Great Finds

Finding Artful Treasures

By Dawn Robinette

Blue Star Contemporary Photo by Fransico Cortes

When you roam and enjoy San Antonio’s cultural landscape, do not overlook the fantastic fun finds you can take home from the city’s stellar museums and galleries. San Antonio’s art scene includes world-class exhibits by local and international artists, and each destination is one-of-a-kind. The true cherry on top of the art, history and fun you can enjoy at San Antonio museums and galleries is shopping. Unique finds make museums a secret weapon for shoppers. And even better: every purchase supports these amazing institutions and artists, so shop away and do some good!

GET A CONTEMPORARY START

On a beautiful bend of the river in the city’s culturally rich King William/ Southtown Neighborhood is Blue Star Contemporary. Every year San Antonio’s vibrant and diverse art community gathers to showcase art made by contemporary artists in our city with the Red Dot Art Sale and Show, presenting and celebrating the work of over 100 San Antonio artists. With works on sale for a wide variety of tastes and budgets, proceeds from the art sales equally benefit artists and Blue Star Contemporary, the city’s longest-running nonprofit venue for contemporary art. Throughout the year, Blue Star presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change and action, fulfilling its mission to inspire, nurture and innovate. The Red Dot Art Sale and Show opens its doors on November 9 and runs through January 8, 2023.

GO WESTERN

Set your compass to the heart of the River Walk and let your museum hopping take you west, as in the real West featured at the Briscoe Western Art Museum. Through January 29, 2023, the exhibition “Thomas Mangelsen: A Life In the Wild,” contains 40 of the renowned nature photographer’s most resonant photographs—images that take viewers on a journey across the West and around the globe. The classic photographs were personally selected by the photographer for this retrospective exhibition making its Texas debut in San Antonio and are presented in large format, some of which measure 10 feet across. The exhibition is truly a photographic zoo, with subjects ranging from an Artic fox to grizzlies roaming the West.

The Briscoe’s museum store features a curated selection of jewelry, home décor, books, ornaments, children’s toys and games, pottery and more, including original artwork and prints, all tucked away in the Briscoe’s beautifully restored 1930s building.

ALL LOCAL

Just across the river from the Briscoe, visit La Villita Historic Arts Village for an array of art by local artisans at River Art Group—a fine art gallery operated by a cooperative of 200 active artists all located within a 75-mile radius of San Antonio. The bright yellow historic home with a welcoming

SAMA Holiday Market

front porch beckons you to come inside, where you will find works in acrylic, oil, watercolor, pen and ink, pastel, photography, clay, glass, metal, wood and more. You can enjoy it all at RiverArtober, River Art Group’s annual art show and competition that kicks off in October. Art from the annual show is on sale at the gallery. With a wide selection of San Antonio-inspired pieces, an array of medium on display and a variety of price points suited for any budget, you can spend hours admiring the works and deciding which will make the perfect addition to your collection.

CULTURAL CONSIDERATION

For cultural and historical exhibitions in addition to fine art, stroll the River Walk to the San Antonio Museum of Art, or SAMA as it abbreviates itself. From October 14 to January 8, 2023, do not miss “Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche,” examining the historical and cultural legacy of La Malinche, an enslaved Indigenous girl who served as a translator and cultural interpreter for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, eventually becoming his mistress and the mother of Cortés’ first-born son. She played a key role in the transactions, negotiations and conflicts between the Spanish and the Indigenous populations of Mexico. And Dia de Muertos would not be complete without an ofrenda (altar). SAMA has collaborated with the University of Texas at San Antonio Print Making Club to build an ofrenda in honor of the exhibition and it can be viewed from October 25 to November 6. The Shop at SAMA mirrors the museum’s collections, with globally inspired treasures. A wide selection of goods from unique books, cards and gifts to stunning (and affordable!) jewelry await. For holiday finds and gift shopping, stop by December 10 between 3:00 and 8:00pm for a special holiday market on the museum’s grounds.

STORIES OF TEXAS

For another museum with the river as a backdrop, the Witte Museum showcases Texas’ natural beauty from prehistoric to present. The current special exhibit, “National Geographic’s Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants,” on display October 8 through January 8, 2023, takes you beneath the surface to get an up-close look at the fascinating (and often mysterious) giant fish swimming in rivers all over the world. Then “Toys: The Way We Play,” opening November 19, explores toys that captivated generations of children. For an evening of fun, make plans to enjoy the museum’s 52nd Annual Witte Game Dinner on October 17 as museum lovers come together under the stars to share their love of the Witte. The Bolner Family Museum Store at the Witte delights with jewelry and décor that reflect that beauty of Texas. Stop by any time for the cool (and educational) science kits, dinosaur books and an array of interactive toys that will guarantee smiles.

WRITER’S BIO

An award-winning communications expert who enjoys sharing new discoveries and revisiting old favorites in her adopted hometown, Dawn Robinette loves to tell stories. You can read more of her work at Alamo City Moms, San Antonio Woman and Texas Lifestyle Magazine.

CLICK ON THIS

BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY www.BlueStarContemporary.org

BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM

www.BriscoeMuseum.org

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

www.SAMuseum.org

WITTE MUSEUM

www.WitteMuseum.org