Arts Alive San Antonio

The fun community event known as Chalk It Up takes place this Saturday, Oct. 9 on the grounds and in parking lots of ten public libraries across the city. Organized by Artpace, the 18^th annual event will once again have artists – and sometimes their teams -design murals at each library location reflecting the 2021 theme: The Spirit of San Antonio. The public is invited to come by to watch and encourage them, as well as create their own chalk images in reserved chalk zones.

Until last year, Chalk It Up was entirely centered downtown, which probably limited participation. By expanding into the neighborhoods, the event avoids crowding and becomes more user-friendly. Why didn’t they think of that earlier!?

Twenty artists are taking part, including Kat Cadena, Raul Rene Gonzalez, Ruben Luna, Ashley Perez, Louis Vega Trevino, Tim Olson, Edward Harris, Hiromi Stringer, Jayne Valverde, Juan Escobedo and others. Sometimes two or three artists may be working at the same library location, as is the case with the Carver Library where both Raul Gonzalez and Cade Bradshaw will be working, and the Encino Library where Ursula Zavala and Lauri Garcia Jones will be chalking it up.

The other participating libraries are: Landa, Mission, Johnston, Bazan, Great Northwest, Maverick, Igo, and Thousand Oaks.

Part of Chalk It Up is a competition between school and community teams that received a Chalk It Up kit with supplies to create their own murals on the sites of their choice and submit their mural for the TeamWorks Competition. The 2021 Chalk It Up chairwoman, Cristina Pena Walls chooses the finalists. The finalists and winner will be announced on Saturday. You can take part in Chalk It Up “from the safety of your home” by going to www.#ArtpaceChalkItUpAtHome.

Another annual art event at this time of the year is the Red Dot Show and Sale at the Blue Star Contemporary but this year the event has changed format. Instead of having a preview and a single-day show and sale, the 2021 version will be a months-long exhibit on view through Jan. 9, 2022. During that period all exhibited artworks will be for sale without bidding. More than 100 San Antonio contemporary artists, working in a range of media, have contributed to the show which officially opened Oct. 7. Now in its 31^st year, Red Dot raises “vital funds” for Blue Star’s exhibitions and educational programs.  Prices range from $300 onward, with most works priced between $1,000 to $3,000.

“Red Dot serves as both a major fundraiser to support BSC’s mission to inspire, nurture and innovate, and as a space for artists, patrons and collectors to connect and build long-lasting relationships,” says the press release. The proceeds are split between the artist and the organization. (Blue Star Contemporary, 116 Blue Star; 210-227-6960; www.bluestarcontemporary.org)

And since we are talking about visual arts, here’s another interesting event featuring an art form that receives less exposure than it deserves: the Fiber Artists of San Antonio’s “The Language of Fiber Art,” the organization’s 46^th annual juried exhibition. If you go to see it, you’ll be surprise by the range and innovation on display: quilts, sculptural pieces, framed pieces, basketry, wearable art and mixed media works are included. Prominent artist Sarah Fox served as juror who selected 61 pieces for the show out of more than a hundred submissions. (Opens Oct.8 and stays on view through Nov. 12; Kelso Art Center, University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway; free; park in visitor designated areas. For more info on FASA go to https://fiberartistsofsanantonio.org/)

Two performing arts events stand out this weekend. “Don Giovanni,” Mozart’s beloved opera, produced by Opera San Antonio, will have its final performance Saturday at the Tobin Center. For more information, read our feature story from Oct. 4 on this site. (Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, tickets@tobincenter.org or call 210-223-8624)

At the Carver Community Cultural Center, a very different kind of music will be heard from the stage Oct.8 during An Evening with Mykal Kilgore and Jamison Ross. Kilgore is an innovative R&B soul singer/songwriter “who breaks down the traditional barriers of gospel music,” and Ross is a vocalist and drummer with a spiritual message that he delivers through his jazz music. (Carver Center, 226 N. Hackberry, 78202; 210-207-2234, tickets $17-$34 through www.ticketmaster.com or at the Carver box office; www.thecarver.org)

Willie Nelson is yet another kind of music, a very popular kind! The beloved Country star will be at the Whitewater Amphitheater Oct. 8 & 9 at 8:30 p.m. No introduction or explanation necessary. Everyone knows him. (Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, Suite 1, New Braunfels, 78132; 830-964-3800; tickets $25-$105, through Ticketmaster.)

