SAN ANTONIO, TX
Sewing cultural seeds
In March 2010, San Antonio celebrates its 25th annual Contemporary Art Month (“CAM”). After becoming an independent project in 2003, the organization’s primary purpose is to organize and distribute a calendar of institutional and grassroots contemporary art events taking place in San Antonio during the month, as well as sponsoring a small number of events. Through an engaged board of directors, CAM has undergone structural changes to ensure its vitality and growth in future years.
CAM seeks to promote and raise the national profile of San Antonio contemporary art and artists by organizing and facilitating a month-long celebration of contemporary art, providing marketing support, and by organizing and facilitating public education programs. “We are excited at the prospect of a new era of representing the artists of San Antonio with a more cohesive, mature approach to the structure of our organization. We are working diligently to stress the inclusion of all artistic mediums in Contemporary Art Month, and one of our goals is to foster more cross-pollination between disciplines. This is beneficial to all artists in our community, and will expand the scope and the profile of contemporary art in San Antonio,” says Michele Monseau, CAM board member.
An exciting new collaboration with the San Antonio Symphony strikes a high note in 2010. Through their Community Engagement Program, the Symphony brings classical music outside a traditional concert hall into alternative spaces around the city. By sharing their talented musicians with the San Antonio community in innovative ways, this collaboration is an opportunity to bring music patrons to contemporary art and art fans to new music.
CAM is sponsoring two official events throughout the month of March. The opening event will be held on Thursday, March 4th at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. The site of the first CAM exhibition in 1986, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center has been a long-time advocate of contemporary art in San Antonio. Curated by Wayne Gilbert, “Amalgamations 25: 25 Artists for 25 Great Years” is a tribute to Blue Star Contemporary Art Center’s pivotal role in the presentation and growth of contemporary art in San Antonio. This exhibition will show the versatility and astuteness of the San Antonio artistic community, covering many disciplines and genres (www.bluestarart.org).
The closing event is an awards ceremony with music by Buttercup. It will be held Saturday, March 27th at the Linda Pace Foundation and CHRISpark. The foundation will open its offices, formerly Linda Pace’s studio, and show work from Pace’s large contemporary art collection. Pace, an artist, collector and founder of Artpace, died in 2007. Among the works on exhibit will be Turner Prize finalist Issac Julien’s photo-object “Dreaming Red,” which Julien created in honor of Pace’s memory. In addition, the foundation will show work by artists Linda Pace, Carolee Schneemann, Maya Lin, Shahzia Sikander, Kendell Geers and others. The ceremony itself will be held in CHRISpark, a one-acre public park featuring a rhythmic layout of lush foliage, inviting walkways, areas of repose, sites of play and encounters with contemporary art (www.lindapacefoundation.org; www.CHRISpark.org).
Throughout the month, visit museums, art studios, gallery tours, artistic happenings and performances that highlight the cultural treasures of San Antonio. From the San Antonio Museum of Art to Jump Start Performance Co., David Shelton Gallery and Gemini Ink, The Woodlawn Theatre and the Southwest School of Art and Craft, the Carver Community Cultural Center and the Kite Festival at Pittman Sullivan Community Garden, Open Studio Day and the Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby, citywide participants will open their doors to the public for CAM. For a full listing of CAM’s month-long celebration, please visit the CAM website www.contemporaryartmonth.com.
Image above:
Randy-Wallace
Photo: Michele-Monseau
