A compelling new installation, "Feeling Tone," is set to open on May 2 in San Antonio's Roosevelt Park neighborhood, exploring sound and technology as routes to human connection. The Listener's Gallery at the Mercury Project Contemporary Art Space at 538 Roosevelt Ave., will exhibit work from seven U.S. artists stretching the boundaries of traditional art.
The appointment-only "Feeling Tone" group show includes digital coding, sound sculptures, and interactive displays from Joshua Alexander, Miles Friday, Daniel Jackson, Susan Snipes, Stevan Z and Lety RZ, and musician and composer Pamela Martinez, founder of the Listener's Gallery and "Feeling Tone" organizer.
Martinez says the title refers to practicing mindfulness — about what and how one feels during a specific experience, whether that experience is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. The series encourages deep listening, inviting guests to widen their awareness of the sensations of everyday life.
Martinez, who often incorporates nature and meditative practices into her creative process, launched The Listener's Gallery in 2021 to create space for intentional listening.
"I felt there wasn't enough awareness or presence of sound art, new music, and experimental performance in San Antonio," she says. "By hosting events, performances, and exhibitions, we've been able to grow a strong community of sound makers — and now I'm working to expand that reach, building national relationships and giving San Antonio a broader platform."
"Feeling Tone" takes advantage of Martinez's efforts to grow her gallery's reach and develop collaborative relationships. The connections feel natural to the show.
"Last year, I had my first solo art exhibition," Martinez says. "It taught me a lot, but mostly, it reminded me that I love collaborating best. This group show feels right — I get to build community and connect San Antonio folks with artists I've met through my travels.
Martinez contributes two original pieces to "Feeling Tone," including a revisited older work, "Plant Sound Sculpture." The piece invites intimate connections with the viewer, responding to touch and light.
Snipes explores humanity's frequently frustrating interactions through "Waiting for Your Response," a media installation that mixes 200 years of foiled communications like return-to-sender envelopes, unanswered texts, lost voicemail messages, and Craigslist's "missed connections" posts.
"Letters hang suspended in space, voice messages play on a loop, and fragments of digital media are projected throughout the installation," Snipes explains. "Viewers are invited to step into a layered environment of missed exchanges, to listen, to read, to take in flickers of images from across time and place."
Through May 31, a handful of special events will augment the experience. The opening night reception on May 2, 7-10 pm, will feature instrumental, electronic, and installation-based sound art from experimental composer Miles Friday. The River Arts District gallery tour from 9:30 am-noon will guide art lovers through Roosevelt Avenue galleries and studios on May 24.
A virtual artist talk on May 27, 7:30 pm, will allow patrons to discuss the show via Zoom. Lastly, the closing night reception will highlight Daniel Jackson's "Unit Operations," a movement-based presentation that lets audience members curate personal auditory experiences. Reserve headphones for the 7 pm and 9 pm performances online.
