San Antonio Spurs help build new kid-designed playground in Uvalde

Healing and happiness

Courtesy Spurs

Who is better equipped to design a playground than children themselves? This week, multiple organizations teamed together to help build a new play space at Uvalde C.I.S.D. Dual Language Academy.

The project included design input from the students themselves, as well as a collaborative effort from groups eager to foster healing and growth in Uvalde, including the San Antonio Spurs and their Sport for Healing Fund.

Launched in the wake of the May 2022 Uvalde tragedy, the Sport for Healing fund aims to provide long-term support for the Uvalde community by creating and investing in trauma and healing-centered care for youth and families.According to a release, the new playground at Uvalde C.I.S.D Dual Language Academy is the first major project funded by the organization.

The partnership also included KABOOM!, a non-profit nationwide organization whose mission is to help build community playgrounds across the country and end playspace inequity.

"Throughout the history of our organization, our work has been rooted in the healing power of play," shared Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM! via release. "As we continue to partner with Uvalde in bold, new ways, we hope that KABOOM! can play a small role in supporting the community as they continue to heal and create amazing places for the kids to play, learn, and just be happy and healthy kids.”

Other organizations that assisted with the Uvalde playground project included the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, The Community Foundation Uvalde Forever Fund, and Bank of America. The playground itself was built by a group of 150 dedicated volunteers.

The Uvalde C.I.S.D Dual Language Academy playground is just the beginning: The city of Uvalde has partnered with KABOOM! and their 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity. The five-year nationwide plan includes a plan to build 10 playgrounds in Uvalde, of and this is the third playground space built in Uvalde through the KABOOM! partnership.

Coach Norma Jean Sandoval, a dedicated Uvalde C.I.S.D employee for over 20 years best summed up why the playground project was so important: "Playgrounds are where nothing else matters. Kids can play freely and laugh together outside of a structured classroom environment. This playground will allow them some much needed fun and relaxation from what’s happening in the world around them."

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Cookie Plug/ Facebook

6 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Hip-hop bake shop drops first San Antonio location

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

Californian-based sweet shop Cookie Plug is firing up its first San Antonio franchise. Inspired by '80s and '90s hip-hop culture, the store serves "thicc" cookies in graffitied environment pulled from a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air DVD cover. The first of several planned franchises is set to debut at 3830 N. Loop 1604 E. #103 on April 15, according to a Facebook announcement.

Hospitality nonprofit Saint City Culinary Foundation has called it a day after six years of serving the hospitality community. Via an Instagram statement, founder Joel Rivas briefly explained that the decision wasn't taken lightly but was the best course of action. One of the foundation's signature programs, however, will live on. Mental health support group Heard will continue serving workers as an online group under the stewardship of Amie Ward.

P.F. Chang's giant horses have trotted into New Braunfels. According to a release, the third San Antonio-area location debuted on April 5, continuing the company's efforts to rebrand its outposts as "bistro" concepts. The announcement didn't precisely specify what differentiates the old from the new. Still, as long as they have lettuce wraps, the customer base will surely be happy.

A fixture of Boerne's dining scene will soon serve its last schnitzel. In a social media statement, Little Gretel owner chef-owner Denise Maza announced that she was shuttering the long-running Czech-German restaurant on April 30. Maza had previously shared her retirement plan, opening the property for lease in January.

In brighter Boerne news, 28 Songs Brewhouse + Kitchen will officially debut on March 13. Located in the Main & Market development at 110 Market Ave., the veteran-owned business will serve pub grub and guest beers before introducing its own beer in May.

Tommy Bahama, the unofficial vacation outfitter of middle-aged men, is bringing some hibiscus-hued hospitality to the Shops at La Cantera. According to records at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the brand plans to open its Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar in the tony shopping center. Guests can expect a vaguely tropical menu and some Ernest Hemingway steez after the construction wraps up in late October.

Garcia Street Urban Farm/ Facebook

Tito's cultivates community in San Antonio's community gardens

OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD

Though widespread urban agriculture has been common in Austin for decades, it is a relatively new phenomenon in San Antonio. Still, community leaders have long envisioned a local food system that encourages healthy eating and fights food insecurity. Now, a partnership between a beloved Texas spirits brand and an environmental nonprofit is finding ways to propel the movement forward.

Green Spaces Alliance (GSA) and a Tito's Handmade Vodka initiative called Love, Tito's Block to Block are again joining forces for a collaborative effort to transform four community gardens into regional "hubs" in San Antonio, Texas. The gardens — Eagle's Nest Community Garden, Garcia Street Farm, High Country Community Garden, and Labor Serena Community Garden — will serve as centers of learning, sharing, and community engagement for local gardeners seeking mentorship.

The partner's latest project will sprout at Garcia Street Farm on April 14. The East Side plot — created by the Alamo Colleges District and the San Antonio Housing Authority — will get a makeover as volunteers work together to redesign and expand the garden, focusing on herb, vegetable, and cut flower growing areas to support local farmers. The workers will also help expand the existing irrigation, ensuring that the garden can continue to thrive and provide fresh produce to the community.

Though the work will provide beautiful green space for San Antonians to enjoy, it will also nourish underserved communities. GSA's community gardens provide much-needed access to fresh produce in local food deserts. According to the organization, one in four low-income residents in San Antonio lack access to healthy food.

