Arts Alive San Antonio

The holiday lull is definitely over, and arts organization/presenters are back in full swing!

The San Antonio Philharmonic is starting 2023 with a concert conducted by the Phoenix Symphony music director, Tito Munoz, which will also feature violinist Randall Goosby performing Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, a treasure of the classical repertoire. Also on the program is Beethoven’s Symphony No.4. and Buxtehude’s Chaconne in E Minor, “reimagined in a colorful orchestration by the dean of Mexican composers, Carlos Chavez. (Jan. 13-14 at 7:30 p.m.; First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave.; tickets $30-$65, available at the door and at www.SAphil.org, 210-201-6006)

The SOLI Ensemble will also be offering musical treats, including a brand-new work, “Conflux” by San Antonio-born composer Niccolo Athens. Other contemporary composers included in the program are Gabriela Lena Frank, Bohdana Frolyak, and Shawn Okpebholo, all of whom weave the sounds of their cultural heritages into their contemporary classical works. (Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m., San Antonio Botanical Garden; 555 Funston Place; tickets are $25 for patio seating, $15 for lawn seating. (Bring blanket or lawn chair for the latter.) SABOT grounds open an hour before; 210-536-1400)

And here’s yet another musical treat courtesy Cactus Pear Music Festival:  an afternoon recital featuring the organization’s interim artistic director, Jeffrey Sykes, on piano, and the fest’s founder, Stepahanie Sant’Ambrogio, on violin and viola. This remarkable duo will perform works by Beethoven, Rebecca Clarke and Ethel Smyth. (Jan. 15 at 3 p.m.; Trinity Baptist Church; free but you must register; https://www.cpmf.us)

The Simpatico Percussion Group at UTSA will play “wonderfully uncategorized original compositions that embrace global streams of contemporary styles” Tuesday. (Jan. 17 at 7:30 -11:59 p.m.; UTSA Recital Hall, One UTSA Circle; 210-458-4011; www.music.utsa.edu)

For a different kind of music, the musical “Pretty Woman” is still playing at the Majestic Theater. This musical version is based on the famed movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. (Jan. 13 at 8 p.m.; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 and &:30 p.m. Sunday; Majestic Theater; 224 E. Houston; tickets are $45-$150; www.majesticempire.com)

And for yet another music style – R&B, this time – there’s Fantasia, a singer who came to the attention of the public as a contestant on American Idol. She has continued to prove herself ever since, winning a GRAMMY for her song “Bittersweet” and pursuing a successful solo career. (Jan. 13, at 8 p.m.; Tech Port Arena, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, 210-600-3699; tickets are $40-$100, www.techportcenter.com)

We have mostly ignored the local club scene but a lot of good music happens there. So, from now on, we’ll highlight one of them in every NEWS ROUNDUP. We are starting with the Lonesome Rose that will host an appealing group of performers Sunday: Salim Nourallah, Marty Wilson Piper and his wife Olivia, and Demitasse, consisting of Joe Reyes and Erik Sander. Pop and country, mostly. (7 p.m.; The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St.; $15; 210-455-0233, www.thelonesomerose.com)

A couple of interesting exhibits are opening this weekend: two at Artpace and one at the city-owned Culture Commons Gallery, behind City Hall downtown. Titled “Between Yesterday & Tomorrow: Perspectives from Black Contemporary artists,” the latter features the work of Bernice Appelin-Williams, Kaldric Dow, Kwanzaa Edwards, Anthony Francis, Alain Boris, Deborah Harris, Edward Harris, Paul Hurd, Carmen Cartiness Johnson, and others. These artists explore themes of Black identity, history, family dynamics, spirituality, resilience and personal human experience. Media include drawing, painting, photography, mixed media and digital media, sculpture and quilting. The exhibit was curated by Barbara Felix, Krystal Jones, and some of the artists in the exhibit. (Opens Jan. 19 and will be on view through Nov. 17 of this year; Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza de Armas, 78205; free admission) We’ll tell you more about it after seeing it.

