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Among the many surprises San Antonio has to offer, there’s also a thriving contemporary arts scene, which is especially highlighted during the annual Contemporary Art Month (CAM) celebration.

 Contemporary Art Month

Contemporary Art Month takes place in July in 2009, but moves to March in 2010 for its 25^th anniversary. The city-wide event encompasses more than 70 venues, ranging from small private gallery exhibits and studio visits to shows at the city’s major cultural institutions. For more information and a listing of exhibits and venues, visit www.contemporaryartmonth.com

Blue Star Contemporary Arts Center

The Blue Star Contemporary Art Center is the city’s premier independent organization dedicated to exhibiting the work of contemporary artists, In its twenty-third year, Blue Star continues to be an incubator for contemporary art in San Antonio, a city that has become known as a site for numerous cutting edge venues for contemporary art, many of which have spun off the work and example of Blue Star.

 Blue Star hosts the CAM kickoff party on Thursday, July 2. On display will be a group show, “Lonely Are the Brave,” curated by Hills Snyder, including site-specific installations inside and outside the gallery. A concurrent second show deals with an exploration of feedback loops created by computation in architecture and design. Exhibits change frequently throughout the year, and you can learn more at www.bluestarart.org.

Southwest School of Art & Craft

The Southwest School of Art & Craft is a nationally-recognized leader in arts education. It also organizes contemporary art exhibitions, lectures and concerts. Located on two adjacent campuses, the school’s Ursuline Campus is the former home of the Ursuline Academy & Convent, originally founded in 1851 as the first school for girls in San Antonio. On this campus are the school’s extensive ceramics and weaving studios, its Young Artist Program area, the tranquil gardens, arching pecan trees and historic buildings that make the school San Antonio’s “downtown oasis.” The Navarro Campus is the site of the school’s contemporary exhibition galleries and its high-tech classrooms and studios for photography, metals, printmaking, digital imaging, paper and book arts, as well as drawing and painting.

 Both campuses will inaugurate drawing shows on July 2 during CAM. A solo show by resident studio manager Gregory Alan Johnson will present new works in watercolor and graphite, while Texas Draws 1 will feature selected drawings by Texas artists until Sept 6. Print, photography and handmade paper shows will round out the year. Find out more at www.swschool.org.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Elsewhere around town, the San Antonio Museum of Art, housed in a converted historic brewery and with new River Walk access, is the most visible of the city’s arts institutions. Though the position of contemporary arts curator is a relatively new one, SAMA has been amassing a collection that “reflects the richness and diversity of the art of the recent past” for decades as a complement to its trove of works from Asia, Latin America, ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and beyond. Highlights from the contemporary collection, among which are works by Stella, Frankenthaler, Diebenkorn and more, are always on view at www.samuseum.org.

  NOW ON DISPLAY: The museum’s major show on display during CAM (and until Aug. 23) is “Waterflow,” uniting 15 Texas artists celebrating the new Museum Reach river landing. Local artist James Cobb will be the subject of a one-man show later in 2009, with works that range from painting to digital expressions.

Museo Alameda

The nation’s largest Latino museum and first formal affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museo Alamda compellingly and uniquely tells the story of the Latino experience in the America.

NOW ON DISPLAY: During CAM, there are two exhibitions: American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music (June 12-September 25) and Becoming American: Teenagers and Immigration, Photographs by Barbara Beirne (June 24-August 30)

River Walk Public Art

The most mesmerizing feature of the River Walk’s new Museum Reach is the public art installation visitors will pass as they explore this 1.3 mile expansion. From larger-than-life fish to reflective elements to a faux bois grotto, internationally acclaimed artists have created a floating corridor of contemporary art.

Artpace

Expressly dedicated to cutting-edge international art is a much newer entity, Artpace [link to artpace.org]. Founded in 1995 by the late artist, collector and businesswoman Linda Pace (1945-2007), Artpace quickly became known for its residency and exhibitions programs dedicated to comparing and contrasting the work of local, national and international artists. In shifts of three, nine artists per year both live and create together at the facility during a two-month stay followed by a two-month group show.

 NOW ON DISPLAY: Artpace’s summer show brings together in catalytic closeness three artists: one from San Antonio, one from New York and another from London. (The opening reception for Anne Collier, Charlie Morris and Silke Otto-Knapp will be July 16.) Also on display here is the work of Berlin-based artist Jonathan Monk. The next “International Artist-In-Residence” show opens Nov. 19, 2009, and there are frequently changing “WindowWorks” shows facing Main Avenue throughout the year.

McNay Art Museum

The completion of the stunning new Stieren Center for Exhibitions has also allowed the McNay Art Museum [link to mchayart.org] to more thoroughly explore contemporary art. Opened as the first museum of modern art in Texas, the McNay Art Museum is set in a Mediterranean-style mansion and has wide-ranging collections.

 NOW ON DISPLAY: During CAM and beyond, the McNay’s distinguished print department will present two shows, “In Their Own Right: Contemporary American Printmakers” and the “30x30 Project: A Contemporary Print Collaboration,” featuring artists in residence at Marfa’s Chinati Foundation. Though the McNay is worth visiting in its own right (don’t fail to note the numerous contemporary sculptural works on its beautifully landscaped grounds), look for changing shows in the Stieren Center year ’round.

FotoseptiembreUSA

FotoseptiembreUSA, an international photo festival, is held yearly from September 1-10 in museums, schools, galleries, libraries and universities throughout San Antonio and the surrounding Texas Hill Country. It features the best in current global photographic work in both print and online gallery form. To learn more, visit www.fotoseptiembreusa.com.

 Even More to Explore

Numerous commercial and institutional galleries featuring contemporary art also thrive in San Antonio’s creative environment, many of them either at or near the Blue Star Arts Complex (www.bluestarartscomplex.com):

 Wildly popular “First Friday” gatherings are a good way to see everything at Blue Star at once, including highlights such as Joan Grona Gallery (www.joangronagallery.com), Cactus Bra Space (www.cactusbraspace.com) and the Satellite Gallery of the University of Texas at San Antonio (http://art.utsa.edu), featuring both MFA program graduates and national artists.

Nearby art opportunities also exist at Unit B Gallery (www.unitbgallery.com), One9Zero6 Gallery (www.1906gallery.com), FLIGHT Gallery (www.turnitoff.tv) and many others.

On San Antonio’s North Central and Northside areas of town, don’t miss Galeria Ortiz (www.galeriaortiz.com), Parchman Stremmel Galleries (www.psgart.com), and Bismarck Studios (www.bismarckstudios.com).

FAST FACTS: Contemporary Art in San Antonio

• Most museums have entrance fees – but some do have free days or evenings, with discounts for children, seniors and military personnel.
• Admission to artist and commercial galleries is generally free, but hours may be limited or by appointment.
• Many institutions, such as Blue Star, also offer year-round gallery talks, lectures and workshops, some of which are targeted at children.