Arts Alive San Antonio

So, here we are, in 2021, hoping for a happier, healthier new year!
The arts scene is just regaining momentum after the post-Christmas lull but there are some fun choices despite all the gloomy news about the pandemic and other things.

Let’s start with live in-person events. The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is presenting a show featuring the talented singer/guitarist Charlie Starr, the lead vocalist of the Blackberry Smoke band. The Alabama native was described as having “the most gloriously southern voice this side of 1977,” a voice – and guitar – that are as comfortable in a number of genres, from bluegrass to punk. Guitarist Benji Shanks is also part of the show. (Jan. 8, 8 p.m.; tickets $29.5- – $49.50; 210-223-8624, tickets@tobincenter.org.)

Also live are shows at the Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy Club where comedian Tony Hinchcliffe is holding court this weekend, Friday and Saturday. For many, he hardly needs an introduction but he made his mark as a comedian with the 2016 “One Shot” special on Netflix. He currently has his own weekly show and podcast, “Kill Tony,” which has more than one million downloads a month. (Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.; Jan. 9 at 7 & 9:30 p.m.; 618, NW Loop 410; 210-541-8805, www.improvtx.com)

You can hear live music in a more intimate setting at Krause’s Café in New Braunfels, where the Dirty River Jazz Band will perform New Orleans-type jazz Jan. 8, starting at 6 p.m., to be followed by singer/guitarist, Don Lovato, Jan.9 at 2:30 p.m. His music is a mixture of classic rock, blues-rock and modern rock styles. (Krause’s Café, 148 S. Castell Ave., 830-625-2807, www.krausescafe.com)

For a different kind of music, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church downtown- long known for the excellence of its music programs – will present a virtual concert showcasing the works of Brahms and Grieg on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. Featured soloists are pianist Daniel Anastasio and violinist Sarah Silver Manzke, both members of the Agarita Chamber Players Ensemble. The concert can be watched at www.stmarks-sa.org and on St. Mark’s Facebook page.

And there will be a lot of music during Jump-Start Performance Company’s 36^th annual Performance Party Saturday, but that will be a Zoom event. “Untraditionally traditional,” the party will feature performances by former company members and guest artists from their “far-flung” locations, as well as new works by current company members and guest artists, here in San Antonio. It all starts with a pre-show showcasing favorite local musicians and a “blessing” of the virtual space by Jesse Borrego. Included in the lineup are: flamenco vocalist Chayito Champion, theater artists Anna De Luna, Eduardo Garza and Ruby Nelda Perez, plus out-of-town guests Erik Bosse, Rodney Garza, Katherine Griffith, Jose Torres Tama, Scott Turner Schofield and Kristina Wong.

A tribute to long-time company member, S.T. Shimi, who recently died in an accident, will also be part of the event.

Since its founding, Jump-Start has explored non-traditional approaches to performance and has nurtured many experimental artists.

The show will conclude with a dance party. (Remember, it’s virtual, so you’ll be dancing in your home.) (Jan. 9 at 8 p.m.; you can choose what you want to pay for admission, from $5 to $20; A Zoom link will be emailed to you after you purchase tickets at www.jump-start.org; for info call 210-227-5867)

On the visual arts front, Artpace has just opened a new online exhibit, After Carolee: Tender and Fierce, guest-curated by Annette DiMeo Carlozzi. Installed in the Hudson Showroom, it’s a show of new and recent works by 14 women with Texas ties “whose art can be seen in vibrant, expansive dialogue with former Artpace resident Carolee Schneemann’s artistic legacy.” Artpace is currently closed for in-person visits but online viewing is accessible to all.

The Centro Aztlan virtual holiday exhibit celebrating La Virgen de Guadalupe will be closing tomorrow Jan. 8 at midnight. In addition to paintings in various media, the show features jewelry and mixed-media art. (Call 210-432-1896 for info; www.centroaztlan.org)

The City of San Antonio supports and actively encourages public art projects. On Jan. 12, there will be a virtual session, Ask a Public Artist Virtual Panel Discussion, at 5:30 p.m. It’s an opportunity for artists who may be interested in public art to learn about the process of applying from colleagues who have actually completed public art projects. Panelists include: Mari Hernandez, Leticia Huerta, Cade Bradshaw and Ashley Mireles. To deadline to apply is Jan. 18. For more info and to register for the discussion go to www.getcreativesanantonio.com

In addition, the San Antonio Film Commission is issuing a call for young filmmakers, ages 14-21, to submit entries for the 2021 #FilmSA Contest. The contest “is devoted to telling the story of the people, places and shared experiences that make San Antonio a vibrant and celebrated city…” Deadline March 8, 2021. This year’s theme is “New Beginnings, New Vision, New City.” https://www.filmsanantonio.com/News-Events-Contests

The Briscoe Museum wants to remind the public that there are only two weeks left to see the unique exhibit “Visual Voices,” the first ever touring show of Chickasaw contemporary art. But there’s a lot more to experience and see at this River Walk museum devoted to Western Art and the Western experience. We will tell you more about upcoming events there in subsequent news reports. The museum is open for in-person visits at a lower capacity with health protocols in place. www.briscoemuseum.org.

URBAN-15 is continuing to screen films from its Josiah Media Festival. Young filmmakers from around the world submitted entries. You can watch for free on the organization’s website, https://urban15.org/live-stream.

The San Antonio Museum of Art is also inviting you to see new things in its galleries, including recent acquisitions and reinstallations of works that have not been seen in a long time. And, like other organizations, SAMA started a book club for its patrons during the pandemic. This online book club will discuss “The Book of Tea” Friday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. Written in 1906 by Japanese scholar and artist Okakura Kakuzo, this apparently short text, argues that “teaism” has influenced the beauty and simplicity of Japanese culture and aesthetics. Hmm…, we wouldn’t use the word “simplicity” to describe the rather complex Japanese culture. But a real expert, like SAMA’s interim executive director Emily Sano, will lead a special collection presentation and explain these things. And there will be a tea demonstration, as well. ($5 for members, $10 for non-members; www.samuseum.org, click on Events.

To lose those extra holiday pounds, there can’t be anything better than tap dancing. The Third Coast Rhythm Project is just about to start a new series of online tap classes on Jan.9. Open to all levels of experience, the classes are live and will be recorded. To contact the organization, write to info@thirdcoastrhythm.com or call 210-348-8005. “You can’t buy happiness but you can tap dance and that’s pretty much the same thing,” says the announcement. We think they are right. It’s impossible to be unhappy while dancing.

If you would rather watch others dance, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has posted a video of “La Pastorela Folkorica” on its site, www.guadalupeculturalartscenter.org. And the Alamo City Performing Arts Association’s youth dance company has filmed its 2020 production of “The Nutcracker” which you can watch on demand. It costs $20 to rent, $35 to buy. The dancers are accompanied by Symphony Viva; www.alamocityarts.org.