January/February 2014 Issue

January/February 2014 | On The Town 1

Laurent ReaVoca PeopleAsian FestivalAlain DubernardJewish Film FesiivalBeyond Love Exhibition Becky Crouch-PattersonPlus 11 Additional Articles

Laurent ReaVoca PeopleAsian FestivalAlain DubernardJewish Film FestivalBeyond Love Exhibition Becky Crouch-PattersonPlus 11 Additional Articles

ON THE TOWN Ezin

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January/February 2014January/February 2014

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2 On The Town | January/February 2014

http://sasymphony.org


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Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

January and February Performances 8Get 2014 off to a Flying StartSo Much to See! Get Some Tickets and Go!

The Voca People: Out of This World 14Entertainment San Antonio Chamber Music Society 18Celebrating 71 Seasons

Texas State Pulls the Wraps of New 20Performing Arts Center this Spring

Alain Dubernard, Sweet Success 40

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards & Winery 44Pioneers of Black Spanish Grape Cultivation in Texas

Fig Tree Restaurant’s Chef Laurent Rea 48

Museums and Art Centers Offer 56Incredible Exhibitions for the New Year

Robert Indiana: Beyond Love 60On View at the McNay Art Museum February 5 to May 25

On and Off Fredericksburg Road 62Studio Tour February 22-23

A Couple’s Collection 66San Antonio’s Dr. Harmon and HarrietKelley Share the Story Behind TheirAfrican-American Art Collection

JCC Jewish Film Festival Puts Its 80Mission into Focus

Asian Festival 2014: Year of the Horse 82

Front Cover Photo: Julian KuertiCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Performing Arts Cover PhotoGhost The Musical TourCarla R. Stewart © Joan Marcus 2013

Events Calendar Cover Photo:Jian WangCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Culinary Arts Cover Photo:Photo by Greg Harrison

Visual Arts Cover Photo:Photo by Greg Harrison

Literary Arts Cover Photo:Greg Harrison

Eclectics Cover Photo:Photo by Greg Harrison

88 1414 4040Features Cover Credits


Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

74744444 6666Contributors

Mikel Allen,creative director /graphic designer

Betsy Beckmann

James Benavides

Jayme Blaschke

Kfir Bolotin

Olivier J. Bourgoin(aka, Olivier the Wine Guy)

Julie Catalano

Thomas Duhon

Chris Dunn

Maurie Elbel

Ashley Festa

Jack Fishman

Greg Harrison,staff photographer

Aliyah Kuchinsky

Christian Lair,operations manager /webmaster

Kay Lair

Eric Lane

Marlo Mason-Marie

Susan A. Merkner,copy editor

Daniela Oliver-Portillo

Chandler Prude

Sara Selango

Jasmina Wellinghoff

Events Calendar 24

Pinch Pennies & Dine Well 52 Happy Birthday to Me!Free Dining Opportunities are theOrder of the Day

Book Talk 74Becky Crouch Patterson, Artist and Author

Out & About With Greg Harrison 88

Departments

OnTheTownEzine.com is published byLair Creative, LLC14122 Red MapleSan Antonio, Texas 78247210-771-8486210-490-7950 (fax)



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Performing Arts

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Performing Arts

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JANUARY AND FEBRUARY PERFORMANCES GET 2014 OFF TO A FLYING START!So much to see! Get some tickets and go!By Sara Selango


B ig things are happening in the performing arts in San Antonio and the surrounding area during January and February of shiny new 2014. Please

allow me to get the ball rolling by dropping some very impressive names, starting with Kristin Chenoweth, Willie Nelson and Gordon Lightfoot, all of whom are scheduled to appear at the legendary Majestic Theatre during this two-month period. Another trio of marquee names coming to town includes Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson who will perform at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo at the AT&T Center along with the likes of Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Heart and more. You can also look forward to Luciana Souza and Dr. Lonnie Smith gracing the Jo Long Theatre stage at the Carver Community Cultural Center in the first month of the new year as well.

Continuing with the same line of thinking, big names are booked in smaller cities too. A few miles to the west, The Ten Tenors and The Stepcrew appear at Champions HS Auditorium for Boerne Performing Arts in January and February respectively. A bit further up the same road, Mel Tillis plays Kerrville’s Kathleen

C. Cailloux Theater in January followed by The Glenn Miller Orchestra at the same venue in February. To the north in New Braunfels, The Oakridge Boys highlight the January schedule at the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre with BJ Thomas doing the same for February.

January and February also offer two festivals of extreme note. Beginning in early January and concluding in early February is the Dvorak Festival, presented by the San Antonio Symphony. Performances include Dvorak Cello Concerto with Jian Wang, Dvorak Symphony No. 6 featuring pianist Michel Dalberto, Dvorak Violin Concerto with Nancy Zhou, Dvorak - Rusalka in Concert in conjunction with The Opera San Antonio and Dvorak – New World Symphony. Sebastian Lang-Lessing conducts them all at the Majestic.

Camerata San Antonio, Musical Offerings and Olmos Ensemble will also feature Dvorak compositions in their programming for January and February.

Musical Bridges Around the World presents The International Music Festival, Music Without Borders, at Trinity University over two weekends starting on



Feb. 22 and ending on March 2. Performances at Laurie Auditorium include Charles Lloyd with Gerald Clayton, Entre Flamenco, Compania de Teatro Lirico’s Ernesto Lecuona and Kinan Azmeh with Sandeep Das and the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Duo Amal is scheduled for Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. Musical Bridges also offers Dos Virtuosos at San Fernando Cathedral Jan. 12. Violinist Andres Cardenes and pianist Baya Kabouberi are featured.

In other classical music performances, SOLI Chamber Ensemble offers a performance titled Present on Jan. 13-14 at Gallery Nord the first evening followed by Ruth Taylor Recital Hall at Trinity on the second night. Fredericksburg Musical Club brings in Mezzo-Soprano Kathryn Findlen Jan. 19 plus violinist Kirsten Yon Feb. 16 and Tempest Trio plays for San Antonio Chamber Music Society Jan. 26. Mid-Texas Symphony offers We’ve Got Your Bach Feb. 16 in New Braunfels while Storm and Stress – Symphonic Adventures by Symphony of the Hills takes place on the next to last day of February in Kerrville. SA Symphony features two more performances too. They are Plante Conducts Baroque and Gershwin Piano Concerto with pianist

Lo-An Lin and conductor Julian Kuerti. Slipping into the first day of March, San Antonio International Piano Competition’s Piano Series provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the Long Duo at St. Mark’s Presbyterian.

Moving along to dance, Arts San Antonio brings Pilobolus Dance Theater to the Majestic in mid-January, Los Vivancos to the Lila Cockrell in mid-February and Celtic Nights to the Majestic at the end of that month. Ballet San Antonio performs Firebird at the Jo Long Theatre Feb. 14-15 and Rennie Harris RHAW takes the Jo Long stage as well in a performance for The Carver Community Cultural Center Feb. 21. The Stepcrew, previously mentioned, is also in the mix.

Ghost The Musical highlights live theater perfor-mances during January and February with its Broadway in San Antonio run at the Majestic Jan. 21-26. Late Nite Catechism, also a touring show, plays the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Feb. 18-23. Local productions include Company at The Playhouse San Antonio, The Mountaintop by the Renaissance Guild at the Little Carver Theatre,



When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder at the Sheldon Vexler, Into the Woods at the Woodlawn, Death of a Salesman by The Classic Theatre of San Antonio at the Woodlawn Black Box, Portmanteaux at the Overtime and Dial M for Murder at Harlequin Dinner Theatre. The Cameo Theatre features the Texas premiere of Suds: The Rocking 60s Musical Soap Opera throughout February. Out-of-towners are Happily Ever Laughter by Playhouse 2000 in Kerrville, God of Carnage followed by Sleuth at Boerne Community Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors by Fredericksburg Theater Company. Live theater afficianados can also see National Theatre’s War Horse in an on-screen presentation Feb. 27 at Santikos Rialto and Cinemark McCreless Market Theater.

Opera news includes a collabortation between Opera Piccola San Antonio and Alamo Arts Ballet Theatre to present Dvorak Tone Pictures at Our Lady of the Lake’s Thiry Auditorium Jan. 25. Opera Piccola follows this with La Curendera & Bastien and Bastienne Feb. 15-16 at Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. The Metropolitan Opera continues its on-screen presentations with Rusalka live on Feb. 8 at

the Santikos Rialto, Cielo Vista 18, Huebner Oaks 14 and McCreless Market Theater. A recorded encore performance plays on Feb. 12.

I must end with a list of other several other great performances in January-February. The Spirit of Michael Jackson: A Live Concert Experience and Shine On! The Definitive Pink Floyd Experience get the year off to a flying start at the Majestic Jan. 3 and 4. America’s Favorite Music, the Jan. 11 Symphony of the Hills Pops show in Kerrville and the Jan. 19 performance of Elvis Lives! at the Majestic should prove to be exceptionally entertaining as well. Nostalgia reins on Jan. 25 with two shows of In The Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue at the Lila Cockrell and mid-February brings A Broadway Valentine by the San Antonio Symphony Pops.

Specific information for all mentioned perfor-mances is available in the Events Calendar of this electronic magazine.

So much to see! Get some tickets and go!



Photo Credits:

Pages 8-9

Pilobolus Dance TheatreCourtesy pilobolus.com

Pages 10-11 (L-R)

Kristin ChenowethCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Ghost The Musical TourSteven Grant Douglas and Katie Postotnik © Joan Marcus 2013

Willie NelsonCourtesy Majestic Theatre

The StepcrewCourtesy stepcrew.com

Pages 12-13 (L-R)

In The Mood: 1940s Musical RevueCourtesy inthemoodlive.com

Late Night CatechismCourtesy Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

Nancy ZhouCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Luciana SouzaPhoto by Bob Wolfenson



The Voca People: Out of This World Entertainment By Julie CatalanoPhotography Kfir Bolotin

The aliens have landed, and they’re not just friendly--they’re delightful, charming, immensely talented, and turning the world of

a cappella singing on its head. Or in this case, eight bright white heads.

The Voca People began life inside the heads of creator, producer, and artistic director Lior Kalfo, and composer, musical director and arranger Shai Fishman, according to the group’s United States producer Cindy Sibilsky. “ They are both quite well known in Israel, and both are huge

fans of a cappella music. They wondered, how do you break down songs like Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ into just sounds and vocal parts?’”

The result was a “crazy idea to do the history of music with only vocals,” Sibilsky explains. Their first YouTube video launched in April 2009 (“with no fanfare, no advertising, no nothing”), and got two million hits in a month. That’s when the calls started. “From Brazil, Paris, all over the world saying, when are you coming to town, we must have this show.”



It’s a show like no other, and while many might make that claim, The Voca People really deliver, with astonishing vocals and impressive beat box rhythms—all done without a single instrument except their extraordinary voices. Good news and great talent travels fast, and The Voca People have appeared in 25 countries so far, including their first U.S. tour in 2013 and a show at New York’s New World Stages for a year and a half.

The quirky premise behind the show’s creation is this: After a millennium of space travel far from their native planet Voca, The Voca People have crash landed on Earth, only to find that the fuel that keeps them going—their musical charger—is empty. They must “recharge” by reaching out to humans. And reach out they do, in a fanciful interactive show that involves a touch of the hand, a hand on the shoulder, or “playing” an audience member’s arm like an electric guitar. “It’s really immersive,” says Sibilsky, and kids and adults alike love it. “Whatever inhibitions you came to the theatre with, they’ll get

dropped immediately. Everyone leaves the theatre with a giant grin on their faces.”

Boerne, Texas, audiences will get the chance to interact with these intergalactic stars when The Voca People land at Boerne Champion Auditorium in March (details in sidebar). Greg Talford, artistic director for Boerne Performing Arts (boerneperformingarts.com) first became aware of The Voca People when the now-famous YouTube video reached 15 million hits within the first year.