And then, there’s Juanes, whose real name is Juan Esteban Aristizabal Vasquez! No wonder he renamed himself Juanes. The super popular Colombian musician/singer – and now Florida resident – will be on stage at the Majestic Theater, Oct.9. He’s won a bunch of Latin Grammy Awards and sold millions of albums around the world. He is touring behind his new album “Origen” though he will perform all his greatest hits from the past, too. (The Origen Tour; Oct. 9, 7 p.m.; Majestic Theater, 224 E. Houston; 210-226-3333; www.majesticempire.com)

An even bigger star, Melissa Etheridge, will wow the audience at the Tobin Center Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Again, she hardly needs an introduction. Her new album, “The Medicine Show,” deals with themes we can all relate to at this time – renewal, reconciliation, reckoning and healing. Should you be interested, she now has a TV channel, Etheridge TV, an independent channel on the Mastro platform where you can see her every day, according to reports. (Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m.; Tobin Center, Auditorium Circle, a pre-show party at 5:30 p.m.; tickets $94-$420; ticlets@tobincenter.org; 210-223-8624)

Other Tobin events, both on Sept. 10: Julie Taymor’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Age Gap Tour” starring comedienne Heather Land. The first is a film that this time will be shown inside the H-E-B Hall, rather than on the outdoor plaza. (Free, doors open at 7 p.m.; movie 8 p.m.) That same night, Land will entertain her audience in the smaller Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater. (Oct. 10 & 11, 8 p.m.; $35-$45; Jennifer Fulwiler will open for Land. Tickets at same link as above.)

San Antonio’s Writing Arts Center, Gemini Ink, has a big event coming up. Its annual fundraiser, Inkstravaganza, will be different this year as it will be an “in memoriam” gala honoring the recently deceased writer/poet/ playwright, Gregg Barrios. It is planned for next weekend as a two-part life celebration. (Garden party at the McNay Museum, Friday, Oct. 15, 6:30-$8:30 p.m.; and a virtual literary show Saturday, Oct. 16, 7 -8 p.m.; tickets $100 for the garden reception; $75 for the Saturday show;  For tickets go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-inkstravaganza-with-gregg-barrios-tickets-166706370241) More about these events in an upcoming story.

MonteVideo and Presa House Gallery have announced the film lineup for “Raza Cosmica: A constellation of classic and contemporary Latino science fiction.”  The inaugural screenings will take place on Oct. 9, 12, 14 and 23, spotlighting 10 films and 12 “celebrated filmmakers, including San Antonio natives Miguel Alvarez and Grace Goen.” The festival opens with a free outdoor screening at Mission Marquee Plaza featuring a curated selection of cosmic-infused short films. More screenings are scheduled for the 12th and 14^th, including the Argentine classic “Moebius”, which will include a discussion with the film’s director Gustavo Mosquera and with Luis Fernando Puente, the director of “La Luna y el Colibri.”. The final outdoor screening of “Sleep Dealer” a Sundance Festival award-winning thriller, will be shown on the 23. No website address is given where you can see the entire lineup but we assume you could get help by contacting the Presa House Gallery at https://ptrsahouse.com.

Another gallery, the Clamp Light Gallery, has news, too. It has a new director, artist Raul Rene Gonzalez,who has recently been named Artist of the Year by the San Antonio Art League and Museum. The gallery is part of a building that houses studios for several artists, including Sarah Fox, Jacqueline Ramirez, Crystal Rocha, Xavier Gilmore, Sarah Corley Martinez, Randy Guthmiller and Cassie Gnehm. Opening Oct. 8 is Ursula Zavala’s solo exhibit titled “It’s Not Fun Anymore,” a collection focused on healing from the anxieties brought on by the pandemic. (7-10 p.m.; 1704 Blanco Rd., 78212; https://www.clamplightsa.com)

News flash: Debbie Racca-Sittre is no longer at the helm of the city Arts & Culture Department. She has been transferred to another, more demanding city job. The current interim director is Krystal Jones whom Racca-Sittre brought on board and whom she praised highly. The always active department has issued its annual call for artists, arts organizations and support services to submit their interests and qualifications, in order to be considered for projects. To learn more, go to www.getcreativesanantonio.com/About-Us/Open-Call-2022.