Here are the top 7 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

Photo courtesy of Erykah Badu

Musical moments are certain to fill the air in the Alamo City for the next several days. Catch songstress Erykah Badu in concert or catch a Ryan Adams & The Cardinals show. Fiesta Noche del Rio promises ample dance and musical performances for the entire family to enjoy. Check out the top seven things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a full list of events, go to our calendar.

Thursday, June 8

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals in concert
Americana music stars Ryan Adams & The Cardinals return to Austin for a live show at The Espee. Fans of the “Now That You’re Gone” band can expect the same hits with a new line-up of Adams, Brad Pemberton, Chris Stills, Daniel Clarke, and Don Was. Get seating information on Ticketmaster.

Friday, June 9

Broadway in San Antonio presents Riverdance
Irish dancing takes center stage at Majestic Theatre. Audiences will enjoy a production complete with traditional music and Riverdance’s famous style of energy and rhythmic expression. Shows are scheduled through June 11. Explore ticket availability at broadway.com.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts presents Dreamgirls
Free movie nights continue at The Plaza at the Tobin Center with this week’s screening of the 2006 film Dreamgirls, starring Jennifer Hudson. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged for a more comfortable viewing experience. A full bar and concessions will be available onsite. Admission to this screening is free and open to the public.

Alamo Kiwanis Club presents "Fiesta Noche del Rio"
The Alamo Kiwanis Club hosts the Fiesta Noche del Rio series for another summer season at Arneson River Theatre. Highlights include mariachis, flamenco guitar, dancing, costumes, food, and more. Get tickets and a full series schedule at fiestanochesa.com.

Saturday, June 10

Briscoe Western Art Museum presents Masoud Yasami's cloud painting workshop
Painter Masoud Yasami engages in conversation and guided instruction at this special evening of art. Registration includes supplies for the session and the chance to glean expert guidance on painting clouds. This event is open to participants of all skill levels. Sign up for the session at briscoemuseum.org.

Sunday, June 11

National Geographic Live: Cosmic Adventures with Tracy Drain
Get lost in scientifically-backed stories of the cosmos as told by aerospace engineer Tracy Drain. Guests will learn about Drain’s engineering challenges and scientific discoveries from the Kepler mission, as well as exclusive accounts of the Psyche mission. For ticket information visit tobincenter.org.

Erykah Badu in concert
Erykah Badu, widely known as the “Queen of Neo Soul,” performs live in concert at the AT&T Center. The voice of chart-topping songs such as “Bag Lady” and “Didn’t Cha Know” makes a stop in San Antonio in support of her Unfollow Me tour. She will be joined by Yasiin Bey. Get more information on Ticketmaster.

Photo courtesy of Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu will play in San Antonio on June 11.

From Your Site Articles

Here are the top 6 things to do in San Antonio this Labor Day weekend - CultureMap San Antonio ›

Photo courtesy San Antonio Art League

San Antonio arts soar with these 8 June exhibits

State of the Arts

Awaken your artistic muse this summer with these exhibits to inspire and ignite your creativity. Angela Guerra Walley weaves joy into her series of deconstructed quilt dresses at Artpace; a big spotlight shines on the little stages or maquettes at the McNay exhibit, “Big Little Stage"; Alethea Jones woos her viewers with neon colors and fantastical landscapes in “Floating Between Chaos and Peace”; and a group exhibit examines both cultural and social-economic commentary in “I Am Not Your Mexican” at Ruiz-Healy Art. Seize the summer and make it an artful one.

Artpace

“Angela Guerra Walley: We Are Quilted Together” — Now through September 3
Angela Guerra Walley, who is also a local documentary filmmaker and frontwoman for the band Dreambored, says she has come back to a place of “love, joy and comfort” in her art. Her new subject material comforts her as she pays tribute to the lineage of quilt-and-clothing-making women that she comes from. “I’m interested in dresses as symbols of beauty and femininity as a gender-ﬂuid, queer person. I brieﬂy pursued dressmaking, but I realized the most satisfaction I found was in ripping my worn dresses apart at the seams and sewing together textile collages from the pieces.” “We Are Quilted” displays her series of “quilt dresses” made from fabrics that were cut apart, reconﬁgured, and sewn back together.