Because the group met Boerne Performing Arts’ mission “to provide a variety of entertainment for our concertgoers while maintaining the highest quality internationally acclaimed artists,” Talford pursued the group’s worldwide tours, and waited for North America to be on the list, adding the group as a special event to the Boerne Performing Arts 2014 season. “The sheer talent of these vocalists is unimaginable,” says Talford, “and then you add the power of beat box and theatrical mastery


Lior Kalfo Shai Fishman


and you have a show that encompasses the total entertainment spectrum.” New Yorker Sibilsky was similarly impressed with the Boerne spirit when she met with the Talfords in Austin. “I was so inspired by that small town gumption and chutzpah to getting the show there and then actually doing it.”

Boerne also has the honor of kicking off the group’s second six-week U.S. tour, which goes from Texas to the Northwest, then Florida, Los Angeles, and finally to the midwest for the month of April.

As much as audiences love The Voca People, the critics have been over the moon with praise for the group’s nearly 90-minute, family-friendly, high-octane show, calling it everything from “a delightful...romp through over 70 songs that includes hits by Beethoven, Mozart, Queen, Madonna, the Black Eyed Peas, and more” to a list of superlatives like amazing, radiant, ebullient, hilarious, incredible, fresh, invigorating, and on and on. Each character is named after its vocal range or sound—Alta, Soprana, Mezzo, Bari-tone, Tubas (Bass), Tenoro, and beat box masters Scratcher and Captain Beat On. “I still get blown away,” says Sibilsky, who has seen the show countless times. “There are no soundtracks, no microphone tricks. It’s just them.” As for the pure white costumes and makeup, Sibilsky will not divulge trade secrets but says it takes “quite a while” to get into them. And they are hot. “We insist any photography be done before the show, not after.”

As for what’s next for these amazing “aliens”--movies? Television? The Super Bowl? Everywhere, says Sibilsky. “To infinity and beyond!”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •THE VOCA PEOPLE

Thursday, March 6, 2014, 7:30 pmBoerne Champion Auditorium, 201 Charger Blvd, Boerne, Texas 78006

Tickets are available at boerneperformingarts.com, 830-331-9079.

The Boerne Performing Arts 2014 Series also includes The Ten Tenors, The StepCrew, and Time for Three.


http://boerneperformingarts.com


http://musicalbridges.org


SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY Celebrating 71 SeasonsBy Jack Fishman

Seventy-one years ago, Dr. Eric Sorantin, an accomplished Viennese musician, established the San Antonio Chamber Music Society (www.

sacms.org). The website describes the group’s humble beginnings: “The first concerts were held in the west wing of the Municipal Auditorium. Founding members provided oriental rugs and other furnishings to create the proper setting for the programs. Guest artists quickly grew from local to regional to national and international in prominence.”

Several years after the society began offering concerts, Sorantin gave a violin recital at the University of the Incarnate Word. His young student pianist for that recital, Ruth Jean Gurwitz, is now the chair of the society’s artist committee and a past president of the organization. Gurwitz said she joined the society when she graduated from college. Sorantin “drafted” her into what has been a life-long love of music and service to San Antonio.

The artist committee selects the internationally acclaimed

musicians who offer San Antonio five chamber music concerts each season. They also negotiate the repertoire to be performed. Gurwitz said they usually select the artists first, and the repertoire follows. Most of the artists come to their attention through their managers. Many hours are spent listening to CDs and, more recently, to YouTube and other online videos. Occasionally, an artist comes to the group’s attention via personal recommendation. The society offers a sneak peak of the 2014-15 season on their website. It features four string quartets and one woodwind quintet.

But the current season has three exciting concerts still to be performed. On Jan. 26, the Tempest Trio (www.tempesttrio.com) will play music by Haydn, Bernstein and Dvorak. It is of particular interest that the cellist of this trio, Amit Peled, will be playing the cello of Pablo Casals, which has been lent to him by Marta Casals, widow of the renowned artist.

March 2 will feature a concert of Schumann, Berg and Dvorak


www.sacms.org

www.sacms.org


by the Escher String Quartet (www.escherquartet.com). By programming works by Dvorak, the society is partnering with the San Antonio Symphony’s Dvorak Festival.

The final concert of this season takes place April 6, featuring the Brentano String Quartet (brentanoquartet.com). The Brentano is at the top of their profession, and this promises to be one of the most exciting classical concerts of the year.

The San Antonio Chamber Music Society also has an active education program. The ensembles visit schools and other locations under the guidance of Allyson Dawkins, chair of the education committee and the principal violist of the San Antonio Symphony.

The education programs are one of the reasons Nancy Shivers became involved. Shivers served as president of the society from 2008 to 2012. She grew up in rural Kansas and never heard classical music until she went to college and law school. She loves helping make music available to students. Shivers also enjoys the fact that the society is run completely without paid staff. The board of directors manages every aspect of concert production, fundraising, marketing and education.

But it is the music that Shivers talks about the most.

When a first-time listener told her that the music was “top draw,” it thrilled her. She is driven to make great music and the beloved, community-based society less of a “closely guarded secret.”

Concerts presented by the San Antonio Chamber Music Society also are available free via rebroadcast on KPAC. For ticket information, visit www.sacms.org.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits:

Pages 18-19 (L-R)

Tempest TrioCourtesy tempesttrio.co

Escher String QuartetPhoto by Laura Rose

Brentano String QuartetPhoto by Peter Schaaf


www.escherquartet.com

http://brentanoquartet.com

http://brentanoquartet.com

www.sacms.org


Texas State pulls the wraps off new

Performing Arts Center this spring

By Jayme BlaschkePhotography Chandler Prude

Y

..ears in the making, Texas State University will finally celebrate the opening of the new Performing Arts Center this spring.

The state-of-the-art PAC, located on the corner of University Drive and Moon Street, will house the 400-seat Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre and a 300-seat recital hall, plus a grand lobby, rehearsal space, scenery shop, staging areas and classrooms. The beautiful addition to Texas State was designed to connect the campus to the larger community of San Marcos and create a stunning gateway into the south central portion of the university, while providing a proper performing venue for the many talented students and faculty.

The impact of the new digs will be immediate and dramatic for students in Texas State’s School of Music. The current 149-seat recital hall is housed in a renovated gymnasium,

so the performances in the modern recital hall--twice the seating capacity and professional acoustics--will be quite a step up. The new hall will host student and faculty performances, the fast-rising Texas State Opera Theatre Program as well as national touring artists through the Encore University Performing Arts series.

“Music performance at its best is what we do in the School of Music, regardless of major--performance majors, but also music education majors, jazz and Latin musicians, recording technologists and students in our ensembles who are majoring in non-music fields,” said Thomas Clark, director of the School of Music. “The acoustically state-of-the-art performance venues of our new Performing Arts Center as their learning laboratories will not only enhance their studies but also provide a beautiful place for the public to experience and enjoy their music making.”



Texas State pulls the wraps off new

Performing Arts Center this spring

By Jayme BlaschkePhotography Chandler Prude

No less significant is the 400-seat Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre. The current outmoded Theatre Center on campus has served as the university’s theatre arts home for four decades and has long since started showing its age. With the Musical Theatre Program garnering national acclaim, the upgraded fly space, orchestra pit, technical capabilities and other improvements will put Texas State on equal footing with top programs around the country.

A world-class PAC has long topped Texas State’s wish list for new facilities, but reaching this point has proven anything but easy. Were it not for the generosity of Texas State’s alumni and supporters, the building project could never have gotten off the drawing board.

“The importance of the project is evident in the fact that we chose it as one of the five pillars of the Pride in Action campaign,” said Texas State President Denise Trauth. “All of us are very excited about the new Performing Arts Center, but no one is more excited than Patti Harrison. Patti gave us the lead gift for the project--$8 million. Her faith in the vision launched the fundraising for the facility and kept it at the top of our ‘must-do’ list.”

Harrison’s gift in 2008 set the project in motion. When the state legislature declined to issue tuition revenue bonds to cover construction, the university reassessed priorities and placed several Campus Master Plan initiatives on hold to cover the balance of the approximately $43 million cost.

A 455-space parking garage is also part of the project, and landscaping has turned the block of Edward Gary between the garage and the PAC into a tree-lined walkway, in keeping with the Campus Master Plan’s goal of turning the campus “from gray to green.” The recital hall and theatre will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, meaning they meet the tough standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The PAC will showcase Texas State students, attract other talented students and faculty, increase community support and enable the university to bring national and international productions to campus. It will launch scores of future stars and serve as the cultural center of campus.



http://caillouxtheater.com


Events Calendar24-38

Events Calendar24-38

http://caillouxtheater.com


January-February 2014 Events CalendarMusic NotesThe Spirit of Michael Jackson:A Live Concert Experience1/3, Fri @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Rockbox Theater1/3-2/28, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 4:30pm & 8pmFredericksburg

Shine On! The DefinitivePink Floyd Experience1/4, Sat @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Joe Ely Band1/4, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Brandon Rhyder1/10, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

San Antonio SymphonyDvorak Cello Concerto1/10-11, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorJian Wang, celloMajestic Theatre

Symphony of the Hills PopsAmerica’s Favorite Music 1/11, Sat @ 7:30pmDr. Jay Dunnahoo, conductorNancy Zhou, violinKevin McCormick, guitarKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Brauntex Performance SeriesBill Haley Jr. and The Comets1/11, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Kyle Park1/11, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Musical Bridges Around The WorldJudy and Jefferson Crabb Musical Evenings at San Fernando CathedralDos Virtuosos1/12, Sun @ 6:30pmAndres Cardenes, violinBaya Kakouberi, piano

SOLI Chamber EnsemblePresent1/13, Mon @ 7:30pmGallery Nord1/14, Tue @ 7:30pmRuth Taylor Recital HallTrinity University

San Antonio SymphonyDvorak Symphony No. 61/17, Fri @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorMichel Dalbetro, pianoMajestic Theatre

Ray Benson 1/17, Fri @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Nick Lawrence1/17, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

New Buddy Holly Band1/17-18, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

San Antonio SymphonyDvorak Violin Concerto1/18, Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorNancy Zhou, violinMajestic Theatre

Luciana Souza1/18, Sat @ 8pmJo Long Theatre at the Carver

Max Stalling1/18, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Micky and the Motoicars1/18, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

First Fine Arts SeriesIsabelle Demers, Organist1/19, Sun @ 3pmFirst Baptist Church SA

Camerata San AntonioDvorak Festival1/19, Sun @ 3pmChrist Episcopal

Fredericksburg Music ClubKathryn Findlen, Mezzo-Soprano1/19, Sun @ 3pmFredericksburg United Methodist

Elvis Lives!1/19, Sun @ 7pmMajestic Theatre



The Roadshow Tour:Skillet, Third Day1/23, Thu @ 7pmAT&T Center

The Oak Ridge Boys1/23, Sat @ 8pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Jason Boland & The Stragglers1/24, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

James McMurtry1/24, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Luckenbach Blues Fest1/25, Sat @ 2pmLuckenbach Dancehall

In The Mood Musical Revue1/25, Sat @ 3pm & 8pmLila Cockrell Theater

Mel Tillis1/25, Sat @ 3:30pm & 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Jason Eady1/25, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Doug Moreland1/25, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio ChamberMusic SocietyTempest Trio1/26, Sun @ 3:15pmTemple Beth-El

Boerne Performing ArtsThe Ten Tenors1/27, Mon @ 7:30pmBoerne Champion HS Auditorium

Dr. Lonnie Smith1/31, Fri @ 8pmJo Long Theatreat The Carver

The Bellamy Brothers1/31, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony & The Opera San AntonioDvorak – Rusalka In Concert1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorSan Antonio Symphony MastersingersJohn Silantien, directorMajestic Theatre

Joe Nichols2/1, Sat @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Valentines Super Love Jam:The Delfonics, Heatwave, Peaches and Herb, The Moments, Tierra, Malo, GQ, Sunny Ozuna and Barbara Lewis2/1, Sat @ 7:30pmIllusions Theater at the Alamodome

