Arts Alive San Antonio

Now that the holidays are behind us, things are starting to return to normal even though there are new COVID-related concerns due to the newest version of the virus. Some events have already been canceled and others have been delayed. For instance, Musical Bridges Around the World has postponed two events scheduled for Jan. 8 & 16, while the Woodlawn Theater delayed the start of its season until early March.

But there will be music!

SOLI Chamber Ensemble is returning to the Music from St. Mark’s series this Sunday with a program featuring works by Aaron Kernis, Astor Piazzola, Carlos Simon, Chick Corea, Arvo Part, Gabriela Ortiz and Scott Ordway. SOLI is devoted to music by contemporary composers and these names prove it. With the exception of Piazzola, all are alive and well, as far as we know. Most are Americans, winners of multiple awards and honors, but Ortiz is a Mexican composer and Music educator, and Arvo Part is Estonian and a widely popular composer of classical and sacred music. It’s a powerful program. (Jan. 9 at 5 p.m.; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church,315 E. Pecan Street, 78205; free admission; www.solichamberensemble.com)

San Antonio’s other well-known chamber ensemble, Camerata San Antonio, will also be busy in the upcoming days. Their “Innocence Lost,” concert, featuring string quartets by Schubert and Shostakovich, will be performed three times this weekend at three different locations. This group is making sure that people living in different parts of the city and the wider area, all get a chance to hear some quality music making. (First performance: Jan. 7 at 4 p.m.; First Presbyterian Church in Kerville/ Second performance: Jan. 8 at 3 p.m.; Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit in NW San Antonio, close to the Bandera and 1604 intersection/ Third performance: Jan. 9 at 3 p.m., University of the Incarnate Word at Broadway and Hildebrandt; tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/camerata-san-antonio-34162790191)

The Little Carver Intimate Series will be offering something different: MC2 and the S.O.U.L., a hip-hop /jazz/soul/rock band, where the second part of the name stands for “Sounds of Universal Love.” “Their music highlights social and socio-political matters, while having fun and maintaining an uplifting and positive energy.” (Jan. 8 at 8 p.m.; Carver Community Cultural Center, Little Carver; 226 N. Hackberry; tickets $24; the show is presented cabaret style with the audience seated at tables; 210-207-7211, www.thecarver.org)

And a band that hardly needs an introduction, Pink Martini, will be on stage at the Tobin Center, with lead singer China Forbes. This remarkable orchestra, founded in 1994, is “a rollicking around the world musical adventure,” said band leader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale, who founded the group. Inspired by many genres and musical cultures, they sing in 22 languages, tour and perform all over the globe. In 2014, Pink Martini was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, as well as into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. (Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, tickets $36.50 – $85 at tickets@tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624)

The theater front is still fairly quiet but Jump-Start Performance Co. is ready for its annual Performance Party, a January tradition started 37 years ago. This time, it will be a virtual collection of “local, national and international works.” (Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.; pay-what-you-can; 210-227-JUMP, www.jump-start.org)

The Public Theater of San Antonio is getting ready to open its first 2022 production next weekend: “35MM: A Musical Exhibition.” We’ll tell you more next week.

And there’s big news from The Overtime Theater: a new artistic director. He is Jade Esteban Estrada, who will step into his new role on Monday, Jan. 10. He is no stranger here in San Antonio nor at the Overtime. He has directed, produced and performed in several plays and musicals at the Overtime, and has a vast experience as performer, choreographer, comedian, director and artistic director. “Jade Esteban Estrada is what the Overtime Theater is all about,” said managing director Nicole Erwin. “He’s original…  I’ve always admired how he’s navigated his career as a creative artist who’s charted his own course… He makes bold choices and he’s not afraid of trying new and different things. We feel Jade is a perfect fit for us because he embodies our mission.”

There’s news on the public art front as well. ”Spheres of Reflection” is the latest large sculpture to be placed outdoors in a public place for everyone to see. The work of artist Kaldric Dow, the piece is paying homage to the African American culture,” says the press release from the city’s Arts and Culture Department. The sculpture consists of an unusually constructed face, topped by a tower of black, reflective spheres representing hair. We have only seen a photo so far, but we can tell you that the work is truly original and it is a brand-new piece. The 17-foot sculpture is located in Martin Luther King Park at 3503 Martin Luther King Dr., 78220.

It’s DreamWeek time in San Antonio, and many of the events have an arts-related component. Opening Jan. 13 is “Who is Swerv O Harold? an art exhibition of works by Shawn Erwin at the Carver Center. He uses minimalist imagery, rendered in acrylics, ink or spray paint, to express his ideas. This exhibit will stay open through Jan 30. But check out the list of events at www.dreamweek.org/events/

BTW, the postponed opening at the MBAW Gallery is “The Quilt” a behind-the scenes photography of the cast, crew and musicians working on the upcoming MBAW film, “The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music.” Contact MBAW for new date; www.musicalbridges.org. The actual film will be released later in the year.

At the Briscoe Museum, you can see “The Art of the Rodeo: Student Western Art Competition Exhibit” featuring the ten winning entries in the 2022 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s Western Art Competition. Each work showcases an appreciation of the western heritage. You can see the exhibit during regular museum hours. The exhibition closes Feb. 5. The museum’s current exhibit, the first of its kind in the U.S. – “Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo” will be closing Jan. 22-23, so this is the perfect time to see it before it’s gone. (Briscoe Museum, 210 W. Market St., 210-299-4499, www.briscoemuseum.org)

The San Antonio Art League and Museum is inviting artists to enter their work for the 92^nd Annual SAALM Juried Art Exhibition. More than $10,000 in monetary awards will be available, making this one
of the more popular exhibitions in the state. All Texas-resident artists, working in all mediums can enter, with the exception of video and jewelry artists. The entry period ends Jan. 30, 2022. For more info: https://www.saalm.org/92.html.

And speaking of entries, CineFestival San Antonio has also issued a call for entries. This is the nation’s original and longest-running Hispanic film showcase, which will, once again, be presented by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center this summer. Deadline for entries is April 1, 2022 and the “late deadline” is April 22. For more info and to submit a film, go to https://filmfreeway.com/43CineFestivalSanAntonio.

In connection with the above-mentioned DreamWeek, a virtual poetry reading is scheduled for Jan, 11, hosted by the current San Antonio poet laureate, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. Local poets and students used art works from the San Antonio Museum of Art as inspiration. (Jan. 11 at 6 p.m.; pay-what-you-wish; To register and enjoy the reading, go to www.samuseum.org/programa-events)

For those who would like to sharpen their dance skills, two studios/companies are starting new classes this month. Third Coast Rhythm Project is offering tap dancing classes in-person, online and on demand. Sessions last five weeks. Third Coast has been around for a long time, led by Barbara Phillips, the queen of tap dancing in San Antonio. The organization also produces a summer festival. Contact them at info@thirdcoastrhythm.com.

The other dance studio/company is Karavan Studio, that specializes in bellydancing as an art form. Many San Antonio women have embraced bellydancing as their favorite exercise but the group also performs and develops original choreographies. Led by Karen Barbee Atkinson, the company also produces stage shows. (Karavan Studio, 331 W. Mulberry Ave., 78212; 210-232-3035; www.karavanstudio.com)