janurary/february 2012 issue

January-February 2011 | On The Town 1

Asian FestivalRobert BonazziBeethoven FestivalCheryl BezuidenhoutG.E. “Buddy” MullanBoerne Performing ArtsCirque du Soleil’s QuidamPlus 7 Additional Articles

Asian FestivalRobert BonazziBeethoven FestivalCheryl BezuidenhoutG.E. “Buddy” MullanBoerne Performing ArtsCirque du Soleil’s QuidamPlus 7 Additional Articles

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January/February 2012January/February 2012

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http://sasymphony.org/beethovenfestival


http://hstreetsa.com/


Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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Features Cover CreditsJanuary-February Performances Set 8the Stage for 2012

Why Beethoven? 14

Arts Season in Bloom in the Hill Country 18

Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam 22Coming to San Antonio March 14-18

New Year, New Art 42

The Art of G.E. “Buddy” Mullan 48

Cheryl Bezuidenhout: The Personal Touch 54

Fête du Cuvée 58Best of the Best in Food and Wine on March 3

Independent Book Stores: 66Local Sources for eBooks

Asian Festival: Founders Look Back at 7025 Years of Tradition

Front Cover Photo: Grizabella the Glamour Cat from CatsPhoto by Joan Marcus © 2010

Performing Arts Cover Photo: Bill CosbyCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Events Calendar Cover Photo: Javert from Les MiserablesPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Visual Arts Cover Photo: Louis Rhead (English-born American), 1857-1926Woman with Peacocks (published in L’Estampe Moderne), 1897Lithograph. 8.86 x 13.39 in. Private Collection. Courtesy McNay Art Museum

Culinary Arts Cover Photo: © Guy Shapira / Dreamstime.com

Literary Arts Cover Photo: © Karin Hildebrand Lau / Dreamstime.com

Eclectics Cover Photo: Greg Harrison


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Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any advertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perfor-mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to attendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

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January-February 2012 28Events Calendar

Book Talk: Robert Bonazzi – Poet, Poetry 88Reviewer and biographer of John Howard Griffin

Artistic Destination: New Dali Museum Makes 104 Waves in St. Petersburg, Florida

Departments ContributorsMikel Allen,creative director/ graphic designer

James Benavides

Julie Catalano

Cynthia Clark

Thomas Duhon

Lisa Endicott

Jack Fishman

Dana Fossett

Greg Harrison,staff photographer

Michele Krier

Christian Lair,operations manager

Kay Lair

Claudia Maceo-Sharp

Susan A. Merkner,copy editor

Dawn Robinette

Sara Selango

Jasmina Wellinghoff

Cassandra Yardeni

OnTheTownEzine.com is published byLair Creative, LLC14122 Red MapleSan Antonio, Texas 78247210-771-8486210-490-7950 (fax)



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Performing Arts

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Performing Arts

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January-February Performances Set the Stage for 2012 By Sara Selango


F or the past several years, I have ended my articles in this publication by saying, “Get some tickets and go!” Never has this

directive been more relevant than now because the first two months of 2012 are super-jammed with outstanding performances you absolutely don’t want to miss.

The incredible inventory of opportunities begins with the Beethoven Festival. With the San Antonio Symphony as the catalyst, the festival combines the efforts of more than a dozen local presenters and performance groups.

During the festival, which stretches to the end of February, you can hear the symphony play all nine Beethoven symphonies over the course of four weekends. To call this a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for classical music aficionados would be an understatement. Thanks are owed to Jack Fishman, symphony president and CEO, and Sebastian Lang-Lessing, music director.

San Antonio International Piano Competition

makes a major contribution to the festival as well by presenting all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas as played by seven world-class pianists. Included are Jeffrey Swann, Naoko Takao, Spencer Myer, Christopher Guzman, Audrey Andrist, Richard Dowling and Ryo Yanagitani – the SAIPC Gold Medal winner in 2009. The series begins on Jan. 7 and continues through Feb. 8.

Musical Bridges Around the World features Beethoven in the Style of Jazz plus two programs of violin sonatas, while Camerata San Antonio showcases the talents of cellist Kenneth Freudigman as he performs Beethoven’s cello Sonatas and Variations on two occasions. Also taking part in the festival are Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, Musical Offerings, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, Tuesday Musical Club, Olmos Ensemble, SOLI Chamber Ensemble and San Antonio Choral Society. Public broadcasters KLRN-TV and Texas Public Radio are supporting the venture with Beethoven-related programming.

The Beethoven Festival is the second such



undertaking initiated by the San Antonio Symphony. Last year we enjoyed the musical genius of Tchaikovsky in festival form. Brahms is next, a year from now. Bravo to all involved.

Transitioning now from classical music to classic musicals, Les Miserables brings its 25th anniversary edition to the Majestic for eight performances Jan. 3-8. As a personal favorite of mine, I consider this a must-see. Cats is up next at the Majestic from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5. Even though I’ve been a face in the crowd at this song and dance spectacular many times, there’s a magic at work here that will surely lure me in “now and forever.” Also included in the Cadillac Broadway Series at the Majestic this year is Blue Man Group. You can catch BMG starting Feb. 21 and running through Feb. 26. The last time I saw the show it literally “blue” me away!

In locally produced live theater during January and February, take in Same Time Next Year at the Cameo, followed by I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Also be sure to catch A View From the Bridge as it takes center stage at the Sheldon Vexler Theatre

throughout the second month of the year. The grand musical Oklahoma! is offered at San Pedro Playhouse, and Rent plays the Woodlawn. Non-musicals include Miss Evers Boys by the Renaissance Guild, Death of a Salesman at Rose Theatre Co., Ghosts in the Afternoon at Overtime Theater, Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap at the Harlequin, Six Degrees of Separation by The Classic Theatre San Antonio, and Jump Start Performance Company’s Big, Bad and Beautiful: Still Hungry. Out-of-towners are The Orphans at Boerne Community Theatre, Godspell by the Fredericksburg Theater Company, Nunsense at Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels, Moon Over Buffalo by Playhouse 2000 in Kerrville, Closure from S.T.A.G.E in Bulverde, and last but certainly not least, the intriguingly titled Sex Please, We’re Over Sixty! at Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre in Ingram.

A special note – Mark Richter’s Off-Broadway Productions inaugural presentation of Ain’t Misbehavin’ starring Sherman Hemsley (from The Jeffersons) is slated for Jan. 20 to Feb. 11 at the Josephine Theatre. Two additional musicals are planned in his first season, plus three operas.


12 On The Town | January-February 201112 On The Town | January-February 2011

Opera No. 1, Cosi fan tutte, can be seen Feb. 24 to March 18.

In other opera news, San Antonio Opera presents Don