Bart Crow2/1, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Brauntex Performance SeriesThe Day The Music Died:A Tribute to Buddy Holly featuring Stewart Mann2/2, Sun @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Musical OfferingsDvorak in America2/3, Mon @ 6pm & 8pmSan Antonio Museum of Art

First Fine Arts SeriesLuther College Nordic Choir2/3, Mon @ 7:30pmFirst Baptist Church SA

Supple Music Series atTexas State UniversityKate Campbell2/5, Wed @ 7:30pmPrice Senior CenterSan Marcos

San Antonio StockShow & RodeoAT&T CenterBrett Eldredge2/6, Thu @ 7pmJake Owen2/7, Fri @ 7:30pmTim McGraw2/8, Sat @ 1pm & 7:30pmBig Time Rush2/9, Sun @ 1pmAlan Jackson2/10, Mon @ 7pmJeremy Camp2/11, Tue @ 7pmKacey Musgraves2/12, Wed @ 7pmThomas Rhett2/13, Thu @ 7pmHeart2/14, Fri @ 7:30pmDustin Lynch2/15, Sat @ 1pmJosh Turner2/15, Sat @ 7:30pmRandy Houser2/16, Sun @ 1pmPesado2/16, Sun @ 7:30pmRascal Flatts2/17, Mon @ 7pmTrace Adkins2/18, Tue @ 7pmPitbull2/19, Wed @ 7pmDierks Bentley2/20, Thu @ 7pmMartina McBride2/21, Fri @ 7:30pmMontgomery Gentry2/22, Sat @ 1pmBilly Currington2/22, Sat @ 7:30pm



Fred Eaglesmith2/7, Fri @ 8pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio SymphonyDvorak – New World Symphony2/7-8, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSebastian Lang-Lessing, conductorMajestic Theatre

Robert Earl Keen2/8, Sat @ 8pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Heart of Texas Concert BandThe Music of James Barnes2/9, Sun @ 3pmMcAllister AuditoriumSan Antonio College

Music from St. Mark’sSusan Olson, Mezzo-Soprano2/9, Sun @ 5pmSt. Mark’s Episcopal

An Evening with Robert Earl Keen and Randy Rogers2/9, Sun @ 8pmGruene Hall

Queens of the Stone Age2/10, Mon @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Gordon Lightfoot2/12, Wed @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Little LiesA Tribute to Fleetwood Mac2/13, Thu @ 8pmBrauntex Performing Arts Theatre

Charlie Worsham2/14, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Cailloux Performance SeriesGlenn Miller Orchestra2/14, Fri @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Brauntex Performance SeriesBJ Thomas2/14, Fri @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Bri Bagwell2/14, Fri E@ 8pmGruene Hall

Dale Watson2/14, Fri @ 8pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Mario Flores & The SodaCreek Band2/14, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony PopsA Broadway Valentine2/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pmAkiko Fujimoto, conductorLaurie Auditorium – Trinity University

Royal Southern Brotherhood2/15, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts Theatre

Kristin Chenoweth2/15, Sat @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Gary P. Nunn2/15, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

Green River Ordinance2/15, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Fredericksburg Music ClubKirsten Yon, violin2/16, Sun @ 3pmFredericksburg United Methodist

Mid-Texas SymphonyWe’ve Got Your Bach2/16, Sun @ 4pmDavid Mairs, conductorCraig Sorgi, violinRita Linard, fluteAndrew Gignac, trumpetJennifer Berg, oboeCanyon H.S. Performing Arts Center - New Braunfels

San Antonio Symphony Plante Conducts Baroque2/16, Sun @ 7pmAntoine Plante, conductorSan Fernando Cathedral

Olmos EnsembleWarren Jones and Dvorak2/17, Mon @ 7:30pmFirst Unitarian Universalist

Youth Orchestras of San AntonioSay Si at the Symphony2/17, Mon @ 7:30pmLaurie Auditorium Trinity Universtiy

Tuesday Musical ClubBenjamin Grosvenor, piano2/18, Tue @ 2pmLaurel Heights Methodist

Two Tons of Steel2/21, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio SymphonyGershwin Piano Concerto2/21-22, Fri-Sat @ 8pmJulian Kuerti, conductorLo-An Lin, pianoSan Antonio Symphony MastersingersJohn Silantien, directorMajestic Theatre

Asleep at the Wheel2/21-22, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 9pmGruene Hall



http://boerneperformingarts.com


Musical Bridges Around The WorldInternational Music Festival at Trinity UniversityCharles Lloyd and Gerald Clayton2/22, Sat @ 8pmLaurie Auditorium Duo Amal2/23, Sun @ 3pmRuth Taylor Recital HallEntre Flamenco2/28, Fri @ 7pmLaurie AuditoriumKinan Azmeh and Sandeep Daswith St. Petersburg String Quartet3/1, Sat @ 7pmLaurie AuditoriumCompania de Teatro Lirico“Ernesto Lecuona”3/2, Sun @ 3pmLaurie Auditorium

Roger Creager andMax Stalling2/22, Sat @ 9pmLuckenbach Dancehall

The Arts at CokerRiver City Ringers & Olmos Basin Brass2/23, Sun @ 3pmCoker United Methodist

Willie Nelson2/23, Sun @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Symphony of the Hills Storm and Stress – Symphonic Adventures2/27, Thu @ 7:30pmDr. Jay Dunnahoo, conductorKathleen C. Cailloux TheaterKerrville

Charlie Robison2/28, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio InternationalPiano Competition Piano SeriesLong Duo3/1, Saturday @ 7:30pmSt. Mark’s Episcopal

Liverpool Legends3/1, Sat @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Brauntex Performance SeriesClose to You: Music of the Carpenters3/1, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Brandon Rhyder3/1, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Whiskey Myers3/1, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

On Stage

Boerne Community TheatreGod of Carnage1/10-18, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm

The Rose Theatre CompanyHoly 1966, Batman!1/10-25, Fri-Sat @ 8pm

Harlequin Dinner TheatreDial M for Murder1/16-3/1, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner @ 6:15pm)

Renaissance GuildThe Mountaintop1/17 & 19, Fri @ 8pmSun @ 4pm1/24-26, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 4pm2/1-2, Sat @ 8pmSun @ 4pm2/7-9, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 4pmLittle Carver Theatre

Broadway in San Antonio Ghost – The Musical (touring)1/21-26, Tue-Thu @ 7:30pmFri @ 8pm, Sat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm &7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Playhouse San AntonioVenus in Fur1/24-2/9, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmCellar Theater

The Overtime TheaterPortmanteaux1/24-2/22, Fri-Sat @ 8pmGreg Barrios Theater

Come Fly with MeBexar Country Family Justice Center Foundation Benefit1/29, Wed @ 7:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Playhouse 2000Happily Ever Laughter1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm2/7-16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2:30pmVK Garage TheaterKerrville

Circle Arts TheatreI Love You, You’re Perfect,Now Change1/31-2/23 Fri-Sat @ 8pm New Braunfels

Cameo TheatreSuds: The Rocking 60sMusical Soap Opera2/1-3/2, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 4pm



Sheldon Vexler TheatreWhen You Comin’ Back Red Ryder?2/6, 13, 20, 27, Thu @ 7:30pm2/8, 15, 22 & 3/1, Sat @ 8pm2/16, 23 & 3/2, Sun @ 2:30pm(No Shows on Fridays)Jewish Community Center

Hill Country Arts FoundationThe Big Five-Oh2/7-9, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pm2/13-22, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pmElizabeth Huth Coates TheatreIngram

The Classic Theatre of San AntonioDeath of a Salesman2/7-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmWoodlawn Theatre Black Box

The Playhouse San Antonio Company2/7-3/2, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmRussell Hill Rogers Theater

Trinity Theatre DepartmentCrimes of the Heart2/14-16, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm2/19-22, Wed-Thu @ 7pmFri-Sat @ 8pmJane and Arthur Stieren TheaterTrinity University

The Rose Theatre CompanyBill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: Live2/14-3/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pm

Woodlawn TheatreInto The Woods2/14-3/16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pm

Late Nite Catechism (touring)2/18-23, Tue-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 2pm & 7:30pmSun @ 2pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

S.T.A.G. E (Spotlight Theatre Arts Group, etc.)Irena’s Vow2/20-22, Thu-Sat @ 6:30 (dinner),8pm (show)2/27-3/9, Thu-Sat @ 6:30 (dinner),8pm (show)Sun @ 1pm (lunch)2:30pm (show)Bulverde

Fredericksburg Theater CompanyLittle Shop of Horrors2/21-3/9, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 2pmSteve W. Shepherd Theater


National Theatre Live!War Horse(On Screen Presentation)2/27, Thu @ 7pmSantikos Rialto & McCreless Market

Boerne Community TheatreSleuth2/28-3/15, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm

OperaOpera Piccola San Antonio & Alamo Arts Ballet TheatreDvorak Tone Pictures 1/25, Sat @ 7pmThiry AudtiroiumOut Lady of the Lake University

The Metropolitan OperaSeries: Rusalka(Live On-Screen Performance in HD)2/8, Sat @ 11:55amSantikos Rialto, Cielo Vista 18Huebner Oaks 14 & McCreless Market

The Metropolitan OperaSeries: Rusalka(Encore On-Screen Performance in HD)2/12, Wed @ 6:30pmCielo Vista 18, Huebner Oaks 14 &McCreless Market

Opera Piccola San Antonio La Curendera &Bastien and Bastienne2/15-16, Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

UTSA Lyric TheatreThe Mikado2/21-3/2, Fri @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmBuena Vista TheatreUTSA Downtown Campus

DanceArts San AntonioPilobolus Dance Theater1/14, Tue @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Boerne Performing ArtsThe Stepcrew2/10, Mon @ 7:30pmBoerne Champion HS Auditorium

Ballet San AntonioFirebird2/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmJo Long Theatreat The Carver

Arts San AntonioLos Vivancos Aeternum2/16, Sun @ 7:30pmLila Cockrell Theater

Rennie Harris RHAW2/21, Fri @ 8pmJo Long Theatreat The Carver

Arts San AntonioCeltic Nights2/27, Thu @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Children’s

Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales1/4-5, Sat @ 1pm & 4pmSun @ 2pm & 5pmLila Cockrell Theater

Magik Children’s TheatreSkippyjon Jones1/10-2/22, Tue-Thu @ 9:45am & 11:30am, Fri @ 9:45am, 11:30am & 7pmSat @ 2pm

Woodlawn TheatreLes Miserables (School Edition)1/17-19, Fri @ 7pmSat @ 2pm & 7pmSun @ 3pm

Shrek the MusicalBy Performing Arts Academy of New Braunfels1/17-19, Fri @ 7pmSat @ 2pm & 7pmSun @ 2pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Children’s Fine Arts SeriesWe Are Going on a Bear Hunt2/2-3, Sun @ 2pmMon @ 9:45am & 11:45amCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Rose Theatre CompanyThe Little Revengers Return2/7-22, Wed-Thu @ 10am

Disney’s Peter Pan Jr.By Christian Youth Theater San Antonio2/20-23, Thu-Fri 7pmSat @ 2pm & 7pmSun @ 3pmBrauntex Performing Arts TheatreNew Braunfels

Comedy

Rachel Feinstein1/2-5, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmSun @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Patrick Melton1/2-5, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Rocky LaPorte1/8-12, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club


http://vexler.org


http://vexler.org


Jasper Redd1/8-12, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Hypnotist Flip Orley1/15-19, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Finesse Mitchell1/17-19, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmSun @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Brian Regan1/19, Sun @ 7pmLila Cockrell Theater

Pete Correale1/22-26, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Matt McCarthy1/22-26, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Aaron Aryanpur1/29, Wed @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jay LaFarr1/29-30, Wed-Thu @ 8:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Pat Hazell1/31-2/1, Fri @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Aaron Aryanpur1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Azia Ansari2/3, Mon @ 8pmMajestic Theatre

Gemini2/5-9, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Anjelah Johnson2/6-9, Thu @ 8pmFri @ 8pm & 10:15pmSat @ 5:30pm, 7:45pm & 10pmSun @ 6:30pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Cristela Alonzo2/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Mike Yard2/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Cowboy Bill Martin2/19-23, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Aries Spears2/20-23, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Sean Kent2/26-3/2, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Iliza Shlesinger2/27-3/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

On ExhibitARTPACE

International Artist-In-ResidentNew Works: 13.3Micol AssaelIvor ShearerErin SheriffPaola Morsiani, curator Thru 1/12

Hudson ShowroomMungo Thompson1/16-4/27

BIHL HAUS ARTS

The Life PerverseAlejandro Augustine PadillaThru 2/1

On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour2/22-23, Sat 11am-6pmSun 12pm-5pm

BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

Faith and ReasonChris SauterThru 1/19

Broken Landscape IIIBlane De St. CroixThru 2/16

Smarter, Faster, HigherElizabeth KeithlineThru 2/16

BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM

Now Open!

