MUSIC ON THE MENU

Agarita cooks up new concert series with San Antonio's Clementine

The opening concert features Elise Russ' takes on American desserts.

For the next three months, Agarita will be converting their loft into San Antonio’s most exclusive supper club. The chamber ensemble is hosting Clementine chefs Elise and John Russ at the Southtown event space and gallery for a three-night concert series that matches the menu to the music.

Music, Food & Wine at the Agarita Loft isn’t just about the bites. Each of the editions brings curated themes, some with special guests. The series kicks off October 23 with coloratura soprano and Phantom of the Opera star Meghan Picerno, who will celebrate the great American songbook while guests sample iconic U.S. desserts and Champagne.

November 18 brings more red, white, and blue with a program devoted to American composers and savory cuisine. The series closes December 18 with a trip abroad. Agarita will perform Tchaikovsky's ode to Italy, Souvenir de Florence, as listeners sample Italian cheeses and wines.

Agarita Agarita is known for its unconventional approach to musical storytelling.Agarita/ facebook

Founded in 2018 by pianist Daniel Anastasio, violist Marisa Bushman, cellist Ignacio Gallego, and violinist Sarah Silver Manzke, Agarita has built a reputation for bringing classical and contemporary music to unconventional spaces, from San Antonio Children’s Hospital to the Spanish Governor’s Palace. Its Humble Hall trailer allows the group to set up anywhere, furthering its mission of reaching new San Antonio audiences.

Agarita opened the Loft upstairs on 724 S. Alamo St. in 2024. In addition to serving as a home base for rehearsals, it acts as a concert venue and a gallery space. In 2025, it acquired an additional 1,642 square feet of adjacent space, expanding seating for up to 100 guests.

Tickets for each Music, Food & Wine event are $75 and available online. Agarita will also collaborate with Picerno for an October 25 concert at the San Antonio Botanical Garden's Betty Kelso Center (555 Funston Pl.) tracing the roots of America’s musical identity from the blues to Broadway. The show, featuring violinist Haerim Elizabeth Lee, is free, but a $100 donation to the group’s nonprofit reserves premium seating.

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ART MATTERS

New San Antonio pop art show swaps soup cans for aguas frescas

Photo courtesy of Centro de Artes

A pair of multicolored sculptures flank a gallery wall.

When pop art turned consumer goods into high art, it mostly shopped at U.S. supermarkets. Now, San Antonio’s Centro de Artes is widening the aisles with a new exhibit, Mercado/Material, opening Thursday, October 15.

The show fills the Market Square gallery with art inspired by open-air markets, corner bodegas, and big box grocery stores. The show brings together more than a dozen artists from San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, New York City, and Chicago. Among them is the late Chuck Ramirez, who worked as an art director for H-E-B.

Mercado/ Market The works depict common objects like a paletas and half-bitten pink cake.Photo courtesy of Centro de Artes

Viewers walk through images of papel picado, pink cake, and aguas frescas stands, plus a collection of cars in the style of Ocumicho pottery. The exhibit is meant to both mimic the look of everyday spaces and the experience of existing in them.

For curator Mia Lopez, Mercado/Material is a homecoming. She began her career at the Smithsonian-affiliated Museo Alameda before it was Centro de Artes. Now the McNay Art Museum's curator of Latinx art, she has devoted much of her career to telling underrepresented stories through art.

"By reimagining commercial goods and drawing on popular culture, these artworks challenge expectations and craft new narratives that mirror the ongoing evolution of the mercado," Lopez said in a statement about the show.

Mercado/ Market A case holds vibrant pottery in the Ocumicho tradition.Photo courtesy of Centro de Artes

Mercado/Material also opens as Centro de Artes celebrates a decade of showcasing Latinx art. Krystal Jones, executive director of the City's Department of Arts and Culture, called the anniversary a sign of the gallery's staying power.

"This milestone is proof positive that City-run art galleries can successfully and sustainably serve their communities," Jones said.

A free opening reception kicks off the exhibition October 15 at Centro de Artes, 101 S. Santa Rosa Ave. Mercado/Material remains on view through March 7, 2027.

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ART MATTERS

New San Antonio pop art show swaps soup cans for aguas frescas