Arts & Culture

San Antonians knew it as the Mission Drive-In for decades. But the old Mission Drive-In was closed in the early 2000s. When the city bought the property with 2008 bond money, they built the new Mission Library.

“After the library was completed there was additional funds to rehab the marquee itself, and put some public art there and to create a plaza in front of the marquee,” said Sebastian Guajardo of the Department of Creative and Cultural Development.

The San Antonio Symphony’s season is done and won’t start until September. So what are all those musicians doing with their time?  I found out at least one of them isn't exactly kicking back for the summer. Aimee Toomes, who plays violin in the symphony, was one of those kids who picked up an instrument early.

“I started playing violin when I was a fourth grader in public school, and 20 something years later I’m a violinist with the San Antonio Symphony,” she said.

She’s no slouch when it comes to how she learned her trade.

I've probably had half a dozen people worriedly ask me, "What's going to happen to the Majestic after the Tobin opens?" So I decided to ask the person most likely to know if there any truth to the rumor that the Majestic Theatre will be closing down after the Tobin Center opens.

“No truth to that rumor, not at all," said Mike Rilley, who is the Majestic’s general manager.

“The Majestic’s got next year probably as much programming as we’ve ever had,” he said.

So I asked him to detail exactly who's coming to the Majestic.

The Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum mosaic program is grooming promising art students for a future in the field. Last week I introduced you to the program that encourages art students’ interests and abilities. This week I’ll introduce you to a student benefiting from the program.

Blue Star Mosaic recruits talented students from area high schools to join their after school program.  One of those students, Yenifer Gaviña, detailed the time commitment, "from 4:30-7:30 and during summer from 1:30-5:30.”

I asked her if that was a big sacrifice of her time.

It’s an art opening with a very unusual premise. First, there’s its title: "HOT."

“Hot is just an amazing exhibit and series of additional events that surround the idea of climate change," said Kellen McIntyre, Bihl Haus Arts executive director.

Regarding climate change, she had a nagging thought: 

“What could we do in San Antonio? How could we bring artists together?” McIntyre said.

So she appointed a curator to gather art on that theme.

“I’m working with Raul Castellanos, who is an amazing San Antonio Artist,” McIntyre said.

Ballet San Antonio has hired a high-visibility retiring dancer with the objective of continuing to elevate the ballet.

“We are so thrilled to bring on a new artistic staff member: Amy Fote," said Ballet San Antonio Artistic Director Gabriel Zertuche. "She’s coming to us as a retired principal dancer from Houston Ballet.”

I asked Zertuche about her job responsibilities.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is inviting the public to their art-strewn courtyard. The party is called  Summer Sol Fest, and as for party places, the McNutt Courtyard off of the Briscoe is well-positioned.

“We now have several sculptures out there, it’s a beautiful space," said the Briscoe’s Jennifer Wijangco.

And it's not just beautiful; it's shady. Massive oaks cool the courtyard and the western art that’s positioned all through it.

The Mission Reach continues with its massive, multi-year transformation. I was there Friday morning to get an update after heavy overnight rains had swollen the river. The artist who is creating the artfully imagined portal at Mission Concepción is Stacy Levy.

“This park lies right between the San Antonio River and Mission Concepción," she said. "So my job is to create a place that is talking about both the river and the mission.”

The installation is massive: nearly 200 ft. long and 90 ft. wide.

A modest grant may play a no-so-modest role in the local arts scene. A National Endowment for the Arts grant has been awarded to Gemini Ink and Bibliotech. As Gemini Ink's Executive Director Sheila Black noted, it's not a massive amount of money.

“It’s $25,000, which is small for this funding source, but we’re thrilled," Black said. "The focus of the grant is creative placemaking.”

I asked Black exactly what creative placemaking is.

A Broadway comedian is coming to San Antonio with his one-man show. And I've got to tell you, Seth Rudetsky talks faster than anyone I’ve interviewed.

“You know, I talk about how I loved Broadway as a toddler but I think they think I was exaggerating like my mother. My mother exaggerates everything," he said.

The performer played piano for ten years in "The Phantom of the Opera" production and he told me this short story:

“I heard something clatter next to my piano. As it turns out it was the phantom’s mask,” Rudetsky said.