San Antonio arts soar with these 8 June exhibits

State of the Arts

Photo courtesy San Antonio Art League

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.”

Joe Gatto/Instagram

Here are the top 5 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

Artful experiences, comedic commentary, and a little bit of bubbly are on our agenda over the next few days. Enjoy brunch by Landrace with sparkling wine on the barges at Go Rio, or see comedian Joe Gatto live for a night of laughs. Check out the top five things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, June 1

McNay Art Museum presents "Big Little Stage"
Explore a selection of small-scale and large-scale models of stage productions, known as maquettes, at the McNay Art Museum’s newest exhibition. Featured small-scale maquettes include a miniature Hanging Gardens of Babylon (1860) by Victor St. Leon and a substantial ship’s prow by William Dudley for Billy Bud (1976). Large-scale pieces displayed include the Trojan Horse by Helen Pond and Herbert Senn for Les Troyens (1972) and a futuristic set by Ralph Koltai for Shakespeare’s Othello (1985). Following opening weekend, this exhibition on display through February 2024.

Friday, June 2

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts presents Josh Gates: An Evening of Legends, Mysteries and Tales of Adventure
Explorer and Discovery Channel star Josh Gates shares stories of his most notable adventures, and insights on famous mysteries live at Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Fans can expect an immersive and exciting recount of Gates’ global journeys and discoveries with sharp detail. Ticket options include general admission and a VIP meet and greet package offering.

Majestic Theatre presents Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy
Joe Gatto brings his comedic talents to the stage for an evening of certain laughter. He’s best known for his improvisational roles in hit shows Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index, both of which require thick skin and an impenetrable sense of embarrassment. Check out majesticempire.com for ticket details.

Max Stalling in concert
Country music singer-songwriter and Texan Max Stalling takes the stage at Gruene Hall for one night only. He’s best known for his live projects, including a full-length DVD, and hits songs “The Pila Song” and “Ping Pong, Pool.” General admission tickets are available at thundertix.com.

Sunday, June 4

Joe Gatto/Instagram

Joe Gatto takes the Majestic Theatre stage on June 2.

Thompson San Antonio Bubbles + Bagels Brunch on a Boat
Float into the new week ahead on an effervescent cloud of boozy bubbles at this brunch-inspired Thompson San Antonio boating event. The swanky hotel’s restaurant, Landrace, is now offering a brunch experience complete with sparkling sips on the historically famous Go Rio river barges. Get more information and tickets on Eventbrite

Courtesy The Carver Cultural Community Center

6 San Antonio exhibits to warm your heart and soul this February

State of the Arts

All you need is art this month in Alamo City with fresh and fearless exhibits: Some will tickle your fancy; others, your psyche. Explore JooYoung Choi’s imaginary world at The Contemporary, or immerse yourself in the history of the Mexican-American War of 1848 with representations from various artists at the Centro Cultural Aztlan. Guy Blair brings San Antonio’s unhoused population into careful focus with painted portraits at the Semmes Gallery, while the San Antonio Museum of Art transports viewers into “Roman Landscapes” providing birds-eye perspectives and fantastical views. There's something for everyone this February.

Centro Cultural Aztlan

“Segundo de Febrero: Chicana/Chicano Reunion” — Now through February 24
February 2 marks the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The landmark treaty ended the Mexican-American War, redistributed the border, and created a new bicultural population. In this exhibition, a group of celebrated artists will explore the impact of broken treaties, new borders, and their effects on Latino, Chicano, and indigenous history and culture.

The Contemporary at Blue Star

“JooYoung Choi: Songs of Resilience from the Tapestry of Faith” — February 3 through May 7
Through painting, video, sculpture, animation, music ,and installation art, multidisciplinary world-builder JooYoung Choi documents the interconnecting narratives of a highly structured, expansive, fictional land she calls the "Cosmic Womb." Her work explores issues of identity, belonging, trauma, and resilience through the sci-fi/fantasy genre. This exhibition introduces the Cosmic Womb multiverse and highlights some of its key characters and narratives. In creating a world that explores loss, healing, and growth based upon a connective web of belief and faith in oneself, Choi expresses human resiliency and the strength that can be found through the power of storytelling.

