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Contemporary at Bluestar

With Urgency: Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today

MOSAIC Gallery

116 Blue Star 

First Fridays, 6 – 9 PM

With Urgency: Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today is a collection of artworks created by the Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artists. Working alongside Visiting Artist, Alain Gakwaya, the young artists explored current events and experimented with found materials. With Urgency discusses personal and societal narratives of trauma and violence towards youth, women and other marginalized groups, as well as student’s everyday lives, creative identity, and memory. 

Support for the Contemporary’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is provided by Bexar County; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture; The Greehey Family Foundation; H-E-B; The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation; Contemporary’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Members, and Red Dot Supporters.

Participating MOSAIC Student Artists:

Miguel Benavidez

Brianna Berlanga

River Castillo

Valeria Corona

Mia Fernandez

Sophia Harris

Mikayla Llora

Monica Soto

 

About the MOSAIC Student Artist Program

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is open to high school students who are interested in developing their professional artistic skills and careers in the arts. The after-school program is a combination of studio practice and exposure to the business side of art and arts administration. Contemporary is committed to giving MOSAIC students free access to quality arts education, encouraging high standards of achievement, and fostering excellence and leadership. 

Support for the Contemporary’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is provided by Bexar County; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture; The Greehey Family Foundation; H-E-B; The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation; Contemporary’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Members, and Red Dot Supporters.

Brianna Berlanga, Mixed Media and Plantas, 2022.

Found Closet

June 3 – October 9, 2022

MOSAIC Gallery

Featuring MOSAIC Student Artists: Miguel Benavidez, Sarah Berlanga, Ella – Madeline Brenzel, Sophia Harris, Mikayla Llora, and Sofia Piña Cervantes

Found Closet is a collection of  artworks created by Blue Star Contemporary’s Student Artists. Working alongside Visiting Artist, Juan Escobedo, students explored the links between identity and memory while experimenting with the fragility of material. Students also collaborated with Escobedo to expand HouseMan Adventures, a video series investigating concepts of psychological homelessness and liminality. 

 

Support for Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is provided by Bexar County; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture; The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992; The Faye L and William L Cowden Charitable Foundation; The Greehey Family Foundation; H-E-B; The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation; San Antonio Area Foundation; Texas Commission on the Arts; Texas Women for the Arts; and BSC’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Members, and Red Dot Supporters.

BSC MOSAIC Student Artists with Spring 2022 Visiting Artist Juan Carlos Escobedo

MOSAIC Student Artists with Juan Escobedo. "We can't wait to exhibit what we've created with Juan. He's super fun and inspiring to work with. I made connections about my identity that I would not have without his guidance."

Loominous

December 3, 2021 – May 8, 2022

MOSAIC Gallery

Featuring MOSAIC Student Artists: Sarah Berlanga, Ella – Madeline Brenzel, Kaitlyn De La Garza, Sophia Harris, Aiden Hobbs, Sofia Pina Cervantes, and Samantha Witt

Loominous brings together artworks created by Blue Star Contemporary’s Student Artists. Working alongside Visiting Artist Theresa Newsome students explored the varied approaches to portrait photography, highlighting personal experience as the subjects of their work. Artist Doerte Weber guided students on the intricacies of weaving on hand-built looms, considering the relationship between textiles and art. Focusing on the materials used to convey meaning, Loominous highlights the unique vision of each student artist.

 

Support for Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is provided by Bexar County; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation; City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture; The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992; The Faye L and William L Cowden Charitable Foundation; The Greehey Family Foundation; H-E-B; The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation; San Antonio Area Foundation; Texas Commission on the Arts; Texas Women for the Arts; and BSC’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Members, and Red Dot Supporters.

Sofia Pina Cervantes, Plastic Tree, 2021.

Posterworks

Saturday, January 9–21, 2021

Axis Gallery, Sacramento, CA.

Gallery Reception: January 9, 2021, 6–9pm PST

View virtual artist talk with participating MOSAIC Student Artists on YouTube.

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program artists have been selected for an exhibition presented by Axis Gallery in Sacramento, California. Opening on January 9, 2021 and on view through January 21, 2021, Posterworks is an exploration of traditional poster art and design, which has long been a part of modern life throughout politics, culture, and diverse industries. Posters continue to be a common printed medium for contemporary graphic artists and activists. For Posterworks, MOSAIC student artists present compelling graphic designs that capture this unique moment in time in the midst of a global pandemic.