Un Grito Gallery

“Joao Quiroz: Fluxus” — June 1 through 15
Mexican visual artist Joao Quiroz settled in San Antonio in 2019 and established himself as an urban landscape impressionist. His work is eclectic, outwardly impressionist, and inwardly expressionist, exploring classical art and the avant-garde. Quiroz also has a sense of humor, as witnessed in his painting of the artist Frida Kahlo wearing a Buc-ees t-shirt.

The McNay

"Big Little Stage" — June 1 through February 25, 2024
“Big Little Stage” is an exploration in how designers "present creative visions for stage productions through small-scale and large-scale models called maquettes." A variety of materials are used: "Papier-mâché, fabric, and wood ... as well as sleeker materials like stainless steel and plexiglass." Some of the stage pieces on view include a miniature Hanging Gardens of Babylon (1860), Pablo Picasso’s pastel maquette for Le Tricorne (1919) and a futuristic set by Ralph Koltai for Shakespeare’s Othello (1985).

Sala Diaz

"Alethia Jones: Floating Between Chaos and Peace" — June 2 through 30
In this vibrant exhibit with pieces that look like they were made from collage, Alethia Jones explores her personal mental health through her work. Neon colors and "fantastical landscapes" with "hints of recognizable objects" captivate the viewer. Jones says of her experience, “Like so many people on the planet, I have spent the majority of my life living with mental illness. This body of work exposes the helplessness of one grappling with negative current events, but also suggests that hope does exist, and there is still much beauty to behold in this world.”

Blue Star Contemporary

"Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology" — June 2 through September 3
18 artists, including Yoko Ono, have created an exhibit that "considers kinship, healing, and restorative interventions as artistic practices and strategies to foster a deeper consciousness of the interconnectedness with the earth." They are putting their concerns about the planet, social inequity, and public health into a creative outpouring. This touring exhibit invites the public to participate in "instruction-based meditation and deep listening among other actions."

Ruiz-Healy Art

“I Am Not Your Mexican" — June 7 through September 9
Featuring works by six different artists, “I Am Not Your Mexican” is a title inspired by James Baldwin’s documentary film “I Am Not Your Negro,” and "is a glimpse into an international macro-cultural phenomenon," according to the gallery's description. Artist Jesse Amado came up with the series name in reference to understanding art that may at first appear to be "highly conceptual or purely abstract." Instead, it prompts visitors to reconsider what belongs in a contemporary canon for this century. Amado’s series is "innovative" in its use of "chicharrón (pork rind) and Styrofoam fast food containers, products with both cultural and social-economic commentary."

San Antonio Art League

"Wax and Wildflowers" — June 11 through August 11
The International Encaustic Artists Annual Juried Exhibition, which is a mouthful to say, simply celebrates layered wax art. The encaustic medium consists of natural bees wax and damar resin (crystallized tree sap), heated or burned. The theme of the all-encaustic exhibit is “Wax and Wildflowers” and invites national, international, and regional encaustic artists to interpret the theme of wildflowers. If you are not familiar with this process, this show is definitely worth discovering.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Photo courtesy San Antonio Art League

Shary Bartlett, Vancouver BC for Wax and Wildflowers at SAALM.

“Still Brewing Art” — June 29 through September 3
Once upon a time, SAMA’s Romanesque style grand brick and stone building was the Lone Star Brewery, the first large, mechanized brewery in Texas. “Still Brewing Art” shares the history of the building with "historic photographs and artwork including belle époque large format brewery posters." In addition, the exhibition will "explore San Antonio’s history as a brewing city and how the San Antonio River fits into the story." The renovated complex reopened in 1981, accompanied by the slogan, “We’re Brewing Art.”