Centro de Artes

“Soy de Tejas: A Statewide Survey of Latinx Art” — February 9 through July 2
Soy de Tejas presents the works of 40 native Texan and Texas-based contemporary artists who reflect the diverse and beautiful complexity of Latinx identities. The more than 100 artworks forge new connections and explore intersections from a nexus of artists who ambitiously blaze a trail of contemporary artmaking, presenting fresh Latinx perspectives and experiences while amplifying the voices of a segment of Texas' most inspiring established and emerging artists. “The exhibit explores themes ranging from race, class, and gender to migration, mythmaking, displacement, and indigeneity," says curator Rigoberto Luna on the gallery's website. "In contrast, many works center on celebrating joyful customs, culture, and traditions that unite and sustain our communities in the face of a multitude of challenges."

Semmes Gallery - University of the Incarnate Word

“Homeless in San Antonio” — February 17 through March 17
Guy Blair is largely self-taught as an artist in the medium of pastels and watercolor. He always wanted “to do” art but was devoted to his ministry as a priest. For the past 40 years as a Catholic priest, he has ministered to both the deaf and homeless communities. In the past eight years, he has seriously paid attention to his desire to paint. This exhibit is a blending of his service to the homeless as well as his interest in art. “As we walk by homeless people on the streets of San Antonio, most people tend to look through them or judge them as perhaps deserving of the situation they are in,” Blair said in an artist statement. “This attitude allows people to build an emotional barrier, giving them permission not to connect with the homeless as destitute people whose suffering and tears are as real as our own.”

The Carver Cultural Community Center

“Alain Gakwaya"— February 23 through April 14
Alain Gakwaya hails from Rwanda and is a self-described, “activist, artist, and adventurer.” His love for art began in the 3rd grade, when his teacher requested that he draw for his entire class. Specializing in portraiture, Gakwaya paints to tell his story and the stories of his homeland. Though he's now based in San Antonio, he draws inspiration from everyday life in Africa and specifically his home country of Rwanda.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Courtesy of the Carver Cultural Community Center

Alain-Gakwaya's work is coming to the Carver Cultural Community Center this month.

“Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii” — February 24 through May 21
The exhibition features 65 wall paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and cameo glass and silver vessels created in Roman Italy between 100 BC and AD 250. “Roman Landscapes” introduces visitors to the cultural and archaeological contexts of Roman landscapes, beginning with mural paintings and relief sculptures that depict coastal villas and rustic shrines. These works display the imaginary aspects of Roman images of the natural world, connecting the genre’s appearance to the political and social upheaval of the late Republic and early Empire. Fantastical views of Egypt and Greece reflect ancient fascination with these celebrated lands incorporated into the Roman Empire. Mythological paintings then reveal landscape scenes as settings for hazardous encounters between humans and the gods.

Courtesy of Semmes Gallery - University of the Incarnate Word

6 San Antonio exhibits to enthrall and delight the senses this month

State of the Arts

Jump into January and Alamo City’s jubilant art scene with six diverse and dynamic shows. Catch the final days of the celebration of “la Virgen de Guadalupe” at the Centro Cultural Aztlan, or journey with artist Maverick Pascal into mental health, self-reflection, and healing with his show at the Carver. From images of red peppers at Semmes Gallery representing strong Latina women, to an exploration of color at the McNay, there are treasures to discover in the city’s galleries, museums, and art spaces once you take the plunge.

Centro Cultural Aztlan

“Celebracion a la Virgen de Guadalupe” — Now through January 20
Every year, Centro Cultural Aztlan produces an annual “Celebracion a la Virgen de Guadalupe.” The event explores this icon's significance in the Latin American community, where in December of 1531 she first appeared in Mexico, speaking in the native tongue of the Aztecs. Visitors can experience this “phenomenon” through a visual narrative showcasing a myriad of artistic representations by some of San Antonio’s most noted artists. This exhibition is one of the oldest and most reverend featuring La Virgen de Guadalupe as the main theme and includes a special art installation by nationally recognized floral designer, Henry De Leon.