The artworks presented in this exhibition are a reflection on current events and the devastation the COVID-19 virus has had on our communities and personal lives. As our lives are disrupted and the pandemic takes an unprecedented toll on our mental health, these brave student artists use posters to comment on the issues affecting their lives and the communities they inhabit.

Participating MOSAIC Student Artists:

Kenya Alonso

Piper Bangs

Johanna Elizondo Cerda

Savannah Plaza-Flores

Kaitlyn De La Garza

Aiden Hobbs

Rachel Kamata

Angélica Kercado Mojica

Julian Moreno

Katalina Rodriguez

Victoria Rodriguez

Arianna Rosales

Kim Ruiz

Isabela Suarez

Leonardo Arteaga Toledo

Quarantine Diaries

Online exhibition opening June 12, 2020

While Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Studio has remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MOSAIC Student Artists have remained busy working on artworks inspired by their time in isolation. Sharing their work and getting feedback in daily facilitated Zoom sessions, the Student Artists developed an online exhibition inspired by this historic, challenging time. View the exhibition on our blog.

Featuring new work by Piper Bangs, Aiden Hobbs, Savannah Plaza-Flores, Julian Moreno, Victoria Rodriguez, and Leonardo Arteaga Toledo.

Quarantine Diaries was featured in “Dear Quarantine” by Deborah Martin in the San Antonio Express-News on May 31, 2020.

 

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Students are making the news. We are pleased to share these recent features:

San Antonian High Schooler Wins $3K Prize in International Art Competition by Nicholas Frank, Rivard Report, June 4, 2020.

Great Graduates 2020: Rachel Kamata on KSAT, June 8, 2020.

Victoria Rodriguez, Isolation, 2020. Prismacolor on paper, 11.5 x 14. “While being in isolation for so long, I’ve begun to feel a little out of my mind mentally, and my dreams have become more vivid. It feels like my mind is stretched thin and exhausted. Contrasting those feelings with bright colors associated with more positive feelings, I feel will draw the viewer’s attention to my work.”

Savannah Plaza-Flores, Lava Girl, 2020. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20. “When my Father bought our first home, we didn’t have any more than a couch, box of movies, a picture frame, a TV and a lava lamp. The nights I couldn’t sleep, I would stare at the lava lamp, watching all the different shapes floating around. These shapes had always calmed me down and fascinated me.”

Julian Moreno, The Spector, 2020. Acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14. Julian Moreno, The Spectator, Acrylic on canvas, 11”12”, 5-31-20, $135 “This piece is a narrative on the current, social political activity. It reflects those who do not use their voice, who do not stand up for anything. They sit on the sidelines and watch, not caring about these issues because it does not directly affect them, when in reality it affects us all.”

Leonardo Arteaga Toledo, Las Primas, 2020. Ink on paper, 9 x 10.8. “I found a picture of my little cousins that took me back to past times, to my grandparents’ house, where we played together. I tried to capture that feeling with this drawing.”

Leonardo Arteaga Toledo, Repression, 2020. Ink on paper, 12 x 9. “I participated in a community theater group in Mexico where we created a play about children's rights. This is one of the main characters, an authority figure, that represses the children from expressing themselves.”

Victoria Rodriguez, Isolation, 2020. Prismacolor on paper, 11.5 x 14. “While being in isolation for so long, I’ve begun to feel a little out of my mind mentally, and my dreams have become more vivid. It feels like my mind is stretched thin and exhausted. Contrasting those feelings with bright colors associated with more positive feelings, I feel will draw the viewer’s attention to my work.”

Aiden Hobbs, Miner 49er', 2020. Prismacolor on paper, 9" x 7.5". “I created Miner 49er out of a sense of boredom, during our work from home time. I created my own imaginary character, inspired by cool robot characters in movies, such as Star Wars."

Piper Bangs, Making Masks, 2020. Oil on panel, 8" x 12". “This painting is a portrait of my mother's hands while making masks. She has been making them for family and friends for free during quarantine, and I wanted to capture this kind action that's unique to our strange circumstances, in a work of art.”

