Alamo City boasts so many phenomenal galleries and museums, and this festive month has plenty of art for all, including a mixed-media show inspired by the classic Texas film Giant, a showcase of work created by employees of the San Antonio International Airport, works by veterans at the Bihl Haus, and an installation at FL!GHT that captures energy and movement, all here to delight and engage the senses this holiday season.
St. Anthony Hotel
“Miles Glynn: Giants”
Now through December 31.
This exhibit, on display at the St. Anthony Hotel, features works inspired by the 1956 epic Western movie Giant, filmed in West Texas. The collection of 14 pieces by mixed-media artist Miles Glynn is inspired by the larger-than-life characters, played by Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Rock Hudson, and their larger-than-life personalities, both in front of the camera and off-screen. “Giants” combines materials such as diamond dust suspended in resin with a unique palette, as well as the use of silk-screen ink and gold leaf.
Presa House Gallery
“South of the Checkpoint/North of the River”
December 4-25.
The U.S.-Mexico borderlands are a space where two cultures collide. This exhibition highlights the depiction of the same geographic region through the eyes of three artists of different cultural identities: Rigoberto A. González, a native of Mexico; Gina Gwen Palacios, a Tejana; and Jerry Lyles, an Anglo who, like Palacios, was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and has deep-seated roots in the region. Each of these artists creates a visual record of the land based on observation, experience, and memory. While borders change and cultures overlay each other, the ground stays the same.
San Antonio International Airport Galleries
Various Artists and Exhibits
Now through March 31, 2022.
The Galleries @ SAT is part of the COSA Aviation Department’s Arts and Culture program, initiated with the intent to create a “sense of place” throughout the city’s airport. Exhibits are located throughout SAT, like a lovely treasure hunt, particularly if you are doing time at the airport this holiday season. Be on the lookout for works from mixed-media Mexican-American artist Giovanna DiZurita, drone photography from Gabe Zeckua, works from winners of the Dee Howard Foundation and UTSA art contest showcasing artistic renderings of a mission to Mars, an exhibit of photographer Allee Wallace and his collection of images from Martin Luther King Jr.’s marches, and CreatiVets’ exhibit, “From War to Words – A Visual Voices Portrait Series” by Jason Myers. CreatiVets’ mission is to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music. And located in the Terminal A baggage claim area, featured art from SAT employees and their families.
Bihl Haus Arts
“Beyond Service II: An Exhibition of Artworks by Veterans”
Now through December 18.
Featuring paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture by professional artists who are veterans, as well as veterans enrolled in the Bihl Haus Forward, Arts! program, this exhibition showcases works from veterans who have served in various branches of the U.S. military during the Vietnam War and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as art created by retired members of the military.
McNay Art Museum
“Street Scene: Cities on Stage”
Now through February 6, 2022.
From its city streets to Texas Hill Country roads, San Antonio is a kaleidoscope of landscapes. “Street Scene: Cities on Stage” transports visitors to a number of destinations via stage designs from the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts and artworks from the McNay’s permanent collection. The exhibition shows how theater designers create realistic stage settings that challenge and stretch our understanding of urban environments forged from steel, glass, bricks, and mortar. The artworks also offer interpretations of small-town life. Some designs are imaginative, colorful, exciting, and surreal, while others depict more realistic visions of sleepy farm towns.
AnArte Gallery
“Maricela Sanchez: Besame/Kiss Me”
Now through December 11.
“Besame” represents the artist Maricela Sanchez’s desire to turn back the clock and live in a world before the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she says she lived vicariously through her art. “I want to hug and be hugged again,” Sanchez says. “I want my lips to show love and expression of my inner self, and I want to breathe as every breath is precious.” Visitors can also catch “Pop Error,” a collaborative pop-up featuring the works of James Supa and Catwalk.
FL!GHT Gallery
“SWAY: Clayton Cain and Ian Randall”
December 3 through January 2, 2022.
This light-based sculptural installation inside the FL!GHT Gallery was originally commissioned for Waterloo Greenway’s Creek Show in Austin. The inflatable tubes are lit up and envelope viewers, exemplifying the movement of water, people, and energy. The tubes sway freely, but may be gently tapped and nudged by the spectators below.
Maricela Sanchez's Seduction II is part of her "Besame" exhibition at AnArte Gallery.