Courtesy of MBAW

May heats up with 7 sizzling exhibits in San Antonio

State of the Arts

Construction workers, topiary dragons, and Southwest pop art — these are just a few of the topics explored this month at galleries and museums across San Antonio. Visitors are invited to discover a mother and daughter’s story from labor camp imprisonment to liberation captured in images at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, or dive into common imagery of dream consciousness at AnArte Gallery through the work of Andrea Broyles. Meanwhile, Ruby City gives us a meditative multi-screen film installation by Isaac Julien called “Fantôme Afrique.” All in all, San Antonians can rejoice at the many options for ardent art fans this May.

Holocaust Memorial Museum

"Two Regimes: A Mother’s Memoir of Wartime Survival" — Now through May 21
“Two Regimes” is the life’s work of two Ukrainian women; Teodora Verbitskaya, who wrote about her life from 1920 to 1945, and her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky, a professionally trained artist who painted from memory. They both witnessed the Holodomor, or Great Famine genocide from 1932-1933, when millions of Ukrainians were starved to death as a result of Soviet Union policies, and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine, in 1941. Verbitskaya and her two daughters were sent to Germany to serve as slave laborers until the forced labor camps were liberated by United States troops in 1945. Eventually, they emigrated to Canada after spending time in displaced persons camps. The paintings in this exhibit are by Werbitzky and are based on the “Two Regime’s” book, written to validate the lives of those Ukrainians, Jews, Greeks, and others whose lives were lost and whose voices were silenced forever.

Bihl Haus Arts

“Mary Helwick: Hard Hats: Portraits of Construction” — Now through May 30
A series of portraits of 18 construction workers, including the artist herself, are included in “Hard Hats” where Mary Helwick’s focus was on capturing the workers’ individual traits while playing with color to create a vibrancy and synergy between the faces and backgrounds. “Although not the usual subject matter associated with portraiture, it’s been a privilege to paint this group of light-hearted and lively co-workers,” she says in a statement.

MBAW Art Gallery

“Gwen Rhea Cowden: Looking for Spring” — Now through July 31
“Looking for Spring” includes 40 works by artist Gwen Rhea Cowden (G. Rhea) created over a lifetime of artmaking, ranging from intimate figure studies and quiet still lifes, to the active dynamism and gesture of line drawings, and the layered bursts of color, shape, and texture contained in wild garden scenes. Transformed through the artist’s selective vision, each image evokes the little mysteries and moments of awe in the world around us, if only we take the time to witness them.

San Antonio Botanical Garden

"Imaginary Worlds: One Upon a Time" — Now through January 2024
Meet the larger-than-life, whimsical sculptures created by Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Unearth a massive dragon towering nearly 25 feet in the Lucile Halsell Conservatory, a mermaid lounging in the Hill Country, and a parading peacock in the Rose Garden. Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal is an international competition and exhibition, which has gained numerous prizes and distinctions.

AnArte

"Andrea Broyles: Dream State" — May 11 through June 4
Andrea Broyles' new body of work explores common imagery of dream consciousness through washes of veiled color and vigorous mark-making techniques. Broyles is a contemporary figurative painter and sculptor whose work explores and is based on the human condition, specifically emotionality, mortality, and conflict. Broyles works her paintings in a variety of media (clay, plaster, and oil on board), offering ambiguous, enigmatic narratives drawn from her life to resonate with the viewer on many levels.

Ruby City

"Isaac Julien: Fantôme Afrique" — May 11 through July 25
“Fantôme Afrique" references the French colonial powers that forcibly shaped the West African country of Burkina Faso and the country’s self-determined response in the aftermath of occupation. Isaac Julien is internationally known for his poetic, meditative, multi-screen film installations and photographs, which reflect his long-term study of film history and production. With both lyrical and descriptive power, Julien’s works reveal the complexities of contemporary human experience alongside historical events.