Intuitive Exploration

  • March 5 – 11, 2020
  • Cube Gallery, inside Brick
  • 108 Blue Star

Featuring MOSAIC Alumni Artists: Johanna Elizondo Cerda and Leonardo Arteaga Toledo

Johanna Cerda Elizondo Te Amo, Mi Vida, 2020. Oil on canvas. (Above, detail) Leonardo Arteaga Toledo, An Apple, 2020. Ceramic. (Below, detail)

CUT OUT

  • Opening Reception: Friday, February 7, 2020 | 6 – 9pm
  • On view during First Fridays through May 2020

FEATURING CONTEMPORARY AT BLUE STAR MOSAIC STUDENT ARTISTS:

Apollonia V. Aguirre, Kenya Alonso, Piper Bangs, Mauricio Cardenas, Aiden Hobbs, Paola Jimenez, Rachel Kamata, Michelle Mahula, Zeandra Menjares, Julian Moreno, Makayla Morris, Jude Morris, Christalina Ochoa, Savannah Plaza-Flores, Arianna Rosales, Kim Ruiz, Isabela Suarez

Zeandra Menjares, In Bloom, 2019.

Zeandra Menjares, In Bloom, 2019.

UNCHARTED

  • October 4, 2019–January 3, 2020
  • Contemporary at Blue Star MOSAIC Gallery
  • Open to the public on First Fridays in October 2019, November 2019, December 2019, and January 2020.

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is open to high school students who are interested in developing their professional artistic skills and careers in the arts. The after-school program is a combination of studio practice and exposure to the business side of art and arts administration. UNCHARTED showcases new work by current MOSAIC Student Artists: Apollonia V. Aguirre, Kenya Alonso, Leonardo Arteaga Toledo, Piper Bangs, Mauricio Cardenas, Kaitlyn De La Garza, Johanna Elizondo Cerda, Aiden Hobbs, Paola Jimenez, Rachel Kamata, Angélica Kercado, Michelle Mahulla, Zeandra Menjares, Sealia Montalvo, Julian Moreno, Makayla Morris, Jude Morris, Christina Ochoa, Abigail Perez, Savannah Plaza-Flores, Katalina Rodriguez, Victoria Rodriguez, Arianna Rosales, Kim Ruiz, Isabela Suarez.

Makayla Morris, Parker, 2019. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of Blue Star Contemporary.

INFUSION

  • MOSAIC Student Artist Program Exhibition
  • July 23, 2019 – Spring 2020
  • On view at the Julia Yates Semmes Branch Library, 15060 Judson Rd., San Antonio, TX 78247

Featuring MOSAIC Student Artists:

Mauricio Cardenas

Michelle Mahula

Johanna Elizondo Cerda

Leonardo Arteaga Toledo

Julian Moreno

Catie Bowland

Penny Robles

Aiden Hobbs

Kenya Alonzo

Jude Morris

Victoria Rodriguez

Makayla Morris

Laura Gonzalez

Rachel Kamata

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is open to high school students who are interested in developing their professional artistic skills and careers in the arts. The after-school program is a combination of studio practice and exposure to the business side of art and arts administration. Concurrent with Contemporary at Blue Star’s exhibitions, MOSAIC students present rotating exhibitions of their work to showcase what they are learning in the studio, and gain professional knowledge of fabrication, production, and curation of contemporary art exhibitions.

IMPRESSION

  • MOSAIC Student Artist Program Exhibition
  • June 7 – September 6, 2019
  • Opening Reception – June 7  |  6 – 9 PM
  • On view in the MOSAIC Gallery at Contemporary at Blue Star on First Fridays

Featuring MOSAIC Student Artists:

Apollonia V. Aguirre, Kenya Alonso, Leonardo Arteaga Toledo, Catie Bowland, Mauricio Cardenas, Kayla Creedon, Kaitlyn De La Garza, Johanna Elizondo Cerda, Matilda Gonzales, Laura Gonzalez, Aiden Hobbs, Rachel Kamata, Angelica Kercado, Michelle Mahula, Amelia Mendez, Zeandra Menjares, Sealia Montalvo, Julian Moreno, Makayla Morris, Jude Morris, Abigail Perez, Savannah Plaza-Flores, Penny Robles, Victoria Rodriguez, Arianna Rosales, Kim Ruiz

Contemporary at Blue Star’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program is open to high school students who are interested in developing their professional artistic skills and careers in the arts. The after-school program is a combination of studio practice and exposure to the business side of art and arts administration. Concurrent with Contemporary at Blue Star’s exhibitions, MOSAIC students present rotating exhibitions of their work to showcase what they are learning in the studio, and gain professional knowledge of fabrication, production, and curation of contemporary art exhibitions.