At Artpace, you’ll find a new shows in the upstairs Hudson Showroom, and in the Main Space, which is the gallery facing the street. “Since Last we Met” is a solo exhibit featuring the work of Lordy Rodriguez, an Artpace residency alumnus whose exhibit title refers to his return to Artpace after 22 years. His exbition consists of ink drawings that, at first glance, look like maps. But, if we understand correctly the brief description in the press release, they are maps of his own life, history and memory of this country and culture.

On view in the Main Space is “The Boy” featuring work by San Antonio artist Rudy Herrera. In this exhibit, he explores his ancestry, specifically the men in his family. You’ll encounter a scene depicting several generations of men in the family. The artist sees himself “as an accumulation of all of them,” says the press release, but aren’t we all the products of our families? (Both exhibits open Jan. 12 and continue through April 30, 2023; Artpace, 445 N. Main; parking at 513 N. Flores, free; www.artpace.org)

We also want to mention again the attractive and inventive 3-D exhibit at the San Antonio Art League and Museum, which features works in a wide range of unusual media. (SAALM, 130 King William St., free admission; check hours in the website www.saalm.org, or read our article published last week on this site.)

Speaking of SAALM, the organization has announced a call for Entries for the 93^rd Annual Juried Exhibition, which is open to all Texas-resident artists. All media are acceptable except jewelry and video. The submission period ends on Jan. 31. Submissions should be sent via the online EntryThingy platform. More than $10,000 in monetary awards will be available. (Contact info above)

Things are also lively on our stages. Jump-Start Performance Co.  will start the new year as it usually does – with its lively Performance Party, its 38^th such event. Called OUROBOROS, it will consist of a collection of works performed “In the Round.” The show is produced by Lilith and Sarah Tijerina, and it will be presented “on the dance floor” at the Bonham Exchange. (Jan. 14 at 8 p.m.; Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham; Pay what you want $0 -$25; for ages 18+; www.jump-start.org)

The Overtime Theater has produced a new, original play, “Seeing the Egg-Riss,” written by Jeff & Kurt Wilkinson. We can’t tell you much more about it. (Jan. 13-Feb.4; Fridays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m.; Overtime Theater, 5409 Bandera Rd., #205, 78238; 210-557-7562; $18 http://theovertimetheater.org)

Poetry lovers may want to attend a poetry reading and conversation with poet Gerard Robledo on Saturday. (Jan. 14 at 4 p.m.; the Carver Public Library, 3350 E. Commerce, 210-207-9180. You can reach the poet at gerardrobledo@msn.com

Musical Bridges Around the World invites you for “a behind the scenes look at the cast, crew, musicians and the production process of the upcoming documentary film, “The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music,” produced by MBAW. The exhibition also features graphics from the film. (Following the opening, the exhibit will be on view Jan. 14 – March 31, 2023 by appointment in the MBAW Gallery (23705 Frontage Rd., Suite 101, 78257; 210-464-1534; https://musicalbridges.org)

You have probably heard of Dream Week San Antonio, which has really become Dream Weeks – plural – because so many organizations wanted to participate. One Dream Week program attracted our attention: the screening of “The Loving Story,” a movie about Richard and Mildred Loving, set against the turbulent Civil Rights era. The Lovings were an interracial couple. The screening is organized by the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio. (Jan. 14 at 2 p.m.; a discussion will follow the screening. (The church is at 7150 I-10 Frontage RD., 78213; 210-344-4695, Churchadmin@uusat.org)

No dance events seem to be happening in town but you can engage in some dancing yourself if you take a class at the Third Coast Rhythm Project, a tap-dancing school and performing company. Classes take place on Saturdays Jan. 14 – May 6, for adults of all ages. The organization also presents an international tap festival every summer. (Third Coast Rhythm Project, 1923 Lockhill Selma RD., Suite 101, 78213.
www.thirdcoastrhythm.com)

The Contemporary at Blue Star recently shared some good news with us. The contemporary visual arts nonprofit organization announced that it received a $500,000 grant from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.  The money will be used to grow its youth arts programs, the tech infrastructure and organizational capacity, with a portion of the grant going toward the renovation of the MOSAIC Student Artist Program’s studio and gallery. MOSAIC is the after-school free visual arts program for high school students.