Join the Contemporary and local artist Shelby Criswell in a day of art making “en plein air,” aka outdoors, along the river trail.

Shelby will demo some tips and tricks for landscape art in the Contemporary’s Education Space prior to art making outdoors. Participants are encouraged to bring folding chairs and picnic blankets to sit on and an umbrella. Drawing materials will be provided, but feel free to bring any other art supplies you might want to have on hand.

+ For this event, we’ll start in our Education Space (132 Blue Star). Meet us there! Our Education Space is located between our main gallery and Slab Cinema.

+ Free and open to the public with registration (link below)

 Are you an artist looking to secure funding for your next project? Join us for an informative workshop where you’ll learn the ins and outs of grant writing.

San Antonio grassroots organizations San Antonio Ethnic Society (SAEAS) and Contemporary Art Month (CAM) are coming together in partnership with Contemporary at Blue Star to bring back the Grant Writing for Artists 101 for Contemporary Art Month! We invite artists at all stages of their career to join this grant writing workshop designed to help understand the application and reporting processes, along with practical tips and tricks to help applications stand out among the crowd. The workshop will be lead by the Contemporary’s Director of Development, Elaine Leahy.

We invite artists at all stages of their career to join this grant writing workshop designed to help understand the application and reporting processes, along with practical tips and tricks to help applications stand out among the crowd.

Location: Education Space at Contemporary at Blue Star | 132 Blue Star (located between the Contemporary’s main entrance and Slab Cinema)

This event is FREE and open to all. Registration is required (link below).

+ Education Space, 132 Blue Star

Contemporary at Blue Star is excited to welcome visitors to “Back from Berlin,” an artist talk with two of the 2023-2024 Berlin residency program alumni artists, Theresa Newsome and Juan Carlos Escobedo. 
 
Since establishing the program in 2013, the Contemporary  annually selects four artists residing in Bexar County to take part in three-month residencies in Berlin, Germany in partnership with the renowned Künstlerhaus Bethanien.  
 
Join us as the 2023-2024 alumni artists reflect on their time in Berlin and share the work they created while in the residency. Light refreshments will be provided. 
 
Due to limited space registration is required (link below)!

+ This event will happening our Education Space (132 Blue Star). Meet us there! Our Education Space is located between our main gallery and Slab Cinema. 

Looking to learn a new skill or putting together a last-minute Halloween costume? Join the Contemporary in a beginner friendly sewing workshop. Participants will learn the basics of hand sewing and how to make fit alterations to clothing. Ideal for thrifted finds or to piece together a frightful look. Participants are encouraged to bring a shirt to alter, but materials will be provided

Educators can receive 1.5 hours of CPE credits for this program. For details contact our Education and Public Programs Manager at Juan@Contemporarysa.org

 

About the Instructor:
Andrea Izaguirre (b. Caracas, Venezuela) is a San Antonio based artist currently involved with the community through doing workshops with local museums. In 2023 she obtained her BFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a concentration in Printmaking. Her body of work involves different methods of printmaking, leatherworking, sewing and mixed media sculptures. Her artwork reflects a conversation between nature and the self, exploring topics of identity and culture through the intrinsic geometry and structure of plants and insects, and their symbolism.

+ Registration required (see link below). 

+ Educators can receive 6 hours of CPE credits for this program. For details contact our Education and Public Programs Manager at Juan@Contemporarysa.org

Learn about the possibilities of portrait painting in a workshop with exhibiting artist Leeanna Chipana. Following a presentation and demonstration, students will transfer an image of a Moche portrait vessel to a canvas. Using earth oil paint, participants will learn how to paint onto the canvas with an “old master” underpainting technique known as “grisaille” painting and finish their piece in full color.

Materials and light lunch will be provided.

About the Artist
Leeanna Chipana was born on Long Island, NY to an immigrant Quechuan-Peruvian father and American mother. She studied classical drawing at the Grand Central Atelier and received her MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art in 2017. She has participated in group exhibitions at the Long Island Museum, the Heckscher Museum, Southampton Arts Center, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Amelie A. Wallace Gallery of SUNY Old Westbury, and the Wilkinson Gallery.

+ Scroll down to RSVP

 

Celebrate our exhibition, Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + Creadores del Cambio, and fund a bus during the Big Give at our Westside Lotería Night! The Big Give is a 24-hour fundraising event hosted by the Nonprofit Council, connecting nonprofits, like the Contemporary, in south central Texas with new and existing donors.

Join us for an evening of Westside Lotería, a game created by Xicanx featured artist Juan Miguel Ramos. This special event gives you a chance to win incredible art prizes from Xicanx artists while helping fund bus transportation for school tours and visits to the Contemporary.

Pay what you can at the door (suggested donation: $5) to get your card and join the game. All are welcome! We look forward to seeing you there and making a difference together!

Can’t make it? You can still support us by helping is spread the word or by donating directly to our Big Give page, located here.