Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

The Luminaria Artist Foundation has just announced the winners of its annual grant program which awards funds to individual artists for the creation or completion of new original work in their discipline. The grants are given in three categories: Literary Arts, Visual Arts and Performing Arts, from moneys provided by the City of San Antonio, prominent sponsors and numerous individual donors. The lucky seven have been selected from a field of 84 applicants.

“I was blown away by the breadth, depth, diversity and vision of the artistic talent in San Antonio,” said one of the judges, author TaRessa Stovall, in a statement. “The applicants represented very high levels of expertise, and deep passion for challenging creative norms to create art that resonates and nurtures a sense of community.” Other judges offered similar accolades. Visual artist Kim Bishop, who is from here, was equally impressed. “… I am so proud that San Antonio is my home,” she said. “We are making art history in the present.”

From a total grant budget of $54,000, three artists – each representing one of the categories – received $10,000 grants, while the other four received grants of $6,000. All projects must be completed by March 2022. In addition, 15 other artists got Professional Development grants in the amount of $500 to fund expenses related to their work, things like workshops and conferences as well as equipment and production services. These smaller grants were funded exclusively by the city’s Arts & Culture Department.

Asked if there’s any discernible common theme in the submissions, such as, perhaps, coping with the pandemic, Luminaria’s executive director, Yadhira Lozano, explained that the only common trait is not thematic but rather a need to reach the culmination of their work, the fulfillment of their vision/dream.

One example is filmmaker Justin Rodriguez who received a $6,000 grant to produce a short film titled “The Art of Dying” for which he wrote the script and composed the music. He will also serve as the film’s director. The grant will allow him to hire a cast and crew to help him realize his vision.

“I am very excited to have a team and to be able to pay them,” said Rodriguez who also received an earlier grant from the city for work on another project. He’s grateful for the support.  “The Art of Dying” will be a 15-minute movie featuring an ex-military American who finds himself in the middle of dangerous goings-on during the Sandinistas-Contras fighting. Rodriguez sees the short film as a “proof of concept” that will lead to a full-length feature film.   

Another happy recipient is Adriana M. Garcia whose project, “Hazanas por don Fito” is based on the recordings of a carpero or tent performer, who, back in the 1930s, traveled throughout Texas and the Southwest to entertain barrio residents with vaudeville-like shows. The performer was the artist’s grandfather, Rodolfo Garcia, who left behind a treasure trove of recordings. His granddaughter will use the Luminaria funding to create an augmented reality artwork that will include carpero imagery and sound bits of Rodolfo’s performances.

“I am so surprised, excited and honored to receive the Luminaria grant,” said the artist. “It will allow me to expand my capabilities by learning a new technology that will create art that comes off the page.” And you’ll not need goggles to view it, she said, just your phone and a downloadable app.

Here is the list of the winners:

Jeremy Kingg ($10,000; Performing Arts) Musician
Eddie Vega ($10,000; Literary Arts) Poet, spoken word artist, storyteller
Guillermina Zabala ($10, 000; Visual Arts) Multidisciplinary artist
Adriana Garcia ($6,000; Open Category) Visual artist, muralist and illustrator
Justin Rodriguez ($6,000;Open Category) Filmmaker, composer, scriptwriter
Marisela Barrera ($6,000; Contemporary Art) Tejana writer, performer, director and educator
DeAnna Brown ($6,000; Contemporary Art) Actress, producer, founder of the San Antonio Black Film Festival

In addition to city support, the grant program is also supported by Rick Liberto; Kay & Scott Armstrong in honor of Kathy Armstrong (former Luminaria executive director); The Lifshutz Foundation; Patricia Pratchett (one of the founders of the original Artist Foundation of San Antonio); Guillermo Nicolas in honor of his mother Irma Cortez Nicolas, and other donors.