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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Spanish fast fashion brand ripens at La Cantera, plus more top stories

hot headlines

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. Here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Spanish fashion giant picks La Cantera for first San Antonio store. According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Spanish fashion giant Mango is building its first San Antonio store.

2. San Antonio Airport redesign takes flight with stunning new renderings. The Terminal Development Program will transform the main terminal into a space worthy of one of the largest cities in the United States.

3. First-of-its-kind Hill Country resort blends acclaimed Texas winery, brewery, and spa. Carter Creek Winery, Resort & Spa stands high on a hill overlooking U.S. Hwy. 290, just off a swerve-fast-or-you’ll-miss-it exit outside Johnson City.

4. Former Spurs owner and Texas tycoon Red McCombs passes away in San Antonio at 95. Under McCombs' leadership Clear Channel Communications (now iHeart Radio) became the largest radio and advertising media company in the world.

5. Kayak and paddle board rentals make a splash at 2 San Antonio lakes. The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department has approved a license agreement for non-motorized watercraft rentals with Austin-based The Expedition School.

Courtesy of San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs continue 50th anniversary celebrations with legendary bobblehead nights

Spurs Legends

After launching a delicious celebratory ice cream and exclusive merch with H-E-B last month, the San Antonio Spurs are keeping the 50th anniversary party going with even more collector's items. At special games throughout this season, the team will release exclusive bobblehead giveaways to the first 10,000 fans — as well as opportunities to meet former team legends in person.

The giveaways started on November 7, with George Gervin bobbleheads kicking off the collectible five-part series. This week, the team celebrates a special “1999 Championship Night” during the Friday, December 2 game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The night will honor San Antonio’s first-ever championship with a David Robinson bobblehead and a pre-game meet-and-greet with 1999 Champion Sean Elliott.

A two-time NBA Champion with the Spurs (1999 and 2003), Robinson was a 10-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 1995 MVP. The Spurs retired his No. 50 jersey in the rafters of the AT&T Center after his 14-year career, all of which he played with the Spurs. Elliott's jersey is also retired, and he likewise helped the Spurs capture the 1999 Championship, perhaps most notably with his game-winning three-pointer dubbed the “Memorial Day Miracle” in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The five-part series will ultimately come together as one unit to form a Spurs river barge, made popular during the team’s championship celebrations. This week's David Robinson giveaway will be available to early-arriving attendees, and the chance to meet Elliott will take place on the main concourse at 6 pm.

To get ready to party like it's 1999, fans can watch the pilot episode of the Spurs 50th anniversary The Ring of the Rowel docuseries titled “99 Championship”. A full list of remaining River Barge Bobblehead nights is below:

1999 Championship Night – December 2 vs. New Orleans: David Robinson Bobblehead, presented by Frost
2003 Championship Night – December 12 vs. Cleveland: Tim Duncan Bobblehead, presented by H-E-B
2005 Championship Night – February 1, 2023, vs. Sacramento: Manu Ginobili Bobblehead, presented by Self Financial
2007 Championship Night – March 2, 2023, vs. Indiana: Tony Parker Bobblehead, presented by SWBC

Single game tickets for all games at the AT&T Center for the 50th anniversary season are available for purchase at Spurs.com and on Ticketmaster.

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Latin lords Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull team up for Trilogy tour headed to San Antonio

the big 3

Three of pop music's biggest powerhouses are headed to San Antonio for a star-studded fall tour. Latin superstars Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull will share the stage together for the first time ever as part of The Trilogy Tour, which will hit arenas across America this fall.

This new 19-city tour produced by Live Nation kicks off in Washington, D.C., on October 14. The tour hits San Antonio on Sunday, November 19 at the AT&T Center as part of three-city Texas stop. Other shows include a stop at American Airlines Center in Dallas, on Friday, November 17 and Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, November 18.

As one would expect, the megastars promise to deliver an electrifying mix of their biggest, career-spanning hits with tastes of reggaeton, salsa pop, dance, and electronic all thrown in for good measure. Each showman will backed by world-class production and state-of-the-art visuals, per an announcement.

