Arts Alive San Antonio

This weekend is going to be a mightily busy one! First, there’s Fiesta, which, although not an arts event/festival has arts-related components. Our favorite is Fiesta Arts Fair at the Southwest School of Arts. It’s a juried art show featuring the work of 110 artists from across the U.S. A range of art styles are always represented, including paintings, prints, jewelry, leather pieces, sculptures and just about anything else. And it’s all presented in a civilized environment and with musical entertainment keeping everyone happy. It’s also a great place to buy unique gifts. (Sat., April 2, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; 300 Augusta St., 78205; $15 at the door.)

But April is National Poetry Month and literary events start this weekend and continue throughout the month. National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, and San Antonio contributes to the festivities with more than 30 events, including readings, performances, panel discussions, classes and more.

The official kickoff was “VIVA Poesia: Palabras, Musica y Cultura” presented by the City of San Antonio’s World Heritage Office, which took place on March 26. But don’t feel bad, there’s a lot more. One interesting and perhaps unique initiative is the Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, organized by a group of poets associated with Poetry Month. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry inspired by other art forms, in this case by visual arts pieces. The latter were selected by five San Antonio Museums – The Briscoe, SAMA, the McNay, Ruby City and the Witte – and both adults and youth were invited to submit poems inspired by the selected artworks. ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO has supported the effort both by announcing it to readers and by publishing the winning poems. Part one was published this past Tuesday and subsequent features will be published each Monday over the next four weeks. San Antonio poets laureate also engaged in this undertaking but were not part of the contest.

One event that can appeal to both Fiesta revelers and poetry lovers is the Jazz Poets of San Antonio showcase to be held at the Bazan Branch Library, Saturday. Spoken word expressions will be accompanied by unique, improvised, musical arrangements. According to the announcement, the organizers will welcome newcomers who would like to read their own poems. (Saturday, April 2 at 3 p.m.; 2200 W. Commerce St., 78207; free; for info call 210-207-2500)

Other upcoming events include: Mega Corazon at URBAN-15 Studios (April 4 – April 30); Maverick Poets: Visual Art & the Spoken Word at the Palmetto Center for the Arts at Northwest Vista College (April 13); Celebrate National Haiku Day at the Botanical Garden (April 23), and others. And here’s a little preview:
ARTS ALIVE SAN ANTONIO will be hosting the launch of Yellow Flag Poems, a poetry collection based on our pandemic-time series Life in the Time of COVID-19 that features poems by top San Antonio and Texas poets, including eight poets laureate (April 24). More on that later in the month.

On April 2, San Antonio writer/poet, Diane Gonzales Bertrand will be signing copies of her new book “The Taco Magician/El Mago de Los Tacos” at the Twig. It’s a bilingual poetry book for children, which she refers to as a “flip” book, meaning all the poems are in English in one direction and in Spanish if you flip the book and read in the other direction. Some of the pages were illustrated by artist Carolyn Dee Flores, who also designed the cover. (April 2 at 1:30 p.m.; Twig Book Shop, 306 Pearl Pkwy, Suite 106; 210-826-6411, twig@thetwig.com)

 But there’s a lot more going on in town!

One of the best dance companies in the U.S., the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, is coming to San Antonio to perform at the Carver Community Cultural Center this weekend. Founded in 1974 by its namesake, the company has a unique repertoire that fuses the African-American experience with ethnic and modern dance traditions from around the globe. The San Antonio performance will feature the Texas premiere of “The Four Journeys,” a new work conceived by Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez, who is the artistic director of Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. The new work focuses on folk icon, Catarina de San Juan’s journey from India to 17^th century Mexico, a place shaped by its diverse indigenous heritage and more recent influences of Europeans, Asians and Africans. This dance will also feature a collaboration with Japanese video-mapping artist, Taketo Kobayashi. (Sat., April 2 at 8 p.m.; Carver Center, 226 N. Hackberry; tickets $30 at the Carver box office or by calling Ticketmaster at 800- 745-3000; also www.ticketmaster.com; for info call the Carver 210-207-2234)

The Harlequin Theater has teamed up with Alamo City Performing Arts Association to present “Juke Joint” described as “postmodern jukebox revue” with songs made famous by such artists as Lady Gaga, Elton John, the Spice Girls, Christina Aguilera, Phil Collins, Aerosmith, Beyonce, and other pop icons. The Harlequin promises “to bring you a production like never before.” (Through April 9; ASL Night on April 7; Fridays- Saturdays at 8 p.m.; tickets $10-$22; Fort Sam Houston Theater, 2472 Stanley Rd.; 210-222-9694, theharlequinsa@hayoo.com)

New Braunfels-based Circle Arts Theater is presenting “Clue,” a stage show based on the 1985 movie, which was inspired by a board game. It’s a farce-meet-murder-mystery kind of story. (Through April 10; tickets $25; 830-837-6172; www.circleartstheatre.com)

At the Public Theater of San Antonio, they are offering a 20% discount on tickets for “35mm: A Musical Exhibition” during Fiesta. Use promo code VIVAFIESTA to get the price reduction. To find out more about the show, see last week’s NEWS ROUNDUP.

The Chaparral Music & Heritage Festival will fill the Hemisfair Park with Country and Americana music and you can enjoy it all for free. Lone Star music icon, Jon Wolfe will perform, The Last Bandoleros and other popular bands. (Hemisfair Park, 434 S. Alamo, free; for info call 210-260-5678)

We mentioned the Jazz Poets earlier. Here’s a whole little jazz festival that will take place at the William H. Taft High School, Saturday. Schools’ jazz ensembles will compete. Andre Hayward will appear as guest artist. (11600 Culebra Rd., 78253; 210-397-5976, www.TaftRaiderBand.org)

For a different musical experience, head to the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio where you’ll experience music for the soul, in two styles – European classical and Gospel – performed by the church’s sanctuary choir, orchestra and soloists. (404 N. Alamo, 78205; Friday, April 1 at 7 p.m.; free 210-226-0215, www.fpcsanantonio.org)

Another free event, the McNay Family Day, which celebrates Earth Day a little early, will include free admission to the grounds and galleries. And there’s a lot to see in those galleries! If you are more activity oriented, you’ll be able to make art from recycled materials combined with exploring themes of conservation in the exhibition, Donald Moffett + Nature Cult + the McNay. Live performances and live music are part of the deal. (April 3, 1-4 p.m.; McNay Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels, 78209; To register: https://www.mcnayart.org/event/free-family-day-art-for-earth/)

Circling back to Fiesta, URBAN-15 is organizing “The Very 1^st Annual Illuminated Bike Parade” at Elmendorf Lake Park. A cash prize will be given for Best Lit Bike.  Live drum music and dancing by the Carnaval de San Anto Ensemble, will make it worth your time even if you never mount a bike. (April 2 at 9 p.m.; 3700 W. Commerce, 78207; free and open to the public. Bring folding chairs or blankets. To register for the bike parade go to: https://urban15.org/incognito-illuminated-bike-parade/)

And circling back to literary matters, here are a couple of educational opportunities from San Antonio’s two most prominent literary organizations: Gemini Ink is offering Television Writing 101 with Amie Charney (via Zoom or in-person, Tuesdays, from April 5 to May 10; $75 students.$130 member & $150 for nonmembers, www.geminiink.org)  and Voices de la Luna is offering its usual First Thursday writing workshop, Elements of Poetry  with poet Dario Beniquez (Zoom session, April 7 at 6 p.m.; for more info contact voicesdelaluna@outlook.com)