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Public Reception for Latitudes at Lake|Flato

Please join Lake|Flato and the Contemporary at Blue Star for a free ART|LF event showcasing Latitudes, a group exhibition featuring Raul Rene Gonzales, Ethel Shipton, and Doerte Weber, that considers relationships between place and time, language and environment, and work and play through the practice of observing and recording one’s surroundings. The exhibition will be accompanied by a public reception with drinks + snacks.

As part of Lake|Flato’s office renovation, the ART|LF program is a cultural investment in the San Antonio art community and Lake|Flato workplace that features a series of rotating art exhibitions in their new office space. It was created to illuminate and steward our regional design + art ecosystem.

RSVP REQUIRED: RSVP HERE

Latitudes is curated by Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray with planning and programming support from Mary Heathcott, Garrett Jones, Evan Morris, and Vicki Yuan.

A Choice Affair: an art and self-care fair celebrating International Women’s Day

+ Free and open to the public

+ Register here

Women regularly sacrifice their own desires and needs in order to focus on others. But the movement needs you fiery, fresh and fabulous for the fight ahead. Join Planned Parenthood South Texas on Friday, March 8, to focus on yourself at this friendly and fun Feminist Friday event happening throughout the Blue Star Arts Complex. 

The Contemporary will be hosting two events: a Sound Bath with Audrey Stephens and a Self-Love Spell Kit workshop with Audrya Flores. Both events will take place in the MOSAIC Studio & Gallery. More details below!

All events are free but RSVPs are required. Registrants will be sent a map and the full schedule prior to the event.

Sound Bath at the MOSAIC Studio & Gallery

A sound bath is a full-body meditative experience where people lie down and listen to resonant sounds. The echoing sounds will ‘bathe’ you as you relax. Audrey Stephens will be proving this invigorating experience at the Contemporary’s MOSAIC Studio & Gallery, from 6–6:45pm. 

Massages will also be free to all attendees at various locations throughout the Blue Star Arts Complex. 

Self-Love Spell Kit

Have you ever created a spell before? Take a class with Audrya Flores and make your own self-love spell to help you feel empowered and comfortable in your own skin. We don’t need a love spell when we have love for ourselves. Come join us in this unique spell kit experience at the Contemporary’s MOSAIC Studio & Gallery, from 7–8pm.

Taco Talk with Michael Guerra Foerster and CAM Perennial Artists

+ Free and open to the public

+ Register here

Join us for breakfast tacos and an artist-led walkthrough with exhibiting artists, Michael Guerra Foerster and the CAM Perennial curator and artists! Learn more about the artwork, process, and the significance behind the work.

In partnership with Contemporary Art Month, Contemporary at Blue Star will host the 2024 CAM Perennial exhibition, Vernacular Systems, curated by Christopher Blay. Vernacular Systems highlights themes of interconnectivity from personal and globalized perspectives. The artists reflect on the human nature to connect to the world around us–from nature, to family, to work, and the day to day. They also critique histories and systems which thrive on disconnection yet resolve in knowing that even when connection is not visible, there exists networks of systems linking humanity, roots that may unify. Vernacular Systems features San Antonio and Houston artists: Ricky Armendariz, Nela Garzón, Jennifer Battaglia, Juan Carlos Escobedo, Preston Gaines, Raul Rene Gonzalez, Mark Anthony Martinez, Shavon Morris, Marc Newsome, Alán Serna, Monique Sullivan, and Zulma Vega.

 

Michael Guerra Foerster’s solo exhibition, Without a Trace, investigates connection, and touches on ideas of materialism, and the ephemeral. In large part a reaction to capitalistic structures that surround the art world, Foerster freely gifts his work in the hopes of creating genuine connections between the artwork, viewer, and artist. In his exhibition at the Contemporary, Foerster creates an exercise in loss and letting go by creating an interactive installation which will involve the viewer destroying unfired clay sculptures to find a token to carry home.

Left: Michael Guerra Foerster; Right: Christopher Blay

Spring Exhibition Openings & CAM Kick-Off

Please join the Contemporary at Blue Star and Contemporary Art Month for the annual CAM Kick-off on Friday, March 1, 2024. This event is free and open to everyone!

