Jack Morgan

On Thursday night, about 350 western art lovers gathered at the Briscoe Western Art Museum’s Jack Guenther Pavilion to see the twenty-six winning artworks and meet the high school kids who created them. Student Western Art Committee Chair Gus Salazar runs the show.

“I’ve been blown away by the talent that these kids have. The talent is just incredible. I mean, you would think that these were professional artists up there."

The Resident Theater Company of the Tobin Center has mounted a new production. I spoke to its Director.

“I’m David Connelly, Director of Attic Rep’s current production of Sam Shepherd’s True West.”

I asked him to tell us about True West.

They’re a part of the American West that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but maybe it’s high time they did.  They were called the Buffalo Soldiers, and the Institute of Texan Cultures wants you to know about them.

“Buffalo Soldiers after the Civil War became very prevalent in West Texas as it led up into the Indian Wars.”

Greg Garret’s an Education Specialist with the Institute.

The San Antonio Museum of Art thinks the best way to understand contemporary Japanese Ceramics is to wind the clock back about twelve thousand years.  That’s because unlike other cultures, twelve thousand years ago Japanese were actually making pots.

“The earliest known culture in the world that produced ceramics."

Emily Sano curated the exhibit.

"It’s one of the earliest steps that mankind took towards a civilized society.”

The exhibit features ancient pieces, all the way to very edgy, modern pieces.

A culturally iconic San Antonio institution is beginning a process that should see major changes. It all starts with a million dollar grant.

“We’re pleased that last week the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission awarded that grant to the city.”

Bob Brackman Executive Directs the San Antonio Botanical Garden and is talking about a recently-awarded grant secured by the city for the Garden.  That grant will partially pay for a new area to be built called the Family Adventure Garden.

Musical Bridges Around the World is bringing a classical music duo to the San Fernando Cathedral on Sunday, February 1st.  I caught up with one of the duo, and found that their unexpected ingredient is a dash of humor.

“Hi, this is Nicholas Canellakis.”

About their San Fernando performance I asked “It’s you and Michael Brown, is it not?”

“Correct; It’s our duo, called the Canellakis-Brown Duo.”

Here’s what they’ve planned to play:

An eminent pianist is coming to San Antonio. She’s New Yorker Simone Dinnerstein.

“It’s my first trip to San Antonio so I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been in a lot of cold places recently” she laughed.

Dinnerstein found her way to piano at an early age, but it was a circuitous route.

“As a child I took ballet classes and there was a pianist who played Chopin in the class and I really loved the sound of the piano.  Immediately I felt like I had found my language; it felt so natural."

The McNay Art Museum is turning 60 years old, and is celebrating in a way contrasting its age--by doing something edgy. I spoke to the McNay’s Rene Paul Barilleaux.

"We decided to create a kind of Pop-Up Installation that would be new art by San Antonio artists. I selected six artists who represent different ways of working, different kinds of subjects, different kinds of materials.”

Those six artists represent very different styles. But if you want to see them, you really ought to hurry.

A unique project is taking shape this weekend at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. The woman at the heart of it is Lourdes Perez, and where she’s from is key to what this event is about.

“Rural, western Puerto Rico.”

It all centers on her mother’s life.

“I took her stories and turned them into songs. Her niece, who is a visual artist, turned those into pen and ink illustrations. They’re also the collective memories of that region of Puerto Rico.”

What they’ve created is a kind of real life music, print and illustrative folklore of their mountain people.

The city has an annual giveaway that many of you may want to know about. 

What they’re giving away is trees--A lot of ‘em. Here’s City Forrester Ross Hosea.

"We provide up to about 750 fruit and nut trees. We have the public come out and they can take home and plant and grow in their own yards.”

I jokingly asked “I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess you’re not giving away Blue Spruce?”

“No Blue Spruce, but we do have quite a variety, from apple, apricot, fig, a number of citrus—lemon, lime, orange. Pears, persimmons, pecans.