Briscoe Western Art Museum

Courtesy of MBAW

“Gwen Rhea Cowden: Looking for Spring” at MBAW Gallery.

“Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch” — May 26 through September 4
A significant force in contemporary art from the early 1970s until her death in 1991, Elaine Horwitch was instrumental in bringing experimental styles such as pop art, minimalism, and conceptual art to the Southwest. With galleries across Arizona, New Mexico, and California, she was a leader in fostering what has been called “new Western art” or “Southwest pop," and this new exhibit highlights the works of some of the Elaine Horwitch Galleries’ most popular artists.

Image courtesy of Briscoe Western Art Museum

Blockbuster Western art exhibition and sale stampedes into San Antonio

Luck of the draw

No other region has quite captured the public’s imagination quite like the American West. From the sweeping mountaintop vistas to the harsh desert flats, the landscape has fueled countless works of art. Although many still view it through the amber of history, the realities and myths of frontier life still resonate today.

It’s a subject well-known by the Briscoe Western Art Museum, whose annual Night of Artists Exhibition and Sale returns to San Antonio March 24 through 25. The two-day spectacular showcases nearly 300 new works by 80 of the nation’s vanguard Western artists. The event kicks off a six-week public viewing included with admission to the museum.

The paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works displayed reflect a panoramic vision of the Western United States, ranging from portraiture to nature studies. Works by greats like Billy Schenck, Don Oelze, Z.S. Liang, C. Michael Dudash, George Hallmark, Kim Wiggins, Bonnie Marris, Michael Ome Untiedt, Teresa Elliot, and Jan Mapes will be quickly snatched up by collectors.

The blockbuster show also gives guests a chance to discover emerging artists. Among the notable new talent this year are Jeremy Lipking, Eric Bowman, Glenn Dean, Dustin Van Wechel, Bob Guelich, Kevin Red Star, and Tony Pro.

"With a rich array of works from today’s top artists, events like Night of Artists prove the strength of Western art," said Michael Duchemin, Briscoe's President and CEO, via release. "The genre continues to flourish thanks to the talent showcased by our participating artists and the increasing number of collectors and enthusiasts drawn to the beauty and spirit these works capture,”

Opening weekend kicks off with an exhibition preview in the Briscoe's Jack Guenther Pavilion on the River Walk banks. The exclusive evening begins with cocktails amongst the art before a seated dinner. A high-spirited auction will provide a dramatic crescendo.

Guests wanting a more in-depth understanding of the Western art can participate in the Briscoe Bison Society Collectors Summit on March 24 and 25. Collectors, gallery owners, and artists will chat at a series of panels held at the Westin Riverwalk, offering expert advice on market trends.

Other highlights include The Night of Artists awards luncheon and the exhibit opening reception in the McNutt Sculpture Garden, both on March 25. Art fans will surely want to check out the evening Luck of the Draw sale, where attendees can snag up pieces at a fixed price.

Tickets, benefiting the museums exhibitions and programs are available online. Those who are not able to make it can view the dazzling collection March 26 through May 7.

Photo courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art

Ancient art and modern fashion collide at San Antonio museum's bespoke fashion show

OLD IS THE NEW NEW

Move over Met Gala! The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) recently held its own glittering event celebrating the intersection of fashion and art.

On March 2, the downtown museum teamed up with local custom clothing company Limatus Bespoke for an exclusive fashion show inspired by SAMA’s current exhibition, Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii. The capsule collection featured 12 made-to-measure looks, all currently available at Limatus’ Pearl flagship.

The exclusive event was designed to delight the senses, with guests enjoying sips and light bites while perusing the Roman Landscapes collection. Live music by San Antonio’s Steven Lee Moya created a sophisticated atmosphere tailored to the fashions and art.

