Arts Alive San Antonio

A couple of weeks ago, San Antonio’s premier performing arts venue, the Tobin Center, came back to life with a thoughtfully and attractively presented concert by the Agarita Chamber Players and their artistic guests. It was a delightful concert performed in front of the first in-hall audience since the venue was forced to close March 13.

And now it looks like more shows will be gracing the Tobin’s stage in the near future and in the fall.  “We never do wholesale cancellations,” said CEO, Mike Fresher, “we reschedule events. That’s why we now have a robust schedule for the September through December period. We’ll get progressively busier as the year progresses.”

But he is well aware of the uncertainty that’s built into all plan-making these days. “I say to my staff, ‘This is the plan as of 2:09 on June 25. At 2:15, something may change.”

One big advantage that the Tobin’s H-E-B hall has is that seats, in fact, entire rows of seats, can be made to disappear under the floor at a push of a button, thus making social distancing a relatively easy proposition. Only 350 people were actually in the auditorium for the Agarita concert in a hall that can seat 1,746. However, the number can be adjusted as needed if the restrictions loosen up.

Not much is scheduled for July except free movie nights and fitness events on “Will’s Plaza,” the open-air plaza on the River Walk. The Disney Pixar film “Inside Out” will be screened in the H-E-B Hall July 10 for an audience of 350 people. It’s free but tickets are recommended. (tickets@tobincenter.org)

As of now, two events are on the August calendar: the Alan Parsons Live Project” on the 11^th and “National Geographic Live: The Search for Life Beyond Earth” on the 16^th.  And then, come September, the legendary British rocker Peter Noone and his Herman’s Hermits will return to the Tobin Sept. 19^th. Noone hardly needs an introduction, having sold some 60 million records and launched huge hits like “I’m Henry VIII” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.” Tickets for all of the above can be purchased online, by phone at 210-223-8624 or at the box office (100 Auditorium Circle)

The McNay Art Museum has finally decided to join the other San Antonio museums by reopening its doors to the general public this weekend, but, like the others, with new safety protocols in place. All the exhibits that were already installed before the pandemic are still in place, which is a good thing. Now more people will get a chance to see the 2020 CAM Perennial Exhibition “Topographies of Truth,” as well as “Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday,” the first large-scale show of fashion design and video art at the venerable art museum. The latter features fashions from the 1990s created by such designers as Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, Tom Ford, Jean Paul Gautier, Dior and other big names of the period. Some outfits are paired with artworks that feature similar aesthetic qualities.  It’s a must for fashion aficionados.

But there’s a lot more. Fans of the late Tejano super star Selena, will have the opportunity to see huge portraits of the beloved singer in photographs taken by John Dyer shown in the Octagon Gallery. In addition, you’ll find an exhibit focusing on Robert L.B. Tobin, a man who had supported the arts throughout his life and who donated his collection of theatrical design artwork to the McNay – a rare, beautiful collection. But before you get to any of those, you’ll encounter Aaron Curry’s very contemporary work in the lobby. Don’t just walk by. The few pieces shown plus the back wall deserve your attention. One exhibit we have not seen is Matisse’s Jazz but it’s safe to say that anything by Matisse is, well, recommended.

A very different visual arts event is SAY SI’s Small Scale Works Auction which has gone virtual this year. Final day to bid is Friday, June 26. Friday night, during Final Bid Night Live, a hosted event featuring artists’ videos, is your last chance. Bidding ends at 8 p.m. Choice is huge – 171 pieces – and the initial bids are fairly low, so you may have a good chance of winning an original work by a recognized San Antonio artist. All works are donated by the artists to support SAY Si’s mission. www.saysi.org

At the Woodlawn Theater, they are continuing their Friday movie screenings with “Dreamgirls” starring Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson. All seats are $10 and tickets must be bought online. www.woodlawntheatre.org.

And here’s something interesting for the literary-minded folks. The literary organization, VOICES DE LA LUNA, is organizing a zoom-hosted writing workshop & open mic session called “The Prometheus Myth & the Pandemic.” Interested? We are! Workshop leader Jim Brandenburg will look at the myth and the pandemic we are in today, says the announcement. If you sign up, you’ll get the story of Prometheus in advance to read before the workshop. Participants will then be given a writing assignment during the workshop using prompts supplied by Brandenburg. (June 30, 6-8 p.m.) To attend email Carla at carlaleedpineda@gmail.com

YOSA, the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio is “playing on” all through the summer. There’s a lot to see and enjoy on their website, but here’s something special: tonight at 7 p.m., you can watch a virtual performance by clarinetist Anthony McGill, the first African-American principal player with the New York Philharmonic, and pianist Anna Polonsky, as they “celebrate the diversity of the Americas, from the pioneering black composer Florence Price to the Argentine folk-inspired work of Carlos Guastavino and Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3aF75Zu40g&feature=youtu.be