The Contemporary will be premiering two exhibitions: Michael Guerra Foerster‘s exhibition, Without a Trace, and the CAM Perennial exhibition, Vernacular Systems, curated by Christopher Blay and featuring Ricky Armendariz, Nela Garzón, Jennifer Battaglia, Juan Carlos Escobedo, Preston Gaines, Raul Rene Gonzalez, Mark Anthony Martinez, Shavon Morris, Marc Newsome, Alán Serna, Monique Sullivan, and Zulma Vega. 

The Contemporary will also announce the grantees of our Berlin Residency Program for the 2024–2025 cycle.

About Contemporary Art Month

During the month of March in San Antonio, Contemporary Art Month (CAM) provides a platform for the artists communities of San Antonio to share the best it has to offer throughout the entire city. CAM gathers the best of galleries, museums, performing arts spaces, schools, artist studios and various unconventional locations in a single calendar to support and promote events contemporary art events and exhibitions all over the city of San Antonio. Contemporary Art Month is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Progressive Dinner

+ Purchase your tickets online

 

Join the Contemporary for a Progressive Dinner at the home and garden at one of San Antonio’s eminent art collections featuring the work of:

Mónica Ajenjo • Adam Beris • Mette Björnberg • Ruth Buentello • Ethan Cook • Jennifer Ling Datchuk • Stephen D’Onofrio • Nick Doyle • B.D. Graft • Brittany Ham • Keith Haring • Jeppe Hein • Matt Kleberg • Crystal Latimer • José Lerma • Tony Matelli • Robert Moreland • A’Driane Nieves • James Nares • Hayal Pozanti • Antonia Rodrian • David Shrigley • Lucy Sparrow • David Benjamin Smith • Frank Stella • Seiko Tachibana • Maryam Yousif • Thomas Wachholz

On March 28, join us for an intimate evening at a spectacular home and garden that surround an art collection encompassing works by artists from San Antonio and around the world. With unexpected touches, sumptuous colors, and delights in every corner, this contemporary collection is a feast for the eyes. It also stars many works collected from area artists through the Contemporary’s signature Red Dot, our annual fundraiser that unites our city’s artists and collectors in support of our shared cultural community.

Tickets are $500 each, and proceeds from the Progressive Dinner support the Contemporary’s artist-centric programming. Seating is extremely limited. Please call 210.343.1119 or purchase your tickets online today!

Location will be shared upon ticket purchase.

The Contemporary sends our heartfelt gratitude to our hosts.

Joe Harjo: Indian Removal Act II: And She Was – Opening Night

Join Contemporary at Blue Star for our first exhibition of the new year, Indian Removal Act II: And She Was featuring local artist and recent alumni of our Berlin Residency Program, Joe Harjo. This is the second part of a three-part exhibition series that looks at historical and contemporary issues impacting Native American communities.

 

Indian Removal Act II: And She Was shifts focus to Native women, specifically the stories of Harjo’s family members, to highlight how Christianity has been used as a tool to justify the enslavement or subjugation of non-Christian people and territories.

 

This event is free and open to everyone.

Joe Harjo, "A Heretical Act of Resistance: Walking with Babygirl," 2024 (Video still). Video performance (10 minutes approx.). Courtesy of the artist.

Q&A Session for the Berlin Open Call

+ Free and open to Bexar County artists

+ Registration is required. Register Here.

 

Join the Contemporary’s Curator and Exhibitions Director, Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray, for an online Q&A to help you prepare for the Open Call for the Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program 2024–2025 Cycle.

During this session, we’ll review the application, read a few examples of letters of interest from successful applications, provide insight on preparing application materials, discuss common pitfalls, and answer any questions regarding the residency and the application process.

Shared library at Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Berlin Residency Program 2024-2025 Cycle


APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, AT 12PM (NOON)


Zoom Q & A session:
February 6, 2024, 12pm-1pm; RSVP is required. Please RSVP here.

Contemporary at Blue Star seeks applications from artists living and working in Bexar County for three-month residencies in Berlin, Germany. In 2013, the Contemporary began sending San Antonio artists to Berlin and we are excited to embark on the 10th cycle of the program. In partnership with Künstlerhaus Bethanien, the Contemporary awards four artists annually the opportunity to live and conduct their studio practice in one of the world’s most significant art centers, Berlin, Germany.

