Local Artists Tackle 19th-Century San Antonio for the Third Installment of ‘Common Currents’

Posted on the San Antonio Current by Bryan Rindfuss

Gary Sweeney, Coming Soon! (1867)

A creative exploration of 300 years of San Antonio history, “Common Currents” sees Artpace, Blue Star Contemporary, the Southwest School of Art, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, Carver Community Cultural Center and the Mexican Cultural Institute coming together for an exhibition series spanning six months. Assembled in a “chain letter-inspired” format, the sprawling project invited each participating institution to enlist two artists; that initial group of 12 followed suit, with each artist inviting two peers — and so on until a total of 300 were on board. With two wide-ranging exhibitions already onview — Artpace’s installment covers San Antonio’s first 50 years (1718-1767) and Blue Star Contemporary’s tackles the second 50 (1768-1817) — the Southwest School of Art is set to unveil the third phase of the project.

Laura Stevens, Aurelie

Focusing on a period perhaps slightly more within the realm of our cultural and historical consciousness, the third chapter of “Common Currents” tasked each of its participating artists with digging into an assigned year between 1818 and 1867. Included among the works by nearly 50 local artists are Gary Sweeney’s Coming Soon! (which makes a playful jab at the odd dichotomy between the Alamo and one of its most infamous neighbors), Chris Castillo’s Tamalamo (a cyanotype printed on corn husks) and Susie Monday’s Fandango (a textile-based piece inspired by the year 1848).

Free, 6-8pm Thu, Feb. 15 (on view through April 22), Southwest School of Art, John L. Santikos Building, 1201 Navarro St. (free parking at 300 Augusta St.), (210) 200-8200, swschool.org.

Susie Monday, Fandango (1848)

Weekend Arts Preview: 10 Shows Not to Miss

Posted on the San Antonio Current by Bryan Rindfuss and James Courtney

Christian Fuchs

Thu 5
“Feminine/Feminist”
With its new exhibit, entitled “Feminine/Feminist,” Cinnabar seeks the middle ground within an oft-polarizing discourse that is regularly treated as black and white. Curated by Susan Oliver Heard, the exhibit, which features local, national and international artists, is comprised of pieces that address the intersection of femininity and feminism. Recognizing that “Pop culture often makes it seem as though one cannot display feminine characteristics and still be a strong, confident feminist,” the exhibit focuses on the “multi-faceted nature of womanhood and what it means to be feminine and a feminist.” “Feminine/Feminist” features a total of 11 artists, including four men. Among the local artists contributing are Sarah Fox (who brings her surreal and organic style to a stop-motion animation), Carina Hiscock (who works with natural materials to challenge unnatural norms) and Ashley Mireles (who focuses, in her piece, on the many constraints faced by women). Meanwhile, visiting artists include Lalla Essaydi (a Moroccan, New York-based artist who focuses on the identities of women in the Arab world), Christian Fuchs (a Lima-based artist whose performative work finds him dressing up as his own ancestors) and Laura Stevens (a Paris-based photographer whose work in this exhibit centers on women’s strength in the face of heartbreak). Free, 6:30-9pm Thu, Cinnabar Art Gallery, 1420 S Alamo St., Suite 147, (210) 354-3775, cinnabarart.com.

Sarah Fox

Local and International Artists Explore ‘What It Means to Be Feminine and a Feminist’

Posted on the San Antonio Current by James Courtney

Christian Fuchs, Doña Natividad Martinez de Pinillos Cacho y Lavalle

In the political climate of the moment, it’s easy to lose sight of the most important things, while fearing full scale reversion to a past marred by even worse gender, racial and economic inequality than we have now. Even as we fight tooth and nail against the latest waves of hate and oppression against society’s most vulnerable segments, it is necessary to continue celebrating who we are and how far we have come. It is equally necessary to advance dialogues centered on feminism, diversity, equality, environmental activism and a whole host of areas where we have made significant progress over the years, lest we risk throwing out the baby with the bath water, so to speak

Laura Stevens, Aurelie

With its new exhibit, entitled “Feminine/Feminist,” Cinnabar seeks the middle ground within an oft-polarizing discourse that is regularly treated as black and white. Curated by Susan Oliver Heard, the exhibit, which features local, national and international artists, is comprised of pieces that address the intersection of femininity and feminism. Recognizing that “pop culture often makes it seem as though one cannot display feminine characteristics and still be a strong, confident feminist,” the exhibit focuses on the “multifaceted nature of womanhood and what it means to be feminine and a feminist.”

Sarah Fox, Guardian

“Feminine/Feminist” features a total of 11 artists, including three men. Among the local artists contributing are Sarah Fox (who brings her surreal and organic style to a stop-motion animation), Carina Hiscock (who works with natural materials to challenge unnatural norms) and Ashley Mireles (who focuses, in her piece, on the many constraints faced by women). Meanwhile, visiting artists include Lalla Essaydi (a Moroccan, New York-based artist who focuses on the identities of women in the Arab world), Christian Fuchs (a Lima-based artist whose performative work finds him dressing up as his own ancestors) and Laura Stevens (a Paris-based photographer whose work in this exhibit centers on women’s strength in the face of heartbreak).

Free, 6:30-9pm Thu, May 4, Cinnabar Art Gallery, 1420 S. Alamo St., Suite 147, (210) 354-3775, cinnabarart.com. Open through June 17.