While the show did not feature Rihanna dressed in a papal mini dress, plenty of local notables did grace the event. Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, Tatiana Herrera-Schneider (Chief Engagement Officer, SAMA), and Lisa Abel (Chief Development Officer, SAMA) moonlit as models.

Following the fashion show, the models perched in the Cowden Gallery next to the works that their looks were inspired by. The innovative approach offered guests a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind each design.

The Roman Landscapes exhibition provided plenty of sparks for the imagination. The collection includes 65 wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and cameo glass and silver vessels created between 100 BC and 25 AD. Together, they provide a storybook portrait of ancient Roman Italy when the mundane and mythological collided.

Whether an art lover or a style maven, locals should be advised not to be fashionably late. Limatus Bespoke’s spring/summer 2023 collection will only be available until the exhibit’s end on May 21.

Photo courtesy of San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art teamed up with Limatus bespoke for an exclusive fashion show.

Ad Placement 300x100

Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

San Antonio International Airport clears runway for 1st nonstop flight to Europe

booking tix now

Big news for Texas travelers: San Antonio International Airport's first-ever nonstop flights to Europe will begin in 2024.

Passengers can now book tickets via Condor Airlines for flights from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) to Germany's Frankfurt Airport (FRA) between May 17 and September 6, 2024. Flights will initially operate three days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – and flights to Frankfurt are expected to take a little more than 10 hours, while flights coming in from overseas will last about 11.5 hours.

The seasonal service is a "spectacular win" for the city, according to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and could bring in an estimated $34 million annually. The airport has been seeing wins left and right, having just been named one of the nation's least stressful airports, and consistently handling busier and busier days.

"Germany is where San Antonio has the most demand for travel in Europe because of the cultural, historic, tourism, military, and business ties," Mayor Nirenberg said in a news conference on September 21.

San Antonio Airport System Director of Airports Jesus Saenz foreshadows that the SAT-FRA flight is "just the beginning" of possible flight expansions for the airport in the future.

"We fully believe San Antonio will utilize this service to Europe and take advantage of Condor’s extremely competitive airfares," he said. "Once that happens, we anticipate Condor will expand their services even further."

The airline will be using a brand new Airbus A330-900neo aircraft for the nonstop flights, which features 30 business class seats, 64 premium economy seats, and 216 economy seats.

"With our growing fleet of A330neos, we can provide better travel options to more Americans every year," said Condor CEO Ralf Teckentrup said in a release. "I am particularly proud to offer the only nonstop connection from San Antonio, Texas to Frankfurt, Germany – the heart of Europe, where travelers can enjoy the popular touristic sights of Germany or travel beyond conveniently by air, road, or rail. I invite everyone to try out our newest and most luxurious in-flight experience ever."

Monday flights will depart from SAT at 10:05 pm and arrive in Frankfurt at 3:20 pm the following day. Returning flights from FRA on Mondays will depart at 3:40 pm and arrive at SAT at 8:05 pm.

For Wednesday and Friday flights, departures from SAT will take place at 8:25 pm and arrive at FRA at 1:40 pm the next day. Returning flights from FRA will depart at 2:00 pm and arrive at SAT at 6:25 pm.

New honky-tonk surprisingly two-steps into St. Paul's Square

SPUR OF THE MOMENT

When Steve Mahoney first relaunched Francis Bogside and sibling wine bar, Anne’s, in the former home of Smoke BBQ, rumors circulated on how he would use the expansive upstairs space. Now, San Antonio has its answer. In a surprise move, the veteran bar owner debuted his latest venture — honky-tonk concept Blayne’s — on September 22.

The name pays homage to the late Blayne Tucker, the former co-owner of the Mix and managing partner of Floore’s Country Store. A tireless advocate for the city’s musical scene, he helped usher in the Save Our Stages Act, assisting hundreds of venues to stay afloat nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[Blayne’s] impact in San Antonio is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Mahoney via a release. “We hope to continue his efforts and support live music in the city.”