 

About the Künstlerhaus Bethanien
A non-profit organization that has earned a worldwide reputation for its international residency studio program, Künstlerhaus Bethanien gives 25 artists from around the world up to yearlong residencies at their fully-appointed facility in the heart of Berlin’s vibrant art scene. It aims to establish a lively dialogue between artists from various backgrounds and disciplines and the public at large. Artists attend residencies as a grantee of various partner institutions. More at http://www.bethanien.de/en/residency.

 

About the Contemporary at Blue Star’s Berlin Residency Program

Four selected artists will be awarded one of four residency slots at Künstlerhaus Bethanien as a grantee of Contemporary at Blue Star.

Each artist receives a $2,000 stipend to aid with travel to residency and living costs.

The Contemporary covers costs of all program fees associated with residency: studio and living space, inclusion in the internationally-distributed BE magazine, curatorial visits, workshop access, etc.

With support from the City of San Antonio’s Global Engagement Office. resident artists will also travel to Darmstadt, Germany (a sister city of San Antonio) to meet with fellow artists and cultural leaders and visit cultural institutions. An additional stipend is provided for this trip.

Each selected artist will participate in a public program following the completion of the residency.

Artists reside in individual live-work studio spaces and have shared bathroom and shower facilities on each floor and shared laundry. For questions about building accessibility please contact KB. More information about Berlin Alumni HERE.

 

The Berlin Residency application consists of:

CV/resume
artist statement
letter of interest
letter of recommendation
and portfolio of 20 images
There is no application fee

 

Artist Eligibility

Must currently reside in Bexar County and conduct a significant portion of your artistic practice/outreach in San Antonio.

Artist must have established residency for 12 months prior to application period.

Must have at least five years of relevant work experience and/or specialized arts training, such as a degree or certificate, or intensive period of time developing their skill and knowledge base.

Demonstrate a clear investment of time and resources into your artistic practice and/or derive a portion of individual earned income from your artistic practice or areas related to the field.

Have a professional portfolio that includes publicly displayed and possibly published works.

The four residency cycles are July 15 – October 8; October 15- January 8; January 15 – April 8; April 15 – July 8. Applicants must be able to attend during ANY of these time periods. Artists should not apply if their schedule does not allow them the flexibility to attend during any of these time periods and/or for the duration of the residency. Cycles are assigned after residents selected and through group dialogue.

Students are not eligible to apply.

Artist collaborative teams/collectives not eligible to apply.

Photograph shows a 180 degree view of an artist studio. The right side of the frame there are three large windows one of which is open. The frames a pulled open and there is a view of a 6 story building out it. In the center of the frame is an artists work table with a lamp and materials and tools. On the walls there is one large bright green painting, a large figurative sketch and numerous small studies for paintings and drawings on paper, taped up on the wall with masking tape.

Brittany Ham's studio during her Berlin residency

Exterior view of Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Shared library at Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Workshop space at Künstlerhaus Bethanien

Slow Art in the Gallery

+ Free and open to the public

+ Register here

 

Join us in the gallery to discuss a work of art in our current exhibition! The Contemporary staff will select the image and it will be revealed at the event.

This event utilizes a tool called Visual-Thinking Strategies (VTS). VTS allows people to engage in an open and unbiased discussion on artwork. We will select one work of art and engage in a 30-minute group discussion. To learn more about VTS, visit https://vtshome.org/.

Take time to break down a work of art with us. VTS reminds us to stop, reflect, and embrace others’ perspectives.

Woman looking at artwork.

Contemporary Family Day 2023. Photo by Francisco Cortes.

Slow Art in the Gallery

+ Free and open to the public

+ Register here

 

Join us in the gallery to discuss a work of art in our current exhibition! The Contemporary staff will select the image and it will be revealed at the event.

This event utilizes a tool called Visual-Thinking Strategies (VTS). VTS allows people to engage in an open and unbiased discussion on artwork. We will select one work of art and engage in a 30-minute group discussion. To learn more about VTS, visit https://vtshome.org/.

Take time to break down a work of art with us. VTS reminds us to stop, reflect, and embrace others’ perspectives.

Man looking at wall of four framed photographs. The photographs include scenes of nature, with a female figure or impression of the figure.

July 2023 First Friday. Photos by Woody Lawson, Vantas Productions.