Live Nation recommends that fans register now through Sunday, June 4 at 11:59 pm ET for the Verified Fan presale here. Those who are selected to receive an access code will be able to participate in the Verified Fan presale starting on Wednesday, June 7. (More information on Verified Fan can be found here).

A limited number of tickets will be sold during a general on sale starting at 10 am Friday, June 9 at Ticketmaster.com — while supplies last.

Expect a slew of VIP packages and experiences, which include perks like an invitation to the pre-show VIP lounge, exclusive VIP tour poster, specially designed VIP gift item and more. More VIP information can be found at vipnation.com.

From prince to King Enrique

The son of Latin king Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias has evolved from promising pop prince to arguably the biggest Latin recording artist in music history, with a wow-worthy 154 No. 1 single’s across Billboard charts and 27 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart. Iglesias currently holds the record for most number ones in the chart’s history.

At once a sultry crooner and poppy persona, he fluidly moves between English and Spanish and genres to the tune of more than 180 million albums sold worldwide, released 11 studio albums, and three greatest hits compilations. To date, Iglesias has headlined 10 sold-out world tours and performed in front of more than 10 million fans.

Known for big collabs with Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Pitbull, and more, he boasts multiple Grammy, Billboard, ASCAP, and more major awards. His 14 billion views on YouTube/VEVO and 14 billion in streams make him one the most streamed and viewed artists on the planet.

"I am incredibly excited to be going on tour with my friends Pitbull and Ricky," Iglesias said in a tour announcement. "The Trilogy Tour will be an amazing experience for ALL of our fans. It’s going to be a once in a lifetime tour."

La Vida Ricky

A fresh-faced poser boy for '80s pop group Menudo, Ricky Martin grew up before fans eyes into a hunky, bellowing singer known for leaving it all out onstage. Often dubbed the "King of Latin Pop," Martin has scored more than 180 awards and multiple Grammy Awards, most recently for the EP Pausaa nd the album PLAY, which features collaborations with Bad Bunny, Residente, and Sting.

The Puerto Rico native is also an accomplished actor, flexing his chops and earning an Emmy nomination in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He's next set to star in the highly anticipated Apple TV series Palm Royale, alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett.

Martin has championed HIV and AIDS causes and founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, which actively fights against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. He is a Global Ambassador for UNICEF, has received the Hispanic Federation's "Humanitarian Award" and the Human Rights Campaign's "National Visibility Award." The City of New York declared "Ricky Martin Day" to honor his musical legacy and charitable work.

"Going back on the road with not only Enrique, but now with Pitbull it’s very exciting," Martin notes in a statement. "This tour will be a wild party from beginning to end so get ready, it's going to be epic!"

Mr. Worldwide

Grammy-winning showman Pitbull — aka Mr. Worldwide — has a golden touch when it comes to singalong party anthems and killer shows. As an artist, the Miami performer boasts billions of audio streams and video views plus hundreds of gold and platinum certifications. As an entrepreneur, he co-owns the NASCAR racing team Trackhouse and tours with life strategy guru Tony Robbins on motivational speaking engagements.

Famed for his fiesta vibe, Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez is dead serious about education as he helped establish the nationwide Sports Leadership Arts and Management (SLAM!), tuition-free public charter schools.

“It’s a true honor to tour with Enrique and Ricky, 2 music icons, who broke global music barriers for our culture and open doors for someone like myself,” said Pitbull. “We’re excited to take The Trilogy tour around the world and give our fans the time of their Trilogy lives, Dale!"

Here are the official dates for The Trilogy Tour:

Sat Oct 14 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Tue Oct 17 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Fri Oct 20 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Sat Oct 21– Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Oct 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Sat Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Wed Nov 01 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Fri Nov 03 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Thu Nov 09 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center

Fri Nov 10 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center

Fri Nov 17 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sat Nov 18 – Houston – Toyota Center

Sun Nov 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center

Fri Nov 24 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat Nov 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Thu Nov 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Wed Dec 06 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center

Fri Dec 08 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Dec 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Enrique Iglesias/Facebook

Music royal Enrique Iglesias joins Ricky Martin and Pitbull.

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.”

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

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