LINDA PACE FOUNDATION

Eight / EighteenThru 3/29



Adam (Public Artwork)By Arturo Herrera25’ h x 98’ w, Frost Bank GarageCommerce at MainThru 12/2016

MUSEO GAUDALUPE ATGUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Alternate CurrentsThru 3/1

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

Ramp It UpThru 1/5

The 201st Fighter SquadronThru 1/12

Why We Came: The Immigration ExperienceThru 3/23

McNAY ART MUSEUM

On Stage! Costume Design and the TheatreThru 1/5

The Nightmare Before ChristmasThru 1/5

Frost Octagon Video: Nic Nicosia’s MiddletownThru 1/5

C. Thomas Wright: Patron and CollectorThru 1/12

Cut! Costume and the CinemaThru 1/19

ArtMatters 15: Rosalyn SchwartzThru 1/19

Native Son: Prints and Drawings byLuis A. Jimenez, Jr.Thru 1/19

Catherine Lee: AliceThru Summer 2014

Constructing the Stage: Artists from the Theatre Collection1/22-6/1

Robert Indiana’s Beyond Love2/5-5/25

Robert Indiana’s The Mother of Us All2/5-5/25

Robert Indiana’s Hartley Elegies2/5-5/25

The Full Monty: Male Nudesfrom the Collection2/5-5/25

http://bohanans.com


SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Art in the Garden(In conjunction with Blue Star Contemporary Art Center)Thru 3/2014

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

Lethal Beauty: Samuri Weapons and ArmorThru 1/5

Eldzier Cortor: Master PrintmakerThru 3/2

Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus:Patron Saint of TexasThru 3/23

Diego Rivera in San Antonio:A Small Special Exhibition(On Display at Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art at SAMA)

Thomas Sully: Painted Performances2/8-5/11

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART

Anabel Toribio MartinezInterludesThru 1/31

Chris Sauter DoubtThru 2/2

Robert and Shana ParkeharrisonSelections from the Counterpoint SeriesThru 2/2

Texas Draws III2/13-4/27

Sarah FoxSecrets Manifest2/13-4/25

WITTE MUSEUM

Patriotism and Pageantry:Fiesta Honors the MilitaryThru 1/5

CSI: The ExperienceThru 1/26

Porfirio Salinas:Capturing South Texas on CanvasThru 2/9

The World Through Magic LanternsThru June 2014

Maximilian and Carlota: Last Empire of Mexico2/1-3/30

Alien Worlds and Androids2/22-5/27

Cowboys, Cattle, Chili Queens, Oil & OutlawsNow OpenSouth Texas Heritage Center

Miscellaneous2013 Light The WayThru 1/6 – Self-Guided Tours NightlyUniversity of the Incarnate Word

U.S. Army All-American Bowl and San Antonio Sports All-StarFootball Game1/4, Sat @ 12pmAlamodome

River City Wrestling Presents New Year’s Evolution 5Featuring RCW Ang1/4, Sat @ 8pmTurner Club – Kirby

Monster Jam1/11-12, Sat @ 7pmSun @ 2pmAlamodome

San Antonio Cocktail Conference1/16-19, Thu-SunDowntown various locations

Martin Luther King, Jr. March1/20, Mon @ 10am3501 Martin Luther King Drive

Mexican National Soccer Team vs. Korea National 1/29, Wed @ 8pmAlamodome

Harlem Globetrotter 2014 World Tour1/30, Thu @ 7pmAT&T Center

Asian Festival2/1, Sat / 10am-5pmInstitute of Texan Cultures

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo2/6-23, dailyAT&T Center

Jewish Film Festival2/8-12, Sat-WedSantikos Embassy Theatre

Cine FestivalGuadalupe TheaterGuadalupe Cultural Center2/22-3/1

Photo Credits

Page 24 (L-R)

Brandon RhyderCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Sebastian Lang-LessingPhoto by Marks Moore

Kyle ParkCourtesy liveatfloores.com


January/February 2014 | On The Town 35November/December 2013 | On The Town 35

http://jccsanantonio.org/filmfestival


Andres CardenesCourtesy andrescardenes.com

Page 25 (L-R)

SOLI Chamber EnsemblePhoto by Kemp Davis

Michel DalbertoCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Nancy ZhouCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Luciana SouzaPhoto by Gabriel Rinaldi

Page 26 (L-R)

Max StallingCourtesy maxstalling.com

Kathryn FindlenCourtesy fredericksburgmusicclub.com

Oak Ridge BoysCourtesy Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre

James McMurtryCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 28 (L-R)

In The Mood 1940s Musical RevueCourtesy inthemoodlive.com

Mel TllisCourtesy meltillis.com

Tempest TrioCourtesy tempesttrio.com

Bellamy BrothersCourtesy Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre

Page 29 (L-R)

Joyce El-KhouryPhoto by Dario Acosta

Tim McGrawCourtesy timmcgraw.com

Page 30 (L-R)

Martina McBrideCourtesy martinamcbride.com

Robert Earl KeenPhoto by Darren Carroll

Gordon LightfootCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Glenn Miller OrchestraCourtesy glennmillerorchestra.com

Page 32 (L-R)

BJ ThomasCourtesy bjthomas.com

Benjamin GrosvenorCourtesy benjamngrosvenor.com

Lo-An LinCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Julian KuertiPhoto by Dario Acosta

Page 33 (L-R)

Estafania RamerizCourtesy entreflamenco.com

Kinan AzmehCourtesy kinanazmeh.com

Page 34 (L-R)

Long DuoCourtesy fishermgt.com

The MountaintopCourtesy Renaissance Guild

GhostGhost the Musical Carla R. Stewart and Steven Grant Douglas Ghost The Musical Tour © Joan Marcus 2013

Pilobolus Dance TheatreCourtesy pilobolus.com

(L-R)

The StepcrewCourtesy stepcrew.com

Rachel FeinsteinCourtesy Rachel-feinstein.com

Aziz AnsariCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Anjelah JohnsonCourtesy anjelah.com



http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?tm_link=tm_header_search&user_input=Blue+man+group+corpus&q=Blue+man+group+corpus


http://saipc.org


Culinary Arts40-54

Culinary Arts40-54


”

Alain Dubernard, Sweet Success By Chris DunnPhotography Greg Harrison

C.hef Alain Dubernard will tell you that being a Frenchman from Mexico has its challenges. “You don’t know where you’re

from,” he said with a smile. But no doubt his multicultural background is a key ingredient of his success as a world-class certified master baker and as department chair for the baking and pastry applied science degree program at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio.

Dubernard’s grandparents belonged to a group of émigrés referred to as “Les Barcelonnettes,” people who immigrated to Mexico from the town of Barcelonette in the southern French Alps during the 19th and 20th centuries. “They came to Mexico to make their fortune,” Dubernard said. Like so many other immigrant groups that Mexico has welcomed, including Lebanese and Canadian Mennonites, the French ex-pats prospered, and in the process, enriched the Mexican culture, as well as their own.

Though Dubernard was born in Mexico City, Spanish was his second language. “My point of view was very different,” he said. French was spoken in his home and European customs and culinary traditions were followed. “My grandmother was a graduate of Condon Bleu,” he said, adding that she instilled in him a “great respect for food.” He remembers growing up in an atmosphere of culinary creativity and fusion cuisine. (He still prefers to make his guacamole with white wine vinegar and a touch of olive oil.) As a young man, Dubernard made and sold loaves of pain d’epices, a bread flavored with spices familiar to both French and Mexicans — anise,

cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. He worked for a time in his father’s textile factory, as well as establishing businesses dealing with a wide variety of products, including passion fruit, vanilla and Persian rugs. He even produced a successful record album for a group called “Ultimatum.”

But he discovered his greatest passion (“This job is all about passion,” he said) when he realized he could combine his innate love of business, music, science and art through a culinary profession in the field of baking and pastry. “This is a combination of that,” he said.

After graduating from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and the Escuela Panamericana de Hoteleria (Hotel Management School), both in Mexico City, he travelled to Europe and worked as an assistant chef at A la Petite Chocolatière and as chef de partie, Hôtel Bristol in Paris.

Subsequently, he moved to London and served as commis pâtissier/chef de tour, Roux Restaurants Ltd. After returning home, he was a production consultant to some of the top pastelerías and cafés in Mexico City, as well as chef-owner and general manager of La Balance Pâtisserie.

The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., took notice, and in 2004, he joined the faculty there, later serving as assistant dean of the baking and pastry program at the school.

When asked to develop and chair the baking and pastry degree program at the CIA campus in San Antonio, and to return to teaching, Dubernard



jumped at the opportunity. “I discovered I love that, to teach young people,” he said, “to impart knowledge to them in a positive way. It ’s the most beautiful gift I can give.”

It ’s a challenging job, but Dubernard said, “Every job is hard work.” The chef stresses the reality of a chef ’s life with his students, as well. “You need to be honest with students. You don’t have weekends, Christmas. You have to love it.”

His unique background and depth of experience have proven to be a perfect fit for the school. The first class of 20 students working toward a baking and pastry applied science degree began this fall, and according to Dubernard, the demand for this kind of specialized education is growing.

“There’s a need for professionals,” he said, adding that the large number of students pursuing culinary degrees in San Antonio will ultimately elevate the quality of dining here. He said being at the forefront of such a dynamic movement is very exciting. “This boom is amazing for San Antonio,” he said. “What’s going to happen with all these restaurants is the city will have a better understanding of food.”

Whether in French, Spanish or English, that’s something we all like to hear.


“I discovered I love that (teaching), to teach young people, to impart knowledge to them in a positive way. It ’s the most beautiful gift I can give.”

- Alain Dubernard Culinary Institute of America

San Antonio

January/February 2014 | On The Town 43November-December 2012 | On The Town 43

http://cappysrestaurant.com/

http://cappyccinos.com/

http://lafondaonmain.com/


C ontinuing on our ser ies of ar t icles about Texas wineries, today we take a look at Dr y Comal Creek Vineyards and Winer y ;

one of the closest, i f not the closest, of the establ ished wineries near San Antonio.

In 1992, Frank l in Houser decided to leave behind his l i fe as a lawyer. His idea was to plant some vines on 103 acres of land he and his wife Bonnie had purchased in the ‘70s near New Braunfels as a weekend get-away for the family. I t was supposed to be a retirement project for

the successful attorney. More than 20 years later, Dr y Comal Creek is now producing award-winning wines within a dozen different styles and var ietals.

