Join the Contemporary for a one-day portrait painting workshop.
Participants will work directly from observation of a live model and receive guided instruction while exploring the fundamentals of portraiture in oil paint.

This workshop is designed for all experience levels and emphasizes focus on observation, composition, and technique in a supportive, community studio environment.
All materials will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own preferred paints, brushes, easels, or other supplies if they wish.

This workshop is free, but registration is required.
Educators receive up to 2 hours of CPE Credit for this workshop 

Adding plants to the classroom isn’t just about adding décor to a windowsill. Plants aid students’ development in physical ways, such as reducing anxiety and stress levels while also offering benefits to their mental outlook as they observe the plant’s growth.

Keeping plant in the class doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Join the Contemporary in a plant care Educator workshop. This workshop will cover basics of plant care. (light, water, fertilizer, and propagation).

This workshop is open to Educators only, at all skill levels. Registration is required.
Educators receive 2 hours of CPE credit and take home a new plant

Free & Open to High School Students
MOSAIC Student Artist Program is currently recruiting students for our final spring session. This after-school program is a combination of studio practice, the business side of art and arts administration. An extension of the Contemporary’s educational programs, MOSAIC is committed to providing students with free access to quality arts education, encouraging high standards of achievement and fostering excellence and leadership.

Art Instruction:
This instructional session is designed for students interested in exploring oil painting as a new medium in a flexible, student‑centered art session where participants can work at their own pace while receiving guidance. Participants will receive hands‑on instruction ranging from developing an initial concept to advanced painting techniques.

Students have access to all materials at no cost.
No prior experience or skill level is required.

Schedule
MOSAIC session starts on April 16^th and concludes in May 16^th
The program follows an open‑studio format, giving students the flexibility to select the sessions/dates that best fit their schedules.

For information on specific available dates please see the application linked below.

Why join MOSAIC?
The MOSAIC Student Artist Program supports students as they explore creative paths and prepare for future opportunities in the arts. Whether you’re interested in becoming an artist, working in arts administration, or simply building your skills and confidence as an artist, MOSAIC offers free, accessible arts education designed to support your growth in a community of likeminded student peers.

Application requirements
The deadline to apply to this MOSAIC session is April 12 at 11:59 PM. Notice of acceptance will be sent Monday, April 13th
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of work samples, and complete the application linked below.

Questions?
Contact our Education and Public Programs Manager Juan Zavala Castro at Juan@contemporarysa.org with the subject line “MOSAIC Inquiry” or call 210-985-3732.

Join the Contemporary for an afternoon of sustainable fashion fun in a Gender Affirming clothing swap. Get items out of your closet and give them a new life with someone new or with a personalized alteration. Contemporary will provide materials to sew, embroider, and otherwise alter items of clothing you bring or swap with someone else.  
 
Participants are asked to bring at least three freshly laundered clothing items in good, ready-to-wear condition to enter the swap. You can also bring items you want to alter and keep for yourself! 
 
This event is free and open to everyone with registration (link below).

Would you like to support exhibition programs like these? Consider donating $5 with your registration! 
 

Free & Open to High School Students

Have you ever wanted to illustrate your own comic? This “Drawing and Designing Comics” session is an introduction to the elements of visual storytelling, from character design to page layout and dialogue. Students will develop writing, drawing, and design skills and are encouraged to develop their personal style and voice. In addition to technical skills, an exploration of creative thinking, problem solving, and critical analysis will be studied.

Schedule
June 11 – July 18, 2025
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

No class: June 19, July 4

Location
Contemporary at Blue Star
116 Blue Star
San Antonio TX, 78204

Questions? 
Contact our Education and Public Programs Manager: Juan Zavala Castro at juan@contemporarysa.org or (210)-985-3732

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)!