Arts Alive San Antonio

The seventh Texas Biennial, officially opens on Sept. 1, featuring 51 contemporary artists in five venues, four of which are in San Antonio. They include Ruby City, The McNay, Artpace and the San Antonio Museum of Art. Named “A New Landscape, A Possible Horizon,” the huge project is presented by Big Medium and was organized by co-curators and artistic directors Ryan N. Dennis and Evan Garza. It The seems like a great opportunity to see a range of artistic expressions from across the state and beyond. Not all selected artists live in Texas but most have a connection with a Lone Star State.

Ruby City’s biennial exhibit is already installed at the Studio Gallery located inside Chris Park on Camp Street, where the beautiful Ruby City museum is also located. It showcases the work of the following artists: Houstonians Jamal Cyrus and Mitch Stevenson; former Houstonian, Melvin Edwards; Austinite Rene Jackson; London-born Houston resident Ann Johnson, and Sondra Perry from New Jersey. These artists present “new parameters for understanding history, ourselves and each other,” says the press release. We would suggest that after seeing the Studio show, a visit to the red museum will be a complementary experience. There is a lot of great art there! The Biennial’s fifth venue is Fotofest in Houston. (Ruby City, Camp St.,  www.rubycity.org, free; masks required and you must make an appointment in advance.) More on other Biennial venues next week.

Also officially starting in September is FOTOSEPTIEMBRE, the annual San Antonio photography festival, which this year again will be a hybrid event involving both brick-and-mortar galleries and online presentations. Online you’ll find the curated monographs in the SAFOTO Web Galleries, which are anthologies of bodies of work by artists selected by founder Michael Mehl and his crew. Most other exhibits are curated by the various venues themselves. Detailed info on all exhibtions can be found at https://fotoseptiembreusa.com/fotoseptiebre/2021-fotoseptiembre/

The DoSeum, San Antonio’s Children’s museum, hit upon a great idea. For this year’s Artist-in-Residence exhibition, the museum chose a group of artists who make miniature art. The group will work to create the next Christmas exhibit at the DoSeum already named “DoSeum Express: Tiny Trains and Trolleys.”
The selected artists are: Daniel Rivera, Kallie Cheves, Linda Vivenza, Randall Rudd and Robert Wurzbach & Emily Kinder. The exhibit will become a new holiday tradition at the DoSeum, says the press release. It’s scheduled to open on Nov. 6 of this year.

On the performing arts front, there’s good news for fans of musicals. The Woodlawn Theater is following up its successful “On Your Feet” live, in-person production with another one, which will also be REAL theater: Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, opening this weekend. This is a new Broadway adaptation of the classical musical, with “a hilarious and romantic libretto” by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane – and a few new characters – but the familiar, beloved songs are still in there.

Actress Jimmi Nelson-Reid portrays Ella/Cinderella and Joshua Cook is Topher, the prince of the kingdom. And yes, the mean stepmother is in the show, too, and two stepsisters, but the story is tweaked a bit. The show is directed by artistic director Chris Rodriguez with choreography by Kahlee Moore and music direction by Jane Haas. (Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Special performances will take place Sept. 11 at 2 and at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept.16. Woodlawn Theater, 1920, Fredericksburg Rd.; 210-267-8388; info@woodlawntheatre.org; masks are required)

At the Majestic Theater, you can laugh with comedian Daniel Tosh, best known from the Comedy Central show Tosh.O. (Sept. 30; doors open at 6:30 p.m.; Majestic Theater, 224 E. Houston; box office 210-226-3333; info@majesticempite.com)

At the Jump-Start Theater you get another chance to see “Better Butter,” a collection of short plays written and performed by Jump-Start members and friends. The show will be presented both virtually and in-person with limited seating. Since the producers may decide to go with the virtual version only, it makes sense to check out the situation by emailing info@jump-start.org. Jump-Start allows you to choose what you pay. (Aug. 29 at 4 p.m.; 710 Fredericksburg Rd, 78201; tickets at www.junmp.start.org or call 210-227-JUMP.)

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center and songstress Azul Barrientos are offering another live-streamed concert duo Aug. 28-29 on Facebook and YouTube. Don’t miss it. Barrientos is a great vocalist and she adds stories and commentary to her performances. (Aug. 28 at 8 p.m., English version; Aug. 29 at 3 p.m., Spanish version. www.youtube.com/esperanzacenter or www.facebook.com/azulbarrientosmusic)

Another songstress, Austin-based, classically trained, Jenn D’Spain, who was an American Idol finalist, will grace the stage at Sam’s Burger Joint Friday Aug 27. (330 E. Grayson St., 9 p.m.; 210-223-2830; www.samsburgerjoint.com)

Opera San Antonio and Opera Guild of San Antonio will present a solo recital by world-class tenor and San Antonio native, David Portillo, at the McNay Museum, Sunday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. He will be accompanied by pianist Kristin Roach. All proceeds from the go to the Margaret King Stanley Scholarship fund that helps young opera artists develop their careers. ($25, for tickets go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/david-portillo-recital-a-margaret-king-stanley-vocal-scholarship-benefit-tickets-158002631123)

The Tobin Center will host a free Open House, Sunday, Aug 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. The idea is to introduce its upcoming programming and sell tickets for the shows. You’ll receive special open-house discounts with no service fees. Pop-up performances will provide entertainment, and you can take part in tours and contests. (Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 115 Auditorium Circle, 78206; 210-223-8624)

The Centro Cultural Aztlan is offering a special cyanotype workshop with artist Cynthia Jane Trevino, Friday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a blue (Cyan) monochromatic print also known as blueprints. Trevino spent the summer in a residency program in Oaxaca, Mexico, where she was able to experiment with local materials and resources. (Virtual workshop, Aug. 27, 7 p.m. via Facebook and YouTube: www.facebook.com/CentroCulturalAztlan or
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwMXA110JIVCskeaxtjEng)

The literary organization VOICES DE LA LUNA is inviting poets to its September workshop “with Dario” whose full name is Dario R. Beniquez. The topic: Tension in Poetry. Tension is important in all forms of writing, and good writers know how to sustain it. It should be an interesting session. (Sept. 2, 6-8 p.m. via Zoom. To sign up: Voices Workshop Registration Form (google.com)

Say Si has settled into its new digs on S. Brazos and has now teamed up with Our Tomorrow to present “WE ARE NOW: Youth Voices During Challenging Times.” High schoolers are invited to submit their art work for this exhibit, and to spread the word about it. It is hoped that the young artists will offer an artistic perspective on “the worst public health crises in history,” and unrest and injustice in the world These themes must have been decided upon by men. From a female perspective we would like to offer different themes: Caring, Compassion and a Helping Hand. Anyway, the curated exhibit, which may be both online and in-person, is scheduled for December of this year. To submit:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuGreAFIC0LVcfh41BcJX1ImhITJXhos97NHgLgZFidSibXw/viewform. In addition, Say Si is currently seeking new students for its established programs in theater arts, Creative Writing and Media Arts.