Although the f irst grapes were planted in 1992, and the f irst har vest completed in 1995, the f irst wine was not produced unti l 1998. Some of the ear ly years proved to be chal lenging with the big f lood of 1998 wiping out both the vineyards and the winer y. This was fol lowed in 2000 by a devastating discover y which came

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards and WineryPioneers of Black Spanish Grape Cultivation in TexasBy Olivier J. Bourgoin; (aka. “Olivier the Wine Guy”) Photography courtesy Dry Comal Creek


January/February 2014 | On The Town 45January/February 2014 | On The Town 45

in the form of a f ield repor t confirming that the vineyards were infested by Pierce Disease (an airborne pathogen lethal to vines with no k nown cure and especial ly prone to attack vineyards in warmer cl imates such as Texas) . On two different occasions al l the diseased vines had to be r ipped- out and the entire crop was lost . Then again in 2002 another f lood resulted in devastating damage nearly as severe as during the f irst f lood. “Essential ly, no grapes - no wine!” says Houser, as quoted from his company ’s website.

This ser ies of major set-backs could have led to an easy way out for most people - but not for the Houser clan. Instead, i t led to a decision to research grape var ietals immune to Pierce disease. The research pointed to one in par t icular that had been used in United States with some degree of success s ince the

1830’s ; not only because of i ts resistance to Pierce disease but because it is also immune to Phyl loxera, microscopic insects that attack roots and leaves. That grape was Lenoir. Also k now as Black Spanish. Today, Dr y Comal Creek Winer y st i l l makes wine from several different grape var ietals, including their popular Bone Dr y French Colombard which sel ls out annually. With a total yearly production topping well over 5,000 cases per year, the winer y crafts a dozen different wines, including some blends made with Merlot, Petite Sirah, Tempranil lo and Zinfandel and also a Cabernet, as well as some Spark l ing wines and Por ts. In addit ion, they also offer several selections of wines made from Black Spanish, the only grapes grown at the vineyard anymore. Sabrina Houser is the daughter of founders Frank l in and Bonnie Houser. “ I grew up stomping grapes”, she writes. Today Sabrina runs the family business and is in

Bonnie and Franklin Houser

46 On The Town | January/February 201446 On The Town | January/February 2014

charge of the winer y ’s day-today operations. “ We learned our lesson,” she said.

Indeed, the lesson was learned. So well in fact that Dr y Comal Creek is now regarded not only as having been the pioneers of Black Spanish cult ivation in Texas but it is also recognized as being the exper t regarding that par t icular type of grape.

The tasting room at Dr y Comal Creek offers wine tastings, winer y tours, wine by the glass and bottles to take home plus a unique selection of wine gif ts. There is also an event center which can be rented to accommodate weddings and other functions. On Saturday and Sunday, there are tours that typical ly include tastings from the tanks.

Although, neither Sabrina Houser nor winemaker Joe Donnow were avai lable for inter views due the fact they were in the middle

of the bottl ing process, I contacted former San Antonio Express-News repor ter David King who l ives in New Braunfels and has been teaching wine education classes at Dr y Comal Creek since December 2006. “ In fact, I am the longest-tenured person who st i l l works in the Tasting Room on a regular schedule,” he said. “ I love work ing there. I t ’s a great atmosphere. My main role is that I teach a wine -related class once a month, on a Saturday.” he added. “ The tasting room itself is a great place for people who have never been to a winer y, which is the majority of people in there on a weekend. The emphasis is on fr iendliness and a casual atmosphere,” said King. The tasting room is open 7 days a week from 12 noon – 5pm, except New Year ’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Dr y Comal Creek Vineyards and Winer y : 1741 Herbelin Road, New Braunfels, (830) 885-4076, www.dr ycomalcreek .com

www.drycomalcreek.com


http://bellaontheriver.com


”

Fig Tree Restaurant’ s chef Laurent ReaBy Olivier J. Bourgoin (aka. Olivier the Wine Guy)Photography Greg Harrison

F ...ig Tree Restaurant in La Villita has been a bastion of incredible French cuisine in San Antonio since 1971. Through more than

four decades patrons have become accustomed to experiencing only the finest in foods, ambiance and service. Recently this sister restaurant to Little Rhein Steak House added the abundant talents of chef Laurent Rea to continued its exceptional culinary legacy.

Rea originally hails from the northeastern French province of Alsace. Prior to coming to the United States, he left his homeland in 1995 to work in England, Stratford-upon-Avon to be exact - the bir thplace of playwright and poet Will iam Shakespeare near the city of Birmingham. There he honed his sk il ls at The Lygon Arm, a restaurant owned by the famed Savoy Group. Over the course of the next three years, an idea germinated in the young chef ’s mind. He became enamored with the idea of coming to the United States to ply his trade.

In 1998, Rea seized the opportunity to take a job at a Paul Bocuse-owned property at Epcot Center in Florida. “Once here in the U.S., I knew I wanted to stay. I liked the lifestyle, so I looked for a way to obtain a work visa,” Rea said. “Becoming a chef is much harder in France than it is here. Over there, you have to be much more patient. Here, if you work hard, things move quicker.

“While working in Florida, I met a gentleman who had contacts in San Antonio. With his help I was hired at L’Etoile in Alamo Heights. I ended up staying there as a sous-chef for seven years. After that I was ready for a change so I left to work in Santa Fe,” Rea said.

The Santa Fe experiment lasted three years, from 2007 to 2010. “My wife, Janet, and I enjoyed the climate but the work was rather seasonal and, quite frankly, it was a bit scary; kind of like Aspen in the off-season. But my wife is from here, and we wanted to come back to San Antonio. I was offered an opportunity to be the chef and partner at Olmos Park Bistro, which was open for 18 months. From there I opened Chez Laurent at the Olmos Circle and when we closed it, the previous chef at the Fig Tree, Chris Spencer, had just left to work with Andrew Weissman at the new Minnie’s, so I came here,” Rea said.

What the Fig Tree lacks in s ize, i t largely makes up in charm and elegance. With its main entrance located inside La Vi l l i ta , the street-level dining room can accommodate about 20 guests with room for an addit ional 30 in the top-f loor dining room. In addit ion there is room for another 40 patrons on the r iver-facing terrace, weather permitt ing.

“I feel like the Fig Tree is still one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets,” Rea said. “Eighty percent of our customers are from out-of-town but there are many locals who don’t really know about us, and we’d love to introduce them.

“I’m really happy to be here, for several reasons. First, it ’s a new experience for me. It ’s good exposure professionally, and it ’s another level of work I had not done before. Also, it ’s on the San Antonio River and in a beautiful setting. It really is a beautiful restaurant. I also like the fact that now, I only have to take care of the kitchen; there are no other distractions. It ’s fun and challenging,” he said.



“Except for some of the signature dishes this restaurant has been known for over the years, like the Beef Wellington and Beef Rossini, I’ve pretty much been given free rein to express myself and to showcase my talents in the kitchen. My philosophy of cooking is really quite simple. I use a very traditional French heartland ( Terroir) approach, while utilizing local ingredients and a contemporary presentation. One of our current specials is a Magret (filet) of Duck with a Blood Orange Gastrique (caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar), and served with a Parsnips Mousseline,” Rea said.

“I enjoy making dishes with a beautiful and very colorful presentation. Something that ’s a pleasure for the eyes as well as for the taste buds; like using the petals of Brussels sprouts for decoration,” he said.

Fig Tree Restaurant: 515 Villita St., in downtown San Antonio. 210-224-1976. Open 7 nights a week at 6 p.m., with last reservations accepted at 9 p.m.

“Except for some of the signature dishes this restaurant has been known for over the years, like Beef Wellington and Beef Rossini, I’ve been pretty much been given free rein to express myself and to showcase my talents in the kitchen.”

- Laurent Rea Fig Tree Restaurant



Pinch Pennies & Dine Well


A bout five years ago, I decided to establish a standalone e-mail account to use solely for the accrual of discounted restaurant offers.

After it was up and running, I signed up for every restaurant “e-mail club” I could find just to see what would happen. I expected a coupon offer every now and then, but little did I realize the absolute flood of deals destined to come my way. I hit the mother lode, a never-ending bonanza of significant savings for simply providing my name, e-mail address, birthday and anniversary date. In this article, I would like to address only one aspect of the savings received, that being “birthday” offers.

Because I invested nothing more than a miniscule amount of my time, I am absolutely blown away by the massive number of freebies that have appeared in my e-mail every year during the month of my birth. Happy birthday to me! Take this year for example. Houlihan’s loved me to the tune of a free entrée up to $15 in value with no strings attached. Zio’s Italian Kitchen liked me too and sent a voucher for a comp entrée up to $12 with no obligation to buy anything else. Tony Roma’s was a player as well having offered me a free entrée of my choice. Grimaldi’s Pizzeria tossed its best wishes my way with a large one-topping at no cost, and Brio Tuscan Grill made me happy with a free entrée. Spaghetti Warehouse joined the fun and frivolity with a complimentary entrée and spumoni sundae, and I got a free birthday burger from Red Robin. That’s seven e-mails and seven free meals.

As impressive as the above display of “something for nothing” is, there’s much more information to impart about the “free” world of food and drink. As a member

of the 837 Club at The Palm Restaurant, I qualified for a three-pound lobster dinner for my birthday. What a great gratis gift! In addition, Myron’s Prime Steakhouse dropped a $30 gift certificate in the mail to me, and Shula’s Steak House (nearest one is in Houston) followed suit with a totally free entrée of my choice. I also joined the Landry’s Select Club, and they rang up a $25 credit on my club card as a b’day gift to use at any of their restaurants, including local favorites Landry’s on the River Walk, Saltgrass Steakhouse, Chart House on top of the Tower of the Americas and Rainforest Café, also on the River Walk. A couple more upscale eateries who offered bonus bucks this year were Kona Grill and Z’Tejas, with $15 and $10 gift certificates respectively, to use as I saw fit. As a result of joining their birthday clubs, Cappy’s in Alamo Heights and La Fonda on Main sent cards in the mail treating to $10 off at each restaurant.

Smaller, but still impressive, birthday goodies in the mix this year included a free soufflé from Morton’s The Steakhouse, a complimentary dinner at Texas de Brazil with the purchase of another, a free dessert from La Madeleine Country French Café, a free appetizer at Texas Land and Cattle, a free BBQ sandwich from Dickey’s and a free dessert from Mimi’s Café.

I’ve mentioned 20 of the more than 50 birthday offers received. Of course, these are timed deals with expiration dates so it’s impossible to take advantage of them all. But remember, the cost to play this “on the house” game is zip, zero, nada, nothing. Join some restaurant e-mail clubs today so you too can say “Happy birthday to me” when your turn rolls around. Bon appetit!

Happy Birthday to me!Free Dining Opportunities are the Order of the DayBy Marlo Mason-Marie



http://childrensfineartseries.org/


Visual Arts56-72

Visual Arts56-72


MUSEUMS AND ART CENTERS OFFER INCREDIBLE EXHIBITIONS FOR THE NEW YEARALIEN WORLDS AND ANDROIDS, ROBERT INDIANA, THOMAS SULLY, DIEGO RIVERA AND ELDZIER CORTOR ARE FEATURED.

Amateur criminologists should hurry to the Witte Museum (www.wittemuseum.org) to investigate CSI: The Experience, a forensic science

exhibit based on the popular television franchise that allows viewers to analyze staged crime scenes with multimedia simulations of cutting-edge investigative resources (ends January 26). Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas features 30 works from the renowned Texas landscape artist (1910-1973), including a 360 degree mural of Dan Rheiner’s Las Pintas ranch (ends February 9). Opening February 1 is an exhibit devoted to Maximilian and Carlota: Last Empire of Mexico, exploring the brief and tragically clueless rule of Mexico’s final European Emperor and Empress in the 1860s (through March 30). The major exhibition Alien Worlds and Androids (February 22 - May 27) asks “Are we alone?” by highlighting current scientific findings in nine areas: Looking for Life in Space, Alien Life on

Earth, Artificial Intelligence and Robots, Robot Space Explorers, Explore the Solar System, The Robotization of Planet Earth, I-Cyborg and The Human Microbiome.

