The weekend flashed by in a dizzying array of resplendent sights and colors, as I marathoned a record (for me) eleven art receptions three nights in a row. March bursts to the seams with nonstop contemporary art receptions, placed on the scene by a communal calendar hosted by San Antonio-based nonprofit Contemporary Art Month (CAM). Cam supports and celebrates the best of contemporary art in San Antonio, butmay be a victim of their own success, with an overwhelming amount of events submitted (twenty for this weekend alone). It’s impossible to engage in everything that CAM has to offer. From the shows I visited, you need to know about these artists.
There are two must see solo shows – Rachael Duke’s Threads of Digital Sisterhood and Blxck Rabbit’s Walk Through the Shadow, Fear No Evil.
Threads of Digital Sisterhood focuses on shared experiences of womanhood. Duke has mined the trenches of the internet for social media posts by everyday women who are taking to the “virtual streets,” challenging and reflecting on their experiences in a male dominated world. Duke highlights their worries, hopes, and fears, collaging the printed words and thinly painting over symbols and words from American politics to critique the patriarchal structure.
Blxck Rabbit offers a vulnerable experience in the repurposed shed of cactusBarn, transforming the space to mirror the interiors of her mind. She visualizes two characters, storyboarding their interactions from left to right on the wall, culminating in a climactic finale- the above montage flanked by two silhouettes. The drawings are paired with a bed-like structure and night stand with a lamp and journal, highlighting the intimacy of sharing her struggle.
There was an abundance of group shows throughout the city - the Luminaria Pop-Up at the Aiden, Centro Cultural Aztlan, and multiple shows to pick from in Southtown. The chaos and crowds of First Friday make it hard to navigate and identify the group shows included in the Upstairs Galleries at Blue Star. Fl!ght Gallery, located on the first floor at Blue Star, stands out as a curated gallery space due to its single entrance and exit. The dense crowds and tightly packed art make for a claustrophobic atmosphere, overwhelming the senses. The Urge Not To Do Everything, Is Anything brings together over seventy artists and works with no visual unity, rather it focuses on individualized experiences of profuse apathy or lack of motivation. Much like the theme, I felt overwhelmed by the chaos and made a quick exit.
For group shows that are well organized and coherently connected, I recommend visiting Cultural Threads: Weaving Identity at Argarita Lofts, 16th Annual Mujeres de Aztlan | Mujeres Artistas: Iluminado El Futuro at Centro Cultural Aztlan, You don't own ME at Interloper Gallery, and The Nature of Us at La Zona.
Jon Hinojosa, curator, expertly manages the stunning, intimate space of Agarita Lofts, showing care with integrating art and place in Cultural Threads: Weaving Identity.
Suzy González and Ashley Perez both show strong works in the Luminaria Pop-Up and Centro Cultural Aztlan. González expands on her resin work, rather than portraits (Plantcestors at the Central Library) she has created altars of intertwined hands. Perez explores textured paint on canvas to emphasize the bold colors of snakes. She also has work in Contemporary’s Mosh Now, Cry Later and The Nature of Us at La Zona.
At Interloper Gallery’s “You don’t own ME,” Gabi Magaly’s photographs in reveal intimacy and vulnerability experienced in relationships, specifically with her abuelita (grandmother). Michael Martinez creates a triptych with two photographs and a single channel video that incorporate text, as he queers religion and politics.
The Nature of Us, curated by Symone Martinez and Raisa Melendez, reclaims an industrial space and fills it with works of green-colored art from over a hundred artists. The spacing and organization encourage relaxation and lingering allowing deeper contemplation on what it means to experience a green space in downtown San Antonio.
Despite the cacophony created by a nonstop art crawl, my attention has focused firmly on one breakout artist - Katelyn Powell. Her sculpture at La Zona commands attention with its ethereal presence in the converted industrial space. Green cloth drapes the form to hint at the female presence underneath, reminiscent of Greek marbles. Two more of these sculptures appear in You don’t own ME at Interloper Gallery, along with three painted self-portraits. Powell created the portraits over four years, from the artists’ high school graduation through college. Powell experiments with her style and technique with the paintings, starting with a idealized depiction of youth, a Baroque-inspired sleep-dazed self, and a more recently, a soft-focused, color saturated moment of enjoying food. She exhibits strong technical skills with painting, while she continues searching for the defining aesthetic of her work. Powell’s trajectory holds exciting potential as she channels her talents into a cohesive artistic vision.
Our “On View Now” page lists all these shows with closing dates and “Socialize” shares any associated receptions. Please be sure to contact individual spaces to confirm operating hours.
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