Arts Alive San Antonio

We can all use some laughter these days and there’s probably no better person to make you laugh than actor/playwright Jaston Williams, he of the Greater Tuna fame. His new one-man show, “I Saw the Lights” will be streamed tomorrow, Jan. 29 by the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. The “lights” are those of mysterious UFOs that Lubbock residents saw in the sky in 1951. People wondered whether it was an invasion by the Russians, a governmental plot, or aliens from space coming “to abduct Francine Whitharrel’s Persian cat.” Williams portrays nine local characters, including a handyman, a cowboy, a clergyman, a former hippie and a beautician. Though the show is, of course, funny, in an interview, Williams explained that it is not a satire. It’s about “the frailty and humanity of people,” he said.
(Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.; tickets $25-$35, www.tobincenter.org/box-office)

Friends of the Classic and SA native, Neil Redfield will present PIM’s Metamorphoses, a live digital performance starting Jan. 28 and continuing through Jan. 31. “A modern epic poem,” it’s a solo show dealing with self-discovery, “morphing through the myths of Ovid’s Metamorphosis.” Written and performed by Redfield. (Through Jan. 31, 8 p.m.; suggested donation $12; for tickets go to PIM’S METAMORPHOSES Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite.)

You have probably heard about Ruby City, the handsome new museum that houses the contemporary art collection of the late Linda Pace who founded Artpace. But few people have actually seen the museum located on Camp St. just south of downtown because the pandemic closed its doors soon after the inaugural opening. So, we were pleasantly surprised to hear from them. No, there’s no reopening yet, but the Ruby City has created an interactive Public Art Scavenger Hunt. From reading this publication, you already know that San Antonio is home to numerous public art works and installations in the parks, on the River Walk and elsewhere downtown, and throughout the urban area. The hunt “will give participants an opportunity to get out and safely explore their city and its contemporary cultural scene,” says the announcement, and we agree. It’s fun thing to do. The hunt concludes Jan. 29. You can submit the images of your discoveries to info@rubycity.org or on Instagram @RubyCity. On Jan.30, four winners will be randomly chosen to receive prizes from local businesses. (More about upcoming exhibits at Ruby City next week.)

ArtPace, the first institution created by Linda Pace, which, BTW, is a completely separate nonprofit, has announced its new group of international artists-in-residence who will work on new projects from Jan. 25 to March 22 of this year. They are: Adrian Aguilera, from Austin, Nazafarin Lotfi, from Iran but living in Tucson, AZ, and Angel Nevarez & Valerie Tevere from Brooklyn, New York. To learn more about these artists visit www.artpace.org.  Their San Antonio-produced work will be exhibited at Artpace March 18 – May 9, 2021. Whether you’ll be able to view the exhibits in-person or only virtually will depend on the state of the pandemic. 

More good news in the visual arts: The Carver Community Cultural Center is presenting a much-awaited exhibit “The Glorious Way She Moves – Black Venus,” a new body of work by contemporary figurative artist Barbara Felix. The dynamic, multi-image portraits show the artist’s passion for dance “inviting viewers to embrace and celebrate the inherent beauty of black women.” Dynamic, indeed! Judging from the images we saw, Felix is a master at capturing vibrant movement. Installed in the Carver’s spacious lobby, the show can be seen both virtually and in-person. (The Carver, 226 N. Hackberry; 210-207-7211; https://thecarver.org/gallery/)

And more: Art Gallery Prudencia is opening a new show, featuring three artists – Joseph Hammer, Kevin Kotara and Bob Reisen. The opening reception is scheduled for Jan. 30, 1-4 p.m. (2518 N. Main Ave., 210-422-8681, www.prudenciagallery.com)

Well-known San Antonio musician Ruben V will take the stage at Sam’s Burger Joint, Friday, Jan. 29, for what’s likely to be an eclectic show of different styles that he’s known for. He has released eight solo albums and performs about 120 shows a year. He will be followed Saturday night by Texas singer/songwriter Cas Haley whose song “Every Road I am On” became the winner of the recent Lincoln “Chart your Course” competition and aired during the broadcast of the 2020 Grammy Awards. (Doors open at 7:30, shows start at 8 p.m. both nights. Adults only; limited capacity due to social distancing requirements. Tickets at www.eventbrite.com. You can also go on the venue’s site and follow the steps to buy tickets. Sam’s Burger Joint is located at 330 E. Grayson)

The city’s Department of Arts & Culture and its Film Commission division sent a press release announcing that San Antonio had been named one of MovieMaker’s Best Places to Live and Work as a moviemaker in 2021. This is San Antonio’s third consecutive appearance on that list. What happened to Hollywood? You may ask.

No, we are not competing with the cinematic mecca in California. What San Antonio provides is inviting locations, free film permits for city-owned property, and production support. In addition, the magazine considered San Antonio’s response to the pandemic as part of the evaluation process. San Antonio experienced an increase in the number of days film crews filmed in the city, with 342 in 2019 and 348 in 2020. Congratulations to the Film Commission! You can find the list of films filmed in our city, on the commission’s site: https://www.filmsanantonio.com.

The Josiah Media Festival Award Celebration will take place Jan.29-31, hosted by the festival organizer URBAN-15. The organizer received 2,270 films from young filmmakers from the U.S. and many other countries. The winning films and interviews with the filmmakers will be streamed; https://urban15.org/live-stream.

The literary organization, Voices de la Luna, is offering the “Elements of Poetry” virtual workshop Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m. This one will focus on “the poetic line.” All Voices workshops are free but donations are welcome. Voices Workshop Registration Form (google.com)