NEWS ROUNDUP, Feb. 19, 2021
After a week of freezing weather and prolonged power shortages, it’s not surprising that a number of events got cancelled or postponed. But it seems that the San Antonio Symphony will play live at the Tobin tonight and tomorrow. We did not get a cancellation notice. Conducted by Michael Christie, the classical concert will feature music of Haydn, Debussy and Schoenberg. And why not!? The snow is melting, the sun is high in the sky, and things appear to be returning to a more tolerable level. The music starts at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow, March 20. (Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle; 210-223-8624, tickets@tobincenter.org)
There will be some live music at the iconic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels this weekend despite a couple of cancellations. A free show of Texas music by Bo Phillips is scheduled for Saturday, 1-5 p.m., to be followed on Sunday by the Andrea Magee Band, 12-3 p.m., also a free show. The group plays roots/folk music. And following that, Brian Pounds Band will entertain with Americana tunes from 4:30 to 8 p.m. (Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels; 830- 606-1281, mail@gruenetexas.com; www.gruenehall.com)
For opera lovers, here’s a real treat, though a virtual one: The Fort Worth Opera is presenting “A Night of Black Excellence – Past, Present and Future,” via a livestream, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. An online Meet & Greet will precede the showat 1:15 p.m. Big opera stars such as Nicole Heaston, Latonia Moore, Kenneth Overton, Karen Slack and Kevin Thompson are all part of the presentation. In addition, the program includes the Bandan Koro African Drum & Dance Ensemble, the Mondo Drummers, and Amphibian:Tad-Poles Stilt Walkers. The benefit concert is directed by Sheran Goodspeed Keyton, the FWO’s manager of education & community engagement, and produced by Charles Bush, founder of Appointed Productions. (Tickets are: $25- $40; VIP $80; 817-731-0726, bocoffice@fwopera.org) We thank Opera San Antonio for letting us know about this event. You can visit OSA’s site at www.operasa.org.)
Most San Antonians will be pleased to learn that Jaston Williams’ new solo show, “I Saw the Lights” will be restreamed by the Tobin Center Feb. 26. To read more about the show, see NEWS ROUNDUP from January 28. Virtual event tickets are still just $25. For how to buy tickets refer to top item on this page.
There’s certainly a lot going on the visual arts front. You have only a few weeks left to see the unique Ansen Seale show at the San Antonio Art League and Museum. Don’t miss it; access is free. (To learn more about Seale and his highly original work, see feature article from Jan. 31: Ansen Seale is SAALM Artist of the Tear on this site.)
SAALM is also getting ready for its 91st Juried Artists Exhibition and is issuing a call for entries, from both members and non-members. For more, go to www.saalm.org/91.html
The new exhibit at the San Antonio Museum of Art, “No Ocean Between Us,” also sounds like a must-see. We wrote more about it in last week’s NEWS ROUNDUP and we will explore it in-person next week.
Ruiz-Healy Art has moved the opening of its new exhibit, “Plurality of Isolations” to Feb. 24. Featured artists are: Jesse Amado, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Jenelle Esparza, RF Alvarez, Barbara Minarro, Cecilia Paredes, Ethel Shipton and Carlos Rosales-Silva. Wow! That’s quite a group! (201-A E. Olmos Dr., 78212; 210-804-2219, or email to info@ruizhealyart.com)
Other events and Valentine’s celebrations were also cancelled last weekend, including the Woodlawn Theater’s “Can You Feel the Love” brunch which was supposed to take place on the Deco Pizzeria’s patio last Sunday. The event has been moved to Feb. 28 at 12, noon. Your tickets will be honored. The theater has also rescheduled another event, “Cheers to Cole Porter” for March 31 at 7 p.m. However, the Woodlawn Theatre Academy is resuming both virtual and in-person dance classes beginning Monday, Feb. 21. www.woodlawntheatre.org.
And there are optimistic announcements from several organizations, including the Cactus Pear Music Festival and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. “We’re Back & We Are Live,” said CPMF press release announcing the fest’s 25th festival, planned for July 8-25 of this year. The first week of the festival will consist of live, in-person concerts, while week 2 concerts will be virtual. All concerts will also be available online. More info will be coming in as we get closer to July. GCAC is also looking forward to July when it plans to present its respected CineFestival, the longest running Latino film fest in the country. Right now, it’s inviting moviemakers to submit their entries.
The 42nd showcase will focus on Chicano, Latino and Native American cinema, with an emphasis on Texas-related films. Depending on the circumstances in July, the event will likely be held as a mix of virtual and live screenings. For more info send email to cine@guadalupeculturalarts.org.(Submission deadline is April 2, 2021, with late entries accepted until April 16. Entry fees are $10-$15. Festival dates July-8-11, 2021).
A few months ago, a number of San Antonio arts institutions joined forces to kickstart the CAUSA Initiative: Culture and Arts United for San Antonio. Their present goal is to raise awareness of the impact of the arts on the economy and quality of life in the city. It’s hardly a secret that performing arts companies have been hit the hardest and some are worried that they may not survive this prolonged crisis. Ultimately CAUSA would like to find new ways to fund the arts, and its leaders hope to reach civic, business and “thought leaders” of the city to discuss these issues. If any of you reading this, care about a particular arts organization, now it a good time to step forward and help.
And here’s something that may help some arts nonprofits: Eskin Fundraising Training is offering a series of free webinars aimed at helping nonprofit boards become better fundraisers. The next one is on March 3 and addresses the question that may be on the minds of nonprofit leaders: What Do We Do About Fall 2021 Galas? To see the list of upcoming webinars visit www.eskinfundraisintraining.com.
Now, click on this video to listen to a great aria sung by soprano Latonia Moore: www.youtube.com/watch?v=083b39SdF_4