The McNay

“The Art of Color” — Now through June 1
The McNay has taken a cross section of artwork from their permanent collection and organized it by color. Through three galleries, explore works of art with warm, monochromatic, and cool colors. This installation encourages close up observations and introspections, and serves as an introduction to the variety of objects in the McNay’s Collection.

Carver Community Cultural Center

“Maverick Pascal: MAVP365” — January 5 through February 17
Maverick Pascal is a multidisciplinary artist who uses his work to highlight self-reflection and mental health as a personal journey. His inspiration comes from different parts of his trauma, lessons from his healing, or learning from the journeys of others. The geometrical fragments and broken pieces used in his work draw inspiration from the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken objects are mended with gold to become more beautiful. In 2020, he dedicated himself to creating at least one piece a day for the entire year, hence the name of this show, MAVP365. He started with sketches and then expanded back into charcoal on paper, acrylic paint on canvas, and digital works. On this journey, he came upon the realization that he was progressively connecting with his inner child.

Sala Diaz

“Kim Bishop: Threads & After Shocks” — January 6 through 28
According to Carl Jung, we live in the entanglement of the past, present and future; a collective consciousness he called “a sympathy for all things.” Jung inspired Kim Bishop who draws with her grandmother’s thread (literally and metaphorically), the continuous line of her path, as she journeys through a world that seems familiar but is not. The drawings and drawing processes in this exhibition are a way for Bishop to navigate the social condition of her time in her constant endeavor to measure the standards that determine her worth. “My imagery focuses on the entanglement of body, time and movement which carries a universal theme of quantum remembrance and the repetition of the physical world that I live in today,” Bishop says in her artist statement.

Semmes Gallery - University of the Incarnate Word

“Elizabeth Rodriguez: Las Mera Meras" — January 15 through February 10
Las Mera Meras is a painting of a group of red peppers reflected on a shiny maple tabletop, serious, tough, and unified. Las Mera Meras is a symbolic portrait representing strong Latina women as observed by the artist at a café downtown she frequented. Elizabeth Rodriguez began her career as a self-taught artist in oil painting and later apprenticed with other artists.

Courtesy of Semmes Gallery - University of the Incarnate Word

Las mera_meras by Elizabeth Rodriguez at Semmes Gallery

UTSA Main Art Gallery

“Refined Reflections into the Formidable: Contemporary Latino Art from the Zoe Diaz Collection” — January 27 through March 11
This exhibition features twenty artists whose works span a broad range of approaches in exquisite large-scale and intimate paintings, drawings, photographs, and mixed-media sculptures regarding themes of power and pride in cultural legacies, spirituality, family, and everyday life.

Courtesy Artpace

4 dynamic San Antonio art exhibits to explore this December

State of the Arts

Revel in the arts this month in San Antonio with four distinct and dynamic shows. “L.A. to S.A.” brings together diverse artists to highlight similarities within the Latinx art community, while Jessica Harvey holds a mirror to natural sites in the Texas landscape in “soft earth hard sky” at Sala Diaz. Wherever your whimsy takes you this winter and throughout the holiday season, the arts will be a welcome addition.

Mercury Project

“L.A. to S.A. Presented by Motherling” — Now through December 23
“L.A. to S.A.” brings together a diverse group of artists that highlight the vast similarities within the Latinx art community. These similarities bring with them a feeling of home, familiarity, and comfort. The artists bring these feelings to the surface all while highlighting their own variances in themes and art practices. This exhibition is meant to explore the impact made within the communities, and how these impacts spread beyond each individual city, creating a larger network of ‘comunidad’ throughout the country.

Sala Diaz

“Jessica Harvey: soft earth hard sky” — Now through December 30
In this exhibit, Jessica Harvey holds a mirror to natural sites in the Texas landscape to search for self-reflected back in the sinkholes, waterways, and skies at daybreak. These in-between spaces offer an opportunity for the viewer to see collapse and sickness as a portal in addition to a void. Harvey is an artist and writer whose work explores the fractures of bodies, place, and history. Using photography, video, sound, and archival resources, the images and installations Harvey creates look to the psychology that one attaches to memory and place, putting a particular emphasis on the labor of care. Bone fragments, human hair, heartbeats, and the sounds of daybreak act as inspiration to illustrate the stories and rituals tied to death and living.