The mission dovetails with Love, Tito's, the charitable arm of the vodka giant. Since 2019, its Block to Block program has worked alongside nonprofits to create green spaces, including community gardens and farms. This year, the initiative will spread to more than 35 cities, including Denver, Indianapolis, New York City, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Newark, San Antonio, and more.

Those interested in getting involved in GSA can find more information via Facebook or Instagram. The organization hosts a bevy of community programming, including art classes, workshops, lunch-and-learns, and hike and volunteer days.

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 the World Affairs Council of San Antonio

Local philanthropic force honored as International Citizen of the Year

KUDOS

Since 1985, the World Affairs Council has honored an individual who has significantly contributed to San Antonio's growth as an international city. Last week, the Council celebrated a giant in the city's social justice community, Waheeda Thawerbhoy Kara, as International Citizen of the Year.

Kara's commitment to community service sprung out of hardship. She lost her father during childhood as her family fled genocide in her native Bangladesh. But the challenges of being a young refugee only ignited a lifelong devotion to giving back. Guided by her Shia Ismaili Muslim faith, she has been a civic service force for over 35 years.

According to a release, Kara has been working with the City of San Antonio since 2008, when she co-developed the Muslim Cultural Heritage Society. Among her cultural contributions are spearheading the first city-sponsored Eid Festival and bringing the Aga Khan Foundation's Partnership Walk to San Antonio. More recently, she was selected to serve on the Mayor's Council on Police Community Relations.

Her involvement with nonprofits has spanned more than 35 years. Currently, she is the president of the National Inter-organizational Collaborative, an Interfaith Committee member at San Antonio Food Bank, and an Advisory Board member at UTHSC Mays Cancer Center. The work has led to widespread recognition, including being named a Woman of Substance by Dream Week and being honored by a state resolution.

"Waheeda Thawerbhoy Kara is the epitome of international citizenship," said Mayor Ron Nirenberg via release. "Her story is one of tireless work on behalf of our community and our world through an array of nonprofits..."

Kara was honored on March 15 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. The award ceremony included a keynote speech from Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Photo courtesy of Speak As One

New Texas-based mental health subscription box plans national launch in 2023

Speak Now and Hold Your Peace

Mental health apps are so alluring, but once you’ve recorded your two-week streak and things are feeling a little more organized, it can be hard to keep going. It’s hard enough to keep up with journaling and a great bedtime routine, and many lovely self-help tools also lose their effectiveness when the novelty wears off.

A smart company might harness that novelty as its hook — and an easily distracted self-helper won’t fall off the wagon. Like many other companies in the mental health space, Speak As One will work on a subscription model, but this one won’t languish, unused on a credit card statement. The service, which plans to launch in Austin during SXSW in spring 2023, delivers boxes of tangible mental health tools, inspiration, games, and even sensory objects that act as a monthly nudge to try something new, and curiosity takes care of the rest.

A sample box included:

Stress balls with short inspirational phrases by MindPanda
An Emotional First Aid Kit containing advice for situations as they come up, like sleeplessness and feelings of inadequacy
Tiny colorful putties at different resistances by Flint Rehab
A notebook, and two books: Athlete Mental Health Playbook and 1000 Unique Questions About Me
Other small items

It’s more than packing and shipping out a few toys each month. The boxes are curated with help from a licensed therapist, who leaves a personal note along with tips on how to use the items inside and additional resources. There is one type of box right now that aims to “reduce anxiety, increase mindfulness, and promote peace and balance,” but for further customization (for $10 more), the team is working on boxes tailored to first responders, veterans, athletes, and people in “recovery.”

Speak As One emphasizes community stories in its branding outside the delivery box, and uses inspiration from “influencers” (less content creators and more so people who can embody a relatable story) to build the specialty boxes. The company’s YouTube channel shares dozens of interviews with founder Julie Korioth, a former board member for Austin’s SIMS Foundation, a well-respected mental health resource for members of the local music industry.

“With hundreds of millions of people struggling with mental health, and COVID making the issue much worse, society continues to ostracize those who openly discuss mental health issues,” said Korioth in a release. “I founded this company so we can change the way the world sees, discusses, and supports mental health. Our goal is to promote empathy, connectedness, acceptance, and thoughtfulness with an innovative toolkit that caters to specific needs."

In addition to offering a nudge, these boxes could make great care packages for a loved one who is feeling introspective or going through a significant life event. It is possible to buy gift boxes, if presentation is your thing, but it’d be just as easy to repackage a box that comes before the receiver ready to appreciate the items at home.

The cost of one box is manageable at $49.99 (especially considering the retail value of products included, which the sample box far exceed), but for many subscribers this adds up fast. Luckily, there is no pressure to continue a lengthy commitment — subscriptions last between one and six months, so users have plenty of time to reconsider and sit with the items that have already been delivered.

"The goal is to meet our audience at any phase of their mental health journey,” said Korioth. “We’re creating change and a global life-long support system for children and adults dealing with mental health challenges. We simultaneously highlight businesses, the tech community, athletes, and artists doing wonderful work in this space.”

The company plans to partner with corporations to connect with employees and provide boxes to individuals the company chooses, and will turn some content into session albums with sales proceeds dedicated to mental health research.

More information and links to preorder are available at speakasone.com.

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Property Showcase

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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