The Institute of Texan Cultures (www.texancultures.com) celebrates American Indian and Texan skateboard cultures in Ramp It Up and Ramp It Up: Texas Style (through January 5). In The 201st Fighter Squadron: Mexico Joins the Fight in WWII, archival materials tell the story of courageous Mexican volunteers who fought alongside American soldiers (through January 12). Why We Came: The Immigration Experience is and immersive exploration of the complex motivations and challenges facing contemporary immigrants—see if you can pass a citizenship test (through March 23).

The substantial permanent collection is the draw at the Briscoe Western Art Museum (www.briscoemuseum.


www.wittemuseum.org

www.texancultures.com

www.texancultures.com

www.briscoemuseum.org


org), which opened last October on the River Walk. The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the American West in full perspective, through art and artifacts of cowboy, American Indian, Mexican, and Spanish Colonial cultures. The West 1:01 drop-in tours are free every Thursday at 1:01 pm sharp, and upcoming gallery talks include Home on the Range (January 7, 6pm), which explores the significance of the bison in American Art, and “The Romance of Mexican Border Ballads” (February 4, 6 pm).

At the San Antonio Museum of Art (www.samuseum.org) the major exhibition Thomas Sully: Painted Performance (February 8 - May 11) reveals nearly 80 works by one of the most important American painters of the 19th century. Sully’s famously vibrant portraiture is set in the context of his lifelong connection to and love of theatre, exploring how artist, sitter, and viewer each plays his role in the creation of a dynamic work. Eldzier Cortor: Master Printmaker (through March 2) features an impressive collection of work by one of the only living African-American artists who worked during the Works Progress Administration. A film and panel discussion with four Freedom Riders in partnership with Dreamweek and the Created Equal film series coincides

with the exhibition. The small special exhibition Diego Rivera in San Antonio features one of the artist’s earliest paintings, thought to be lost for decades but rediscovered in a local home collection and carefully restored, along with eight works on paper.

February is for modern lovers at the McNay Art Museum (www.mcnayart.org), which features three exhibitions of the iconic work of pop art master Robert Indiana, including the major survey Robert Indiana: Beyond Love (February 5 - May 25). Organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, the exhibition includes over 90 paintings, sculpture and works on paper from public and private collections around the world. The Full Monty: Male Nudes from the Collection focuses on prints and drawings of male nudes by Paul Cadmus, Charles Demuth, George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, David Hockney, and Beth Van Hoesen (February 5 - May 25).

Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum (www.bluestart.org) exhibits three one-person shows. Chris Sauter: Faith and Reason (through January 19) suggests relationships between science and religion through photographs of words written on the windows of airplanes in flight. Related exhibitions by the artist will be at Southwest


www.briscoemuseum.org

www.samuseum.org

www.samuseum.org

www.mcnayart.org

www.bluestart.org

www.bluestart.org


School of Arts (Doubt, through February 2) and FL!GHT Gallery (The Shape of the Universe, through February 10). Blane de St. Croix: Broken Landscapes III (through February 16) explores the geopolitical and ideological landscape of the Mexico/United States border, reconstructing a miniaturized section of the border fence and surrounding landscape. Elizabeth Keithline: Smarter, Faster, Higher (through February 16) is an installation of full-scale woven wire trees and human figures made in homage to the Terracotta Army of Xi-an Shaanxi.

The Southwest School of Art (www.swschool.org) features exhibitions by Chris Sauter (see above); photographers Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison (through February 2); painter Anabel Toribo-Martinez (Interludes series, through January 31); painter Sarah Fox (Secrets Manifest, February 13 - April 25); and the biennial Texas Draws III (February 13 - April 27).

Guest curator Paola Morsiani selected the 94 photos on display through January 12 at ArtPace (www.artpace.org), the work of last Fall’s three artists in residence: Micol Assaël (Rome, Italy), Ivor Shearer (Houston, Texas), and Erin Shirreff (New York, New York). Adam, a 2,500 square-foot public art installation by Arturro

Hererra, is on view at The Linda Pace Foundation (www.lindapacefoundation.org)—and all the way from Main Plaza—through December 2016. The Foundation also features Eight, Eighteen, two video installations and other recent video and photographic work by Theresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler (by appointment only, through March 29).

Ruiz-Healy Art (www.ruizhealyart.com) shows the work of Chuck Ramirez, Nate Cassie, Constance Lowe, Nicholas Leiva, Ethel Shipton, Cecilia Paredes, and Andres Ferrandis in Collective Reflection (through January 30). A solo exhibition of Andres Ferrandis, who incorporates new media and materials in painting, follows February 25 - March 22.

Bihl Haus Arts (www.bilhausarts.org) exhibits The Life Perverse, beautifully executed and emotionally unsettling new oil paintings and ink drawings by Alejandro Augus-tine Padilla (through February 1). The 7th Annual On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour (www.onandofffred.org), founded by Bihl Haus’s Kellen Kay McIntyre, is not to be missed: a weekend self-guided tour of a variety of galleries and studios of local artists and artisans in the city’s Art Deco district (February 22 and 23).

www.swschool.org

www.artpace.org

www.artpace.org

www.lindapacefoundation.org

www.lindapacefoundation.org

www.ruizhealyart.com

www.bilhausarts.org

www.onandofffred.org


Photo Credits:

Pages 56-57 (L-R)

Robert IndianaThe Figure Five, 1963 Oil on canvasSmithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC / Art Resource, NY. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New YorkMcNay Art Museum

Alejandro Augustine PadillaEgg, 2013Oil on panel, 16” x 16”Bihl Haus Arts

Eldzier Cortor (American, born 1916)Dance Composition No. 35, edition 6 of 100,Etching gift of the Eldzier Cortor Trust in memory of Sophia Cortor 2012.24.39San Antonio Museum of Art

Thomas Sully (American, born England, 1783–1872) Frances Anne Kemble as Beatrice, 1833 Oil on canvas, 30” × 25”Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, PhiladelphiaBequest of Henry C. Carey (The Carey Collection), 1879.8.24 Courtesy of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, PhiladelphiaSan Antonio Museum of Art

Pages 58-59 (L-R)

CSI: The Experience Witte Museum

Eldzier Cortor (American, born 1916)TableauOil on canvasgift of the Eldzier Cortor Trust in memory of Sophia Cortor 2012.24.32 San Antonio Musuem of Art

Two PackersMaynard DixonBriscoe Western Art Museum


ROBERT INDIANA: BEYOND LOVEOn view at the McNay Art Museum February 5 to May 25By Daniela Oliver-Portillo

In the early 1960s, Robert Indiana was among artists, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, leading the charge against previous, more traditional forms

of art with the Pop Art movement. Then, in 1965, the Museum of Modern Art commissioned Indiana to design its Christmas card and Indiana painted LOVE soon after. LOVE (1966) quickly permeated wider popular culture, and was adopted as an emblem of the “Love Generation” because of its optimistic and affirmative connotations. Appearing in 1973 on a best-selling United States Postal Service stamp and reproduced on countless unauthorized products, the proliferation of the image led to misconceptions of the artist’s oeuvre.

The first retrospective of the artist’s work, the exhibition Robert Indiana: Beyond LOVE places Indiana’s signature

LOVE image into a broader perspective and examines the emotional poignancy and symbolic complexity of the artist’s full body of work. Organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, this major survey spans Indiana’s career from 1955 to 1994, and includes more than 80 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from public and private collections from around the world.

While it also includes variants of LOVE, the exhibition delves deeper and features paintings, wooden beam sculptures, or “herms,” and works on paper selected for their profound social, political, artistic, and literary references that speak to the vital forces that shaped American culture in the second half of the twentieth century.

Brightly-colored, stenciled symbols, numbers, and



ROBERT INDIANA: BEYOND LOVEOn view at the McNay Art Museum February 5 to May 25By Daniela Oliver-Portillo


words, reflect Indiana’s personal history, including his depression-era childhood; formative years as an artist in New York; response to the civil rights movement; investigations of celebrity and the rise of consumer culture; engagement with American Modernists; and admiration for classic authors.

Important works from the McNay collection featured in the exhibition include paintings, Decade: Autoportrait 1961 (1972-77) and The Metamorphosis of Norma Jean Mortenson (1967), as well as costume designs made in the 1960s and 1970s for the opera, The Mother of Us All, which chronicles the life of suffragette Susan B. Anthony.Ultimately, Indiana’s art addresses the most fundamental issues facing humanity—love, death, sin, and forgiveness—and gives new meaning to our understanding of the ambiguities of the American Dream and the plight of the individual in a pluralistic society. The McNay is the only other venue to host the exhibition and presents Robert Indiana: The Mother of Us All and Robert Indiana’s Hartley Elegies simultaneously.

A 286-page illustrated catalogue with essays by Barbara Haskell, curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art;

Sasha Nicholas, an independent curator and art historian; and René Barilleaux, Chief Curator at the McNay; accompanies this exhibition.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits:

Pages 60-61 (L-R)

Robert Indiana, EAT/DIE, 1962. Oil on canvas. Private Collection. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Robert Indiana, Decade: Autoportrait 1961, 1972-77. Oil on canvas. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas; gift of Robert L. B. Tobin. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York


ON AND OFF FREDERICKSBURG ROAD STUDIO TOUR FEBRUARY 22-23By Ashley FestaPhotography Eric Lane

T ake a walk down Fredericksburg Road in February, and you’ll have the rare opportunity to see where some of San

Antonio’s finest artists live – and where they bring their imagination to life.

“We’re promoting a lifestyle. It ’s a wonderful place to live, to work. It ’s easy, comfortable, casual,” said Kellen Kee McIntyre, executive director of Bihl Haus Arts, a nonprofit contemporary art gallery dedicated to creating a community around all kinds of art. The annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour does just that.

With hundreds of artists (somewhere between 700 and 1,000, according to an informal survey) living in the area, Fredericksburg Road provides an ideal location for visitors to explore artists’ inspirational environment.

“People want to see how the artists live, see where they work, sit down and have a glass of wine with them, get comfortable with them,” McIntyre said.

Now in its seventh year, the self-guided studio tour at Fredericksburg Road – affectionately known as Fred Road to locals – draws close to 2,000 visitors from all


Chance Reyes


ON AND OFF FREDERICKSBURG ROAD STUDIO TOUR FEBRUARY 22-23By Ashley FestaPhotography Eric Lane

over the city, state and even the nation to indulge in two days’ worth of artistic delights. The tour encompasses seven surrounding neighborhoods: Los Angeles Heights, Monticello Park, Jefferson, Woodlawn Lake, Beacon Hill, Alta Vista and Keystone. Each neighborhood is color-coded within the official On and Off Fred Road catalog of artists to highlight the distinct character of each area.

More than 70 artists grace the 100-plus pages of the catalog, but close to 200 other artists also participate in the tour, often as guests in a featured artist’s studio. To be featured in the catalog, an artist must live or work in one of the seven neighborhoods.

The catalog itself is an important aspect of the studio tour. Purchasing the $15 book – which includes the online mobile version – allows the buyer and a guest admission to the tour. For only $5, visitors can buy the online-only version

instead of the hard-copy catalog.

“This is not a free tour,” McIntyre said. “We do that to encourage visitors who are going to come and spend money. We want the artists that are on the tour to sell artwork. Several artists have sold several thousands of dollars on the tour.

“People take the catalog home and dog ear it. Then they go back and commission work,” she said. “They become patrons of various artists. Some guests go back and buy something every year.”

But visitors don’t have to take out a loan to bring home a souvenir from the tour. Prices range from $10 on up, and the variety of ar t on display is just as diverse. Jewelry, pottery, handmade gift cards, paintings, photography, sculpture, metalwork, weaving, cut paper, fashion design, hair design, l ive per formances – you name it, it ’s probably on the tour.


Vickie Owen


“They’re seeing artists in its broadest definition,” McIntyre said. “There really is something for everybody. I end up being surprised every year. And if I end up being surprised and amazed every year, our guests are definitely going to be.”