Fittingly, music will be in the air at Blayne’s, starting with The Babylonz and DJ Guero Vaquero from 5 pm to 2 am on the soft opening night. A large dance floor, pool tables, and bar games complete the honky-tonk vibe.

Like many of Mahoney’s bars, Blayne’s has a solid food program. The Tex-Mex fusion menu features eclectic pub grub like red curry short rib mini tacos, southwest eggrolls, street corn bites, smoked barbacoa pizza, and customizable nachos. The initial press announcement didn’t deeply discuss the drink options but promised margaritas, house cocktails, and beer.

Though no official announcement has been made, Mahoney has another bar up his sleeve. The Francis Bogside website teases the January 2024 opening of Robert’s, named after Mahoney’s late business partner, Robert Darilek. Details, including the location, are slim, but the landing page touts “feature club-style seating, an extensive whiskey list, and a cigar menu.”

Following the September 22 sneak peek, Blayne’s will be open Wednesday through Saturday, 5 pm to 2 am.

Photo by TXTroublemaker

Blayne's food menu includes red curry short rib mini tacos.

San Antonio contemporary art sale preps red dots for 33rd year

The eye of the beholder

Sometimes it feels like the only art most people will ever have in their homes is funky craft market finds, but one San Antonio art hub is making its contemporary curation accessible in a popular annual sale. The 33rd annual Red Dot Sale is returning soon.

Held at Contemporary at Blue Star, the exhibition and celebration of local artists officially opens to the public on October 6th. Don't fret if you can't make it to the opening weekend, as the Red Dot art sale will be on display until January 9, 2024. Eager art buyers will even be able to look at pieces for purchase online at the official Blue Star Red Dot website.

There will be a special opening night celebration on October 4 from 6-10 pm, where guests who purchase a ticket will be able to preview the artwork on display and for sale from more than 100 San Antonio based artists. (The event page also teases a silent disco after-party.)

Previous Red Dot Sales have reportedly seen prices as low as $200, so there really are works available for most budgets.

The Red Dot Art Sale is a fundraiser that helps keep Contemporary at Blue Star running year after year. According to this year's call for submissions (now closed), half the proceeds from the event go toward funding Contemporary at Blue Star's ongoing exhibitions, and half will go to the artists who put their work on display.

Continuing the ongoing theme of supporting talented local artists, the Red Dot exhibition also features an honored artist who has consistently displayed dedication to supporting the San Antonio arts scene.

This year that chosen honoree is Cathy Cunningham-Little, an artist inspired by explorations of illusions versus reality.

According to Cunningham-Little's official biography, her central theme in her pieces were inspired by her father's loss of sight due to a genetic disorder.

In Cunningham-Little's own words, viewers of her artwork are, "asked to become an active participant in a dialogue with the work as they experience the dissolution of boundaries between substance and space."

The sale also spotlights Andi Rodriguez as this year's distinguished patron, as well as the MOSAIC Student Artists — a group of high school students who study studio art and business in an after-school program with the Contemporary.

The Red Dot exhibition and sale will also feature augmented reality (AR), thanks to a partnership with a San Antonio-based art tech startup called Kaleido. Guests who attend the show will be able to utilize Kaleido's AR to hear straight from the artists about their work (as opposed to reading a placard describing what the artwork is supposed to be).

“I am thrilled that Red Dot celebrates San Antonio’s vastly rich community of artists,” said the Contemporary’s Executive Director Mary Heathcott in a release. “I am also excited to partner with Kaleido, which has the potential to share Red Dot works and artists across the globe. With innovation being one of our pillars, this new partnership will elevate the Red Dot show to an immersive augmented reality engagement.”

Tickets ($75) for the opening event are still available in a limited quantity — purchase them via Eventbrite.

View All Listings

Weekend Event Guide

State of the Arts

State of the Arts

Luck of the draw

OLD IS THE NEW NEW

hot headlines

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

booking tix now

SPUR OF THE MOMENT

The eye of the beholder