Artpace

“María José Crespo: Flaws in negotiation with non-cohesive sand” — Now through January 8
María José Crespo has created an environment that layers human presence, land, and water politics, and an ever-changing territory into a border poem. The voluminous sculptural works of steel, plaster, wood, and glass pay tribute to infrastructure and excess of materials visible along the border due to years of human construction and interaction. The video projection replicates informal communication through reflected light across a large landscape as a dancing flicker. The collage mural combines maps, treaties, photographs, documents, and artistic research strategies to create an alternative narrative of history. Likewise, bar codes, google maps, and even border security chats are among the poetic details in Crespo’s art.

Witte Museum

$Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Crespo$

Courtesy Artpace

María José Crespo''s works are on display at-Artpace.

“Beasley’s Vaqueros of the Brush County” — Now through March 20, 2023
Ricardo Beasley was an artist with the heart of a vaquero and one of the few artists in history who depicted the vaqueros of South Texas. Using pencils, charcoal and ink, Beasley’s drawings depict the details and wild action of the vaquero life from the 1930s through the 1960s. Beasley sketched continuously, capturing images of the landscape, the animals around him and the wild experiences of men born of the hard ranch land in South Texas. Many drawings were done in small tally books used to count cattle, on old grocery sacks, and anything he had to draw on or with. Beasley’s poems are featured in the exhibition alongside his sketches and artifacts from his life and family.

7 significant art shows shine in San Antonio this October

State of the Arts

For variety and diversity, you can’t beat the San Antonio art offerings this month. Immerse yourself in the fall season with an installation at Presa House focusing on traditional autumn celebrations like Día de Los Muertos, or Obon, the Japanese holiday honoring ancestors. Ponder over photography from Mexican and Mexican-American photographers at Semmes Gallery and Ruiz-Healy, and catch works celebrating San Antonio’s South Korean sister city, Gwangju, at Artpace. From examining the historical and cultural legacy of La Malinche and her representation throughout the years at the San Antonio Museum of Art, to art inspired by the creativity and freedom that comes from skateboarding at the Not For You Gallery, there’s an arts abundance for all to enjoy.

Semmes Gallery University of the Incarnate Word
“"Todo Bajo el Cielo" (Everything Under the Sky)” — Now through October 21
The work of Mexican photographers Anayantzin Contreras and José Luis Rodriguez Ritte explores the tensions embodied by their country’s syncretic heritage: tensions between nature and culture, instinct and intellect, design and improvisation, the local and the global, history and contemporaneity. In Contreras’ work, landscape becomes introspective, disembodied and ethereal, while Ritte explores idiosyncratic beauty: The portrait is a convergence of personal and social truths. Both artists focus on revealing the complexity and sophistication that, combined with a contemporary sensibility, reveal the adaptive, receptive nature of a culture in a constant state of renewal.

Art Gallery Prudencia
“Vibrant Colors: Soon Y. Warren” — Now through October 22
Bold, vibrant colors take center stage in this exhibit by South Korean artist Soon Y. Warren, full-time artist and teacher residing in Fort Worth. Soon's favorite subjects are those found in the natural world, and in that world, color is everywhere. "I’m inspired by the beauty and complexity of nature and our surroundings," she says in an artist statement. "I try to paint the essence of my subjects using my sincere feelings for nature."

Ruiz-Healy
“Celia Álvarez Muñoz: Semejantes Personajes/Significant Personalities ” — Now through October 22
In conjunction with FotoSeptiembre USA International Photography Festival this exhibition features a collection of forty-one portraits of four generations of San Antonio Latinx artists. Celia Álvarez Muñoz is a Mexican-American conceptual multimedia artist from El Paso known for her photography, painting, installations, and public art, as well as for her writing. In Álvarez Muñoz’s own words on the gallery website, these “portraits of San Antonio Latino visual artists are yet, another experiment: a courtship between old and new technologies, and old and new friends.” Artists from the gallery roster, such as Chuck Ramirez, César Augusto Martínez, Ethel Shipton, and Jesse Amado are included in the portraits.

