Arts Alive San Antonio

Lots of news in the visual arts!

First, kudos to the City of San Antonio for including art in the newly renovated City Hall. Six new art installations by local artists are now a permanent part of the building that dates back to 1889. According to the press release, it is one of the oldest public buildings in continuous use in the country.

“City Hall is an icon of public service and municipal government and these artworks bring much more than interior décor for this place, stated Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “They intrinsically set the tone for the important issues tackled here, rooting us in the fabric of San Antonio. The installations serve as a documentation of our rich heritage and a way to express the vibrancy and diversity of our community.”

The art pieces are distributed over several floors, placed in niches, “which were uncovered during the renovation process.” As for subject matter, the art deals with predictable historic themes, as well as with the San Antonio music scene, parks and green spaces, architecture, and “the daily life of three San Antonio streets.”

The artists involved are Ruth Leonela Buentello; Ana Fernandez; Raul Rene Gonzalez; Emily Fleisher; Megan Harrison and Mari Hernandez.  We like the inclusion of music genres that San Antonio is known for, and we are intrigued by Fernandez’s “Three Streets” – Fredericksburg, Culebra and Austin Highway – which are represented by vertical landscapes. We can’t wait to see it all!

Blue Star Contemporary has just opened an interesting new exhibit, “The Sitter” featuring artists who use portraiture and figuration not just to record their subjects’ appearance in the traditional way, but to provoke questions and conversation about the depicted subjects, to imagine the stories suggested by the artworks. We have seen the show, and we recommend it. (See feature story from June 2, on this site.) Blue Star Contemporary is located in the Blue Star Complex on S. Alamo, https://bluestarcontemporary.org.

More new art can be seen at Ruiz-Healy Art which will open the exhibit, “E La Nave Va” next Wednesday, June 9. The Italian title literally means “And the ship sails on” but it is also a way of saying “Life goes on” despite setbacks, difficulties and…, well, pandemics. There’s actually a painting in the show by that title, the work of the Argentine-born Cecilia Biagini, who now lives in New York City. Ruiz-Healy Art has shown her work a number of times. The “Nave” painting included in this show, though basically abstract, evokes the shape of a mighty ship ready to sail. In her statement, the artist says that in her painting “forms build up inside forms just to decompose again, expressing the state of the world and the vision for the future.” Other artists in the exhibit are:  San Antonians Nate Cassie, Richard Armendariz, Ana Fernandez, Leigh Anne Lester, Cesar A. Martinez, Christina Muniz and Mark Schlesinger. (Exhibit opens June 9, on view till Aug.14; Ruiz-Healy Art gallery, 201-A E. Olmos Drive, 78212; 210-804-2219; www.RuizHealyArt.com)

And there’s more! The Fiber Artists of San Antonio, a group that we don’t hear from very often, are presenting the work of their members in an online exhibit, titled “Connecting Threads in COVID Times.” If you are unfamiliar with their art, you may be pleasantly surprised by the creativity and originality of the group’s output. To view go to https://fiberartistsofsanantonio.org/fasa-online-art-exhibition.

We were also pleased to hear from another organization that we haven’t heard much about in quite some time – the San Antonio Chamber Choir. Founded by Scott MacPherson in 2005, the group has performed some 300 works in 25 programs in seven cities, with a repertoire ranging from the 15^th to the 21^st century. Now under the artistic direction of Rick Bjella, who has an impressive background in choral music and education, the group is about ready to start performing in-person again in the near future. For now, however, it is planning an online concert and fundraising event, Sing For Life, via YouTube, June 10 at 6.m. The concert will feature numerous SACC singers and volunteers offering their individual mini-performances.

What will take place in-person is their 6^th annual All-State for ALL Summer Choir Camp, scheduled for July 15-17. To find out more visit www.sachamberchoir.org.

A free video concert is offered by Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW) Sunday, June 6, at 7 p.m. Called “Through the Child’s Eyes,” the video will show the performances that MBAW showed in area schools this past season, featuring ensembles from different cultures such as Russian, Japanese and Spanish and others. In addition, accomplished young pianists, named The Gurwitz Youth Ambassadors, will showcase their piano skills, filmed inside the San Fernando Cathedral. According to the press release, the event celebrates the achievements of two MBAW programs for school children: Kids to Concerts and Musical Sprouts. To watch go to www.musicalbridges.org/watch or on MBAW YouTube channel.

The Cactus Pear Music Festival, is coming up in July, but you can reserve your free concert seats today. CPMF is opening up reservations for the four free live concerts that are kicking off the 25^th anniversary of the fest on July 8-11, all starting at 7 p.m. and lasting one hour without intermission. With safety in mind, only 250 tickets per concert will be available. According to the press announcement, the fest is still showcasing the 250^th birthday of Beethoven and the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The live concerts will take place at Trinity Baptist Church. However, the fest’s second week will be virtual, and during week 3, they will stream the events of the first week for those who couldn’t attend the in-person concerts. To register for the four live concerts, go to Cactus Pear Music Festival, world-class chamber music (cpmf.us).

On the Country music front, two famous guys are coming to town, or more accurately, to the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels. They are: Wade Bowen, Saturday, June 5, and Travis Tritt, Sunday, June 6. Tritt has recently issued a new album, “Set in Stone,” his first in almost ten years. Both shows start at 8 p.m. (Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM 306, New Braunfels; 830-964-3800;
www.whitewaterrocks.com.)

Remember Cinema Tuesday at the Bijou? Well, the Bijou Movie Theater is still closed as far as we know, but Texas Public Radio is resuming the Tuesday series of classic films online. To watch, you’ll need an Amazon Prime account. The screenings continue through the summer. June offerings include: “Flight” (June 8); “The African Queen” (June 15); “Les Diaboliques” (June 22) and “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (June29). To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tpr-cinema-watch-party (-title of film).

The San Antonio African-American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) is inviting all interested individuals to participate in an immersive oral history and story-telling workshop with San Antonio’s Poet Laureate, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson.  Check in at SAAACAM @ LaVillita. The workshop will take place June 5, at 10 a.m., at the Cos House, next to the Arneson River Theater, Building 18. Also, the Black History Film Series continues at the Arneson Theater Jun 6.

And here’s something different that may appeal to people at this unsettling time. Hollywood actor and Austin resident, Matthew McConaughey has put his conversation with yogi and author Sadhguru on YouTube. They talk about karma and about crafting one’s own destiny. To watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IApffyn2xpM.