday and Sunday, the charge to see this show is $5; A couple of online events, including a lecture, “Why Are There So Many Asians in Latin America and the Caribbean?” are planned in conjunction with the show.; SAMA, 200 W.Jones Ave., 78215; 210-978-8140; www.samueum.org)

The Tobin Center is getting more active every week. Though some shows have been cancelled, Valentine’s Day weekend will be festive thanks to the HeartByrne band from Austin which pays tribute to another famed band, Talking Heads, that many may remember from the 1980s. The show is being promoted as “a must-see touring act featuring vocalist Andrew Harn and some of Austin’s most talented musicians.” If you were a fan of Talking Heads, this one is for you. (Feb. 13; tickets $24.50 – $49.50; Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, 21-=223-8624; tickets@tobincenter.org; social distancing and other safety measures will be enforced.)

The Woodlawn Theater also has special plans for this weekend. Its regular Friday night virtual cabaret will be Celebrating Black Voices this Friday, Feb. 12., with four talented performers – Danielle King, Marie Bunch, Edward Burkley, and Walter Sanders III. Tickets are only $5 per household. To register go to www.woodlawntheatre.org and click on “Experience.” You’ll receive the Zoom link for the stream. But there’s more. On Valentine’s Day itself, the Woodlawn will host an open-air brunch at the Deco Pizzeria on Fredericksburg Rd. with another group of talented performers, and the theater’s artistic director as host. Seating is at tables, and no single tickets will be sold to maintain appropriate social distancing. Given that it’s February, in addition to love, warmth will be supplied by space heaters, and blankets are welcome. (Arrive at 11:30 a.m.; brunch at 12; entertainment and Valentine’s themed silent auction; for details follow the instruction above.)

The Briscoe Museum has a Valentine’s deal for you as well. Called Sips and Sounds of the West the event will take place outdoors in the McNutt Sculpture Garden, with live musical entertainment by singer/songwriter TY Dillon under the stars. Adding a sweet note, each ticket includes chocolate-covered strawberries and a “Pony Express Love Letter calligraphy kit with everything you need to pen a love letter to your valentine.” You can also opt for a virtual version which includes curbside pickup of the calligraphy kit and the sweet treats. The Briscoe is right on the River Walk, so, weather permitting, you may be able to take a walk along the river, before joining the festivities in the sculpture courtyard. (6 – 9 p.m.; tickets $20 for members, $25 general. The latter includes a future admission to the museum to see the collection. A minimum of two tickets must be purchased to ensure social distancing between tables.; 210 W. Market St.; 210-299-4499, www.briscoemuseum.org)

Presa House Gallery will present a free Indie Lens Pop-Up virtual screening of Mr. Soul!  Sunday at 6 p.m. The evening also includes a screening of the short film Birth of the Afrobeat and a performance by San Antonio’s poet laureate, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson & the band Foreign Arm. (For info contact 210-913-5842; email presahousegallery@gmail.com.)

The Magik Theatre wants to remind everyone that its funny, innovative production of Snow White is still available for streaming, as are older shows such as Dragons Love Tacos, Jack and the Beanstalk,
and others. www.magiktheatre.org.

If you haven’t yet seen Ansen Seale’s retrospective exhibit at the San Antonio Art League and Museum, it would be a nice thing to do this weekend. One of the most creative photo artists working today, Seale will challenge your ideas about photography and dazzle you with his images. He will be present at the museum this Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. to engage with visitors. (SAALM, 130 King William St; 210-223-1140; free admission; to learn more read feature article on this site from Jan. 31, 2021.)

VOICES DE LA LUNA literary organization that publishes the eponymous literary magazine, has announced the first H-E-B/Voices de la Luna Annual Poetry Contest for secondary school students 18 and younger. The poems can be in any format and on any subject but there’s limit of 28 lines maximum. Submission deadline is March 15, with the Award Presentation scheduled for April. You can submit up to three poems to poetry@voicesdelaluna.org. You’ll need to include: name, email address, school, grade, age, teacher’s name and teacher’s email address.

And here’s something potentially very useful: The Art of Taxes, a two-part webinar presented by the Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts in tandem with the Austin Music Foundation. The two sessions are scheduled for Feb. 17 and 24 at 6:30 p.m. and both are free to attend. CPAs Kathy Ploch and Lisa Sretenovic will speak and answer questions. Tax time is close! The CPAs will also cover unemployment, PPP loans and other COVID relief payments. Get more information at https://fresharts.org/event/fresf-arts-tala-the-art-of-taxes-webinar-in-two-parts/