The studios themselves offer an array of visual interests for tourists. The smallest studios are not much more than a “glorified shed,” McIntyre said, and the largest are a couple of old grocery stores converted into huge galleries and work space. Some artists don’t have designated studio space at all, so they move their art to the front porch of their home for guests to peruse.

Beyond the art, the Fred Road area experiences an economic boost, thanks to the tour. Houses are sold, and apartments are rented before and after the tour. “The homes are quirky and fun,” said McIntyre, who also lives in the area. “It ’s an artist-friendly community.”

In fact, Fred Road was built for the purpose of cultural tourism. It ’s part of the Old Spanish Trail, a tourist road that the U.S. government built from 1919 to 1931. It started in St. Augustine, Fla., and ran through the South into San Antonio on its way to San Diego, Calif.

Fred Road was once a booming business corridor that took a hit in the 1960s when many of the area’s retail shops moved to new locations. On and Off Fred Road has been recognized by the City of San Antonio because of its success at revitalizing the area.

For example, several businesses such as coffee shops and boutiques have opened in the area. “They follow the artists,” McIntyre said. “We are not trying to gentrify anything. We want people to be comfortable here and live here into their 90s,” she said.

“I just want people to come and experience what I’ve been experiencing for 18 years -- the beauty of the neighborhood, the charm, the little magical space that the artists’ studios are.”

On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour takes place Feb. 22-23 in seven neighborhoods surrounding Fredericksburg Road. For more information, visit www.onandofffred.org.


Kathleen Trenchard

Rainey

www.onandofffred.org


http://woodlawntheatre.org


A COUPLE’S COLLECTIONSan Antonio’s Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley share the story behind their African-American art collectionBy Mauri Elbel

W..hen Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley bought their first painting, they never anticipated they would be among the top collectors of African-

American art just a quarter century later.

Today, the San Antonio-based couple is known for one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of works by African-American artists––some of the paintings they own are displayed permanently in museums while others tour nationally and abroad.

But their impressive collection had small beginnings, an interest-turned-passion that started when the couple attended an exhibition of works by black artists titled

Hidden Heritage at the San Antonio Museum of Art in December 1987.

“Harriet and I were invited to go to the exhibition, and we went having never seen any paintings like this that had been done by African-Americans––at least not of the degree that we saw at Hidden Heritage,” says Dr. Harmon Kelley, who remains a full-time practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in San Antonio. “We were completely overwhelmed. We went back multiple times and were quite impressed. At that first exhibition, we saw things that spoke to us; things we had experienced.”

But seeing African-American art in that magnitude for



the first time came with mixed emotions for the San Antonio-based couple. On one hand, they identified with the art, but on the other, they felt an overwhelming sense of cultural isolation having never heard of or seen works by most of these artists before.

The Kelleys didn’t begin purchasing works with the intention of acquiring one of the largest collections of African-American art. Originally, they bought paintings as a way to fill the walls of their home with meaningful art and to educate their two young daughters––now both grown and working, one as an OB/GYN who shares a practice with Harmon and the other a social worker in San Antonio––about their heritage.

“At first, it wasn’t our intention to establish a collection––we were just looking for pretty paintings representative of our culture to hang on our walls,” says Harriet. “Originally we saw an opportunity to fill our walls with this beautiful art––it brought a lot of pride to us knowing there were African-American artists that were producing this fine art. But because of segregation and being denied from

museums, it was largely unknown.”

Over the years, their interests and involvement in African-American art has grown extensively. Today the Kelleys share a similar status with some of best-known collectors of African-American art like comedian Bill Cosby. In 25 years, they have amassed a collection that includes more than 300 paintings, works on paper and sculptures from African-American masters of the late 19th and 20th centuries––most of which is now owned by the Harriet & Harmon Kelley Foundation For The Arts. Many original works by black artists they have collected are now displayed nationally and abroad.

Their traveling exhibition, The Harmon & Harriet Kelley Collection of African-American Art: Works on Paper, is an extensive assortment of works by various 19th and 20th century African-American artists that has toured the United States and England spanning museums from the Smithsonian Institute to the London-Haywood Gallery in recent years. The exhibition is comprised of 69 works on paper––representing a small fraction of what is contained



in their overall collection––including drawings, etchings, lithographs, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, gouaches, linoleum and color screen prints. Works included in the collection are by established artists such as Ron Adams, Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, John Biggers, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Eldizer Cortor and Margaret Burroughs as well as other lesser known artists.

When the Kelleys first began collecting art, finding works by African-American artists was a challenge. It should also be mentioned that these works were priced far below other contemporaries back then, making it affordable for the working couple to be able make numerous purchases. The Kelleys say they would never be able to duplicate the collection they have today. To put it into numerical perspective, they bought their first two paintings in 1988 for a combined $14,000––a price they say today wouldn’t even allow them to purchase a single painting now, some of which would probably start somewhere in the seven-figure range.

While collecting these works of art was more affordable back then, it was also very difficult. Harriet, a science major who taught biology before becoming a stay-at-home mother, handled most of the legwork.

“In 1988, it was not an easy feat,” says Harmon. “It was back when we had no Internet and at that time most galleries did not carry paintings by black Americans. We had to go to the periphery to find the paintings.”

Harriet began conversing with Thurlow Tibbs, a New York art dealer who operated a gallery out his home. Tibbs had some paintings he was willing to sell and helped guide the Kelleys through their first purchases until they were familiar and comfortable enough to make decisions on their own. Harriet negotiated a price for their first purchase: one painting and two etchings done by Henry Ossawa Tanner, an African-American artist among the first to gain international acclaim.

As they were filling the blank walls of their home with paintings by abstract artists, they also discovered paper works along the way but didn’t learn to appreciate their value until later. Neither Harriet nor Harmon had any background or formal education in art, but once their interests evolved, Harriet completed Docent Training at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio which provided her with a sound art history foundation and helped her develop as a collector.


In the same way the Kelleys put African-American art in front of their own daughters, they have made it their mission to share it on a broader scale. Harriet has served on the San Antonio Museum of Art board for 20 years––prior to that, she says there were no paintings in the museum by African-American artists.

“Right now we have a number of pieces at the McNay Art Museum and there is always a major exhibition that we loan to,” Harriet says, adding that their upcoming loan to the major exhibition on Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist will originate at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University Jan. 30 before embarking on a national tour. “We try to loan paintings to major exhibitions so they can be documented.”

There are the more esoteric examples of their contributions to the increased awareness and exposure of African-American art too. Harmon was instrumental in getting the Journal of the American Medical Association to feature African-American artists on its covers. Harriet also serves on the University of Texas’ fine arts advisory committee, helping to develop wish lists for the Blanton Museum of Art.

The Kelleys have given major art works to the San Antonio Museum of Art as well––a landscape painting by Edward Mitchell Bannister from 1892 and a still life by Charles Ethan Porter done in 1885––and they have contributed toward the museum’s purchase of a major Jacob Lawrence painting. The Kelleys were actually contemplating where to hang one of the paintings in their home until they realized the best place for it was somewhere with a broader view.

“Someone made a suggestion that we should loan it to the museum while we decided where we hang it,” Harmon recalls. “But after we saw it hanging in the museum––such a magnificent painting––we realized it was a painting that belonged in a museum for everyone to enjoy.”

Over the years, the Kelleys have realized the bigger picture lying behind their art collection. Harmon says he sees this as a way to give back to the same community that made it possible for he and his wife to be able to collect art. And Harriet says giving back to the community and educating the public about their heritage is part of a greater effort to fight bigotry, racism, ignorance and hatred.

“It is important that these school kids who come to the museum can take pride that artists from their race are represented,” says Harriet. “They can help tell the story.”



The same art that drapes their walls and travels cross-country to museums has also been a source of strength for the San Antonio couple.

“Over the years we have had sorrows and illnesses, and art has always been there to lift us up,” says Harriet. “This has been very therapeutic.”

During times of personal pain and feelings of isolation and exclusion, the Kelleys turned to art.

“Harriet and I put all our efforts into collecting, and it just kind of grew––we never intended it to be anything other than something we enjoyed,” says Harmon. “But it came about during a very tough time in our lives. Art was there during a very emotional, isolated time when Harriet and I were just together; just us. Art was our refuge.”

Talking to the Kelleys, it becomes evident how much these meaningful works of art have impacted their lives––and most importantly, how they remain willing and eager to share it with others.

“Two of the most important contributions you can make in this life are the kind of people you rear your children to become and the legacy you leave behind,” says Harriet. “Those are two very motivating thoughts that former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said. You want to build a legacy, and I think that is what we have done. I think we have made a significant contribution and we will be remembered for making this a better place.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:

Page 66

Claude Clark (1914-1985)Rain, not datedOffset lithographEdition no.: 43/40015 ¾” x 20”

Page 67

Jacob Lawrence (1917-1999)Carpenters, 1977Color lithographEdition no.: 52/30018” x 22”


Page 68 (Above)

Mary Reed Daniel (born 1946)My Friend, 1981Gouache, graphite and acrylic on paper11” x 9 1/8”

(Below)

Aaron DouglasPortrait of a Lady, 1950Watercolor on paper14 12” x 11”

Page 69 (Above)

Ernest T. Chrichlow (1914-2005)Anyone’s Date, 1940Gouache on paper9” x 7”

(Below)

Charles Sebree (1914-1985)Harlequin, 1954Pen and ink and gouache on handmade paper14 ¼” x 10”

Page 70 (Above)

William Henry Johnson (1901-1971)Jitterbugs III, 1941-42Porchoir16 ½” x 21 ½”

(Below)

Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978)Wind and Flowers, 1973Watercolor on paper14 ½” x 18”

(Above)

Richard W. Dempsey (1909-1987)Untitled, 1940Charcoal and color pastels on paper24” x 18”

(Below)

Ike E. Morgan (born 1958)Still Life, 1990Pastel and acrylic paint on paper27 ½” x 22 ¾” (framed) January/February 2014 | On The Town 71


Literary Arts74-78

Literary Arts 74-78


Book Talk:

BECKY CROUCH PATTERSON, artist and authorStory and Photography by Jasmina Wellinghof


Born and raised on Hill Country ranches, Becky Crouch Patterson is an artist and fifth-generation Texan who first ventured into writing with a

memoir about her folk-hero father, Hondo Crouch, the man who bought tiny Luckenbach in 1971 and turned it into a destination for fun and music events. Published in 1979, the book sold 20,000 copies.

Now, more than 30 years later, Patterson has written another memoir, The Ranch That Was Us, released by Trinity University Press last year. While the famous Hondo is mentioned in it, Ranch is primarily the story of her mother, Shatzie Stieler Crouch, and her German ancestors who came to Texas in the 1850s and helped establish a number of Hill Country communities, including the Freethinkers’ little paradise called Comfort.

With an artist’s eye for detail, Patterson paints a vivid picture of life on the Stieler Hill Ranch – called the Home Ranch – by weaving together the family saga with hard facts, anecdotes, personal remembrances, news reports and historical background in a series of short chapters and even shorter vignettes within chapters. It’s a world that is fast disappearing, as subdivisions and shopping centers keep gobbling up woods and ranch lands. The book is also a story of two women - Patterson and her mother – who both had to face the tragic death of a son.

Commenting on the book, John Phillip Santos wrote “Becky’s family tale of pioneering souls taming land and livestock with rough-hewn artistry, amid scenes of boundless mirth and unendurable grief, ultimately makes this story a staggering chronicle of the power of filial love to conquer hardship. It remains with you, poignant and uplifting.” Country music legend Willie Nelson wrote the foreword.

After living in San Antonio for 25 years, in the early 1990s, Patterson moved back to the scaled-down version of the Home Ranch which she now co-owns with her other two sons Kit and Sky Patterson.

JW: Could you describe how this book came about?