Presa House
“Essentials Creative: Afterworld” — Now through October 29
"Afterworld” is a new site-specific installation that aims to create a comfortable space for marginalized communities to gather, learn about diverse cultures, and experience new contemporary artwork. “Afterworld” explores multiculturalism by combining new digital works printed on fabric, altar displays, video, and light experimentation. The installation focuses on traditional autumn celebrations like Mexico’s Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead, or Obon, the Japanese holiday honoring ancestors. The Gallery rooms will each transform to represent an afterlife theme inspired by different cultures.

Artpace
“Sister Cities: Gwangju to San Antonio” — Now through January 1, 2023
Since Gwangju, South Korea and San Antonio, Texas, became Sister Cities in 1982, the two communities have forged a friendship that has lasted 40 years. To embrace the traditional and contemporary diversity of art in Gwangju, this exhibition presents a variety of media, and introduces the academic thinking and artistic tradition that stems from the abundant nature of the region and the history that forms the basis of the Gwangju spirit reinterpreted into contemporary art. The works in “Sister Cities” embody the connectedness between the two places. Featured artists include: Haru.K, Seol Park, Namjin Lim, Eunsol Cho, Seonhooi Cheng, Youngsung Hwang, Junggi Lee, Leenam Lee, Jaeghil Woo, and Yonghyun Lim.

Not For You Gallery
"My Secret Skate Spots: Abel Aguirre” — October 7 through 28
Abel Aguirre was a skateboarder and a self-taught artist that spent most of his time skateboarding San Diego’s beaches and streets where he grew up. Skating’s creative and stylized culture had a significant effect on his artwork, as did famous artists such as Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. At age 21, Aguirre enlisted in the United States Navy and served for 20 years before retiring in San Antonio, where he has devoted his time to his art career. This exhibit is an expression of Aguirre’s artistic influences. His paint splatter is a nod to Jackson Pollock, the characters are reminiscent of Keith Haring, and the spontaneity of his canvases evokes Jean-Michel Basquiat. The subject is based on the creativity and freedom that comes from skateboarding.

Jesús Helguera (Mexican, 1910–71), La Malinche, 1941.

San Antonio Museum of Art
“Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche” — October 14 through January 8, 2023
This exhibit examines the historical and cultural legacy of La Malinche and her representation throughout the years. An enslaved Indigenous girl, Malinche served as a translator and cultural interpreter for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, eventually becoming his mistress and the mother of his first-born son. While she has been the subject of numerous historical publications and works of art, this is the first museum exhibition to present a comprehensive visual exploration of her enduring impact on communities along both sides of the US-Mexico border. Five hundred years after her death, her image and legacy remain relevant to conversations around female empowerment, Indigeneity, and national identity throughout the Americas. An immersive opera exploring the same themes will also take place in the museum's Great Hall on October 14.

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Sweet Los Angeles salad chain plants first San Antonio store

LETTUCE CELEBRATE

One of America's buzziest fast-casual brands has found its way to San Antonio. Sweetgreen, a Los Angeles-based chain known for locally sourced bowls and a contemporary brand identity, debuts at Quarry Village on June 6.

Founded in Washington, D.C., in 2006, the chain has become one of the U.S.'s fastest-growing concepts by reimagining fast food. Its menu focuses on gourmet grain bowls and salads augmented with healthier drinks and desserts.

Highlights include a spring asparagus salad overflowing with green vegetables and za'atar breadcrumbs, the warm Shroomami bowl with roasted sesame tofu and portobello, and a protein-packed green goddess salad with black lentils and chickpeas.

With a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2027, Sweetgreen commits itself to sustainable construction, a plant-heavy menu, and local sourcing when possible. The San Antonio newcomer works with local farms when possible, like Rio Fresh Farm, Fredericksburg Peach Co., Kitchen Pride, Village Farms, Bowers Shrimp Farm, and Banyan Foods.

That community commitment extends to working with locally serving nonprofits. For every meal sold on opening day, the restaurant will donate a meal to Brighter Bites, a national organization delivering fresh produce to underserved elementary school families.

Sweetgreen will also be bringing some opening day fun. The first 50 guests will receive a mystery box from Austin-based brand Kendra Scott, and the first 100 guests will receive a free print from local artist Maya Sokovic. Diners will also enjoy gelato and coffee from Paciugo and a live set from San Antonio deejay Alyson Alonzo.

San Antonio is a city with so much history, with a vibrant food and dining scene to match, and we couldn't be more excited to be joining the community," said Sweetgreen cofounder and CEO Jonathan Neman via a release. "We look forward to continuing our commitment of connecting residents in Texas to real, healthy, convenient food."

Once opened at 340 East Basse Rd. #101, Sweetgreen will have daily hours of 10:30 am- 9 pm.

Photo courtesy of Sweetgreen.

Sweetgreen greets visitos with a fresh, clean aesthetic.

Controversial comedian Dave Chappelle plots out 4 Texas arena shows, including San Antonio

Chappelle's Show(s)

Comedian/actor Dave Chappelle will soon bring his "Dave Chappelle Live" stand-up comedy show to arenas in four cities in Texas, including the AT&T Center in San Antonio on July 12

Other dates include the American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 29, the Toyota Center in Houston on July 1, and the Moody Center in Austin on July 14.

Chappelle is a complicated figure who's been celebrated for his trailblazing comedy and vilified for his controversial stances. Chappelle's Show, which ran from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central, was widely praised, and Chappelle remained extremely popular despite the abrupt end of the show and him choosing to recede from the spotlight in the following decade.

His re-emergence in the late 2010s brought success in the form of three straight Grammy wins for Best Comedy Album, but also continued jokes aimed at transgender people. He has been the subject of multiple protests over that material, and has even had a show canceled by a venue in Minneapolis after receiving criticism for hosting him.

As if to underscore the contentious nature of his comedy, no cellphones, cameras, or recording devices will be allowed at any of the four shows. All phones and smart watches will be secured in special pouches that can be unlocked at the end of the show. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected.

Tickets for the four shows will go on sale at 5 pm on June 5 at ticketmaster.com.

Endless creativity of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse keeps superhero story in overdrive

Movie Review

The blast of pure fun that was 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse accomplished several goals, but none more important than reclaiming the character from being part of just the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By not participating in the never-ending connecting stories of the MCU, the filmmakers could do whatever they wanted, first and foremost using Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) instead of Peter Parker as its main character.

It was also at the forefront of multiversal storytelling that has become the rage in the MCU and elsewhere. Given the multitude of Spider characters that have existed in the comics over the years, it was uniquely suited to telling a story with people from multiple universes. That concept is taken to the nth degree with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a film that has seemingly limitless levels of creativity.

Miles, having separated from Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and other Spider-people at the end of the first film, is doing well as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, casually protecting people from threats big and small. But when a highly unusual villain named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) proves especially tricky, a series of events has Miles follow Gwen into a portal where he encounters every other Spider character in existence.

Lest you think that’s hyperbole, among the people he meets are Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg), and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Revelations made while meeting all of them lead Miles to a whole new understanding of himself and the multiverse in general, with far-reaching consequences.

The filmmakers, once again led by writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, fill the screen with so many visual elements that at times it can be overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Unlike most animated films, there are multiple different styles employed throughout, and never knowing what to expect gives the film a kineticism that borders on manic, although it always stops short of being incomprehensible.

The storytelling is much more complex this time around, no surprise since it involves so many more characters. But the personal stories of each of the Spider characters, especially Miles and Gwen, maintain a grounded nature that keeps the plot anchored even while delving into increasingly fantastical territory.

Although this film deals with some darker themes, there is still plenty of humor to be had. The intersection of so many Spider characters highlights their differences, and the way they interact can’t help but be entertaining. Miles is still a 15-year-old kid, and the way he navigates the world(s) has a lightness to it that is a sharp contrast to the various adults in his life.

Moore, who’s not as well-known as some of his co-stars, has proven to be the perfect voice for Miles, making him relatable and powerful at the same time. Everyone else gives similarly great performances, although the fact that many of them are famous for their non-voicework doesn’t really play a factor in how well they come across here.

A third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is teased with a cliffhanger, and unlike other franchises where multiple films are unnecessary, there are no such reservations here. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse equals the success of the first film, and there is no doubt that the filmmakers will bring the same level of attention to detail to the end of the trilogy.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now running in theaters.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

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