Buenas Noches indeed
San Antonio Museum of Art celebrates end of summer with 2 epic outdoor events
Get your best white party outfit ready. No, you didn't score an invite to Diddy’s annual White Party in the Hamptons. Even better, the San Antonio Museum of Art is hosting Noche Blanca, the first of two epic outdoor bashes to say goodbye to summer.
Running from 6-10 pm on August 17, Noche Blanca is an evening celebrating Spanish art, cinema, food, and the influence of Spain on San Antonio. The event is free with museum admission, and activities include art making, flamenco and Spanish guitar performances, and a cash bar serving Spanish wine.
For dinner, pre-order a festive picnic basket for two from the on-site restaurant, Tre Tratorria, via the SAMA website by August 15. Feast on fruit, Spanish Manchego cheese, almonds, a torta platter, a summer peach and basil salad, a chilled “Italian Sammy” with pesto fusilli, and a cassata parfait for dessert. (You're also free to bring your own picnic basket as well.)
“We wanted to transport guests to a summer night in Spain,” says SAMA public programs manager Leslie Chasnoff. “People can eat great tapas, hear some Spanish music, and then at sundown watch Vicky Cristina Barcelona outdoors on the green.”
This is SAMA’s first year hosting Noche Blanca, and the party was inspired by the year-round celebration of San Antonio’s Tricentennial. Don summer whites for this perfect date night and make a stop at the museum's related exhibition, "Spain: 500 Years of Spanish Painting from the Museums of Madrid," which runs now through September 16.
“People enjoy movies and community, so our events are a way to celebrate what we’re offering here,” explains SAMA communications manager Emilie Dujour.
If you’re not able to make it to Noche Blanca, SAMA has another event coming up in September: Mujeres de Cine Film Series, a traveling showcase of Spanish films made by female directors. (Previous stops have included Washington D.C. and New Orleans.)
In partnership with Spain Arts and Culture, SAMA is running the film festival September 7-9 in celebration of Spanish artists. “We love that the focus is on female directors,” Chasnoff said. “So much of our focus is on diversity and inclusivity, so Mujeres de Cine is a perfect fit.”
Like Noche Blanca, guests visiting SAMA for Mujeres de Cine are also welcome to bring a picnic for the sundown films in the courtyard.