BCP: I always say, I didn’t choose writing; writing chose me. In 2005, I got a scholarship for an artist residency in Maine and I painted stories from ranch life, stories that the ranch’s longtime foreman, Raymond Kuhlmann, related to me before he died. My friend (poet) Naomi Shihab Nye saw some of them and volunteered to contact Barbara Ras (Trinity Press director). When Barbara saw the

paintings she said to me, “If you write a book to go with these paintings, we’ll publish it.” It was really a gift.

A while later, I signed up for a writing workshop with Reginald Gibbons at Gemini Ink, and I told him about all the history and tragedies in my family. There was a lot to tell but how do I shape it? He advised me to write it all down, “but have a thesis,” he said. That finally gave me the impetus to push forward. My thesis is that we should try to emulate the pioneer spirit of our German ancestors when confronted with hardship. Our frontiers are different from theirs but surviving tragedy and hardship is part of life.

JW: In fact, you said to me in our phone conversation that the book was about loss. Would you elaborate on this?

BCP: We are what we lose. Loss forces us to pay attention, whether it’s loss of land, people or an entire lifestyle. There have been tragedies in my family since the Civil War, and I have suffered personal tragedies with the accidental death of my son, Ren, and the suicide of my brother, Kerry. Loss forces us to seek healing and that’s what the book is about - loss and healing. It’s also about the loss of our ranches and a way of life, the loss of common sense and self-reliance, as well as a lot of other things that we learned from our ancestors but no longer practice.

JW: Tell us a bit about your German ancestors.

BCP: There were two waves of German immigration into the Hill Country. My ancestors came in the 1850s. The people who founded Comfort were educated teachers, doctors, and they came with their books to create their idea of a utopian society in the New World. They did not want to have a city government – in fact, Comfort is not incorporated to this day – and they did not want any churches. It’s not that they were not religious; they just didn’t want organized religion. Also, no lawyers. When they came to Texas, they had no idea that they were coming into a land full of Indians, with no roads or other civilized amenities.

My immediate ancestors became ranchers. I was surprised to find the name of my great-grandfather Hermann Stieler at the Institute of Texan Cultures. He started one of the largest sheep and cattle ranching operations in the area. His son, my grandfather Adolf, became known as the angora goat king of the world. Together with other German families, the Reals, the Schreiners, the Neunhoffers, they built roads, warehouses, started banks and auctions, and contributed to the development of Texas.



JW: What are your most vivid memories of childhood on the ranch?

BCP: The strongest things that connect me to “home” are the ranchera songs the shearers sang around campfires, that my father later brought into our living rooms. The other is the smell of feed and hay, and the funky smell of goats and wool lanolin that are strange honey perfume to me.

JW: Your mother, Shatzie, is clearly a role model for you, and we learn a lot about her no-nonsense attitude, practicality and resilience from the pages of your memoir. How did she influence you?

BCP: She taught me that we should all cherish our ancestors. She spent decades of her life restoring Model-T cars and antique furniture. In 1959 she became the president of the Gillespie County Conservation Society and greatly increased the awareness of the need to preserve what we inherited. She even lay down in front of bulldozers to prevent them from demolishing historical structures. (Today, Comfort boasts more than 100 buildings dating back to the 19th century.)

I lean on her for wisdom. She’s tough and tender. She trapped raccoons and opossums, she was a rancher and hard worker, and she also had to personally take down her son after he committed suicide by hanging himself. But she has also taught me that we need balance in this life, balance between compassion and practicality, and she has always advised me to love myself. I am still learning to do that. She’s 89 now and unfortunately suffering from dementia. But she still has the rancher’s spirit.

JW: You spent considerable time speaking with your grandfather’s foreman Raymond before he died, and his reminiscences are featured prominently in the book. What’s your favorite story of ranch life?

BCP: The one where he tells how he kept in touch with the neighbors. (Quoted here) “I’d top Thunder Mountain at 5:30 a.m. I could see the whole world from up there - all the neighbors, Hubert Smith, Eucker, Bill Whitworth, Manchaca. Since you don’t talk to your neighbors much, about all I could do to check on them was to see when they got moving in the morning by watching when the smoke came outa their chimneys. Everyone cooked with wood back then.” Every time I read that I get a lump in my throat.

JW: Having lived with so much grief yourself, what advice do you have for others who are confronting loss?



BCP: At first you do a lot of crying and lean into your pain. Then you wrestle with recreating your life; how to make the world a friendly place again. Then fill the void by looking for beauty, kindness and thankfulness. Alexandar Solzhenitsyn said that “Beauty will save the world.” I understand it now. I look for beauty in poetry, music, a sunset; I rely on nature a lot. Beauty heals. I also paint and write about it. I write about loss in order to let it go. But grief always stays with you.

JW: As a memoir writer, I assume you have to worry about your family members’ sensitivities. How did your family react to the book?

BCP: Oh! (She waves her arm and laughs.) They still have not read it! When I wrote the first memoir, Hondo, My Father, it took my mother two years to read it. My sister said, “I lived it, I don’t need to read the book.” My brother Kerry actually ate a few pages; Juan (her other brother) used it as a paper weight.

But other people have written to me then and now. Naomi (Shihab Nye) is using The Ranch That Was Us in her creative writing class at the James Michener Center at UT. One of her students wrote to me saying this book made her think about her own life and ancestors and what a gift it was for future generations. In fact, Naomi is bringing her entire class of graduate students here for a picnic. They wanted to see a real Texas ranch. They will read what they wrote in response to my book.

I also took part in two book fairs in Austin and San Antonio. The first edition of Ranch sold out, so Trinity reprinted it.

JW: How did you get Willie Nelson to write the foreword?

BCP: That was Trinity Press’ idea. I didn’t know Willie well but he knew my father. He came to Luckenbach five times for his Fourth of July picnic and concert. I had to go through his daughter to reach him and had to call again and again but we eventually got the foreword from him. He’s a fabulous writer.

JW: Any advice for potential memoir writers?

BCP: Write about the lump in your throat. If you can talk a story, you can write one. Write short anecdotes; they add up to something bigger. Interview the old-timers now. Don’t lose their rich memories.

Ms. Crouch Patterson’s comments have been edited for space and clarity.

November/December 2013 | On The Town 77

http://thetwig.com


Eclectics80-86

EClectics80-86


JCC Jewish Film Festival Puts its Mission into FocusBy Aliyah Kuchinsky

T.he Barshop Jewish Community Center’s Jewish Film Festival, now in its 13th year, has a committee with a mission that is truly audience-

centered. That mission is “to promote Jewish values and diversity among the Jewish people through the medium of film. We aim to entertain, educate and raise community awareness of Jewish identity, history and culture.”

With the promotion of Jewish values and the entertainment of its audience as the highest of priorities, you can bet your ticket’s worth that the twelve-person committee of proficient cinephiles has carefully selected each of the ten films to be presented at the five-day festival.

Beginning in July for sixteen weeks, the committee holds group screenings of up to two films per week combined with in-depth discussion all culminating in an intricate voting process in November to select the top films for the artfully curated festival schedule. The committee considers every aspect of each film from the clarity of the subtitles to Jewish content and film editing. The Jewish Film Festival committee takes an approach of offering a decidedly diverse line-up of films that have been researched, screened and debated, all with the audience experience in mind.

Screening this year, When Comedy Went to School is an entertaining portrait of our country’s greatest generation of comics – including the likes of Jerry



JCC Jewish Film Festival Puts its Mission into FocusBy Aliyah Kuchinsky

Lewis, Jackie Mason, and Jerry Stiller, all of whom make appearances in the film, sharing personal anecdotes, jokes and stories. As an added treat for the audience, the Oxymorons, San Antonio’s premiere improvisational comedy troupe, will steal the stage from the silver screen at the conclusion of the film. Call their performance a palate cleanser, if you will, prior to the screening of Aftermath, an intense and gripping thriller inspired by actual events that tells the story of two brothers who discover a terrible secret. While Aftermath has caused controversy in its native Poland due to its present-day reckoning with a dark period in that country’s history, the committee, in keeping with their mission, did not shy from the controversy, and instead, intensely examined the merit of the film and its ability to “entertain, educate, and raise community awareness of Jewish identity, history and culture.” The Festival, and this year’s line-up of films, does just that.

The Jewish Film Festival will be held Feb. 8-12 at the Santikos Embassy 14 Theatre at 281 and Bitters. To

purchase tickets and to explore the films, visit www.jccsanantonio.org/filmfestival. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 302-6820.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •Photo Credits:

Page 80

Aftermath, the affecting, well-conceived film that explores collectively repressed Holocaust guilt, will be screened Sunday at 7:30pm at the Jewish Film Festival at Santikos Embassy 14.

Jerry Stiller appears in the film When Comedy Went to School at the JCC Jewish Film Festival Feb. 8-12.


www.jccsanantonio.org/filmfestival

www.jccsanantonio.org/filmfestival


For 45 years, the Institute of Texan Cultures has reminded Texans and San Antonians of their heritage by putting culture and lifeways on display.

Immersive experiences and special events such as Asian Festival create opportunities for the state’s ethnic groups to celebrate and participate in each other’s culture. The museum will host the 2014 Asian Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1.

The earliest days of the Asian Festival, 27 years ago, opened the door for Asian communities to be recognized and acclaimed. The event started with a Chinese New Year celebration and grew into something uniquely Texan, as communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and Korea joined in the observance and invited San Antonio to celebrate with them.

The Korean presence at the festival will expand in 2014.

The festival will showcase Korean chefs preparing the popular Bulgogi Korean-style barbecue, and the Korean American Cultural Center of San Antonio sharing stories of daily life in Korea as well as the history of their immigration and integration into American culture.

“We are collaborating with the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center on a new project called ‘Young Historians, Living Histories,’” said Angelica Docog, executive director of the ITC. “The project has given ITC and the Korean American Cultural Center in San Antonio a great platform with which to work together. Asian Festival will give this underserved and often overlooked part of the community a chance to showcase itself and share the amazing stories of Korean culture and everyday life.”

Asian Festival will mark the opening of a new museum

ASIAN FESTIVAL 2014:Year of the HorseBy James BenavidesPhotography courtesy on ITC



exhibition, “Is This My Shangri-La: Life in a Bhutanese Refugee Camp,” curated by Lopita Nath of the University of the Incarnate Word. The Bhutanese are migrating to Texas primarily as refugees from Asia. A significant portion of the population has been displaced by civil unrest, and many Bhutanese live in refugee camps in neighboring Nepal. The exhibit features approximately 100 photographs from Nath’s research trips in Bhutan and Nepal. The exhibit opens on Feb. 1 and continues through April 20.

“From the moment you enter the festival grounds, you are surrounded by a celebration,” says festival director Jo Ann Andera. “There’s an opportunity to learn, but there are just as many opportunities to dance, or enjoy a bowl of your favorite Asian food, or to try something completely new.”

The Asian Festival starts with a Lion Dance parade around the grounds to chase away the evil spirits of the past year. Dancers, martial artists and presenters lead the way through the festival grounds and open the celebration. Music, dance and entertainment follow on multiple stages, featuring offerings such as the traditional choreography of Okinawan dance, the contemporary styles of China, or the Bollywood-style of India.

On the museum’s Back 40, martial arts organizations will demonstrate unique styles ranging from the meditative tai chi chuan, to the more aggressive arts like karate and the swordsmanship of kendo.

“What’s so amazing about the martial arts demonstrations,” Andera said, “is you’ll hear the history of the art, the rationale of their movements, and the tradition as to how and why these arts are practiced. It is a snapshot of history and events that have shaped a culture. It’s this perfect intersection of entertainment and education.”

Andera emphasizes the experiential aspects of the festival, such as sampling foods, participating in demonstrations and visiting with Asian community members as some of the most fulfilling experiences of Asian Festival. For 27 years, the festival has played an important part in creating unity and solidarity in community, as it has helped people come together and understand one another in a day of entertainment, excitement and experience.

The 2014 Asian Festival celebrates the Year of the Horse. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. For ticket information, visit TexanCultures.com or the Institute of Texan Cultures museum store.


http://TexanCultures.com


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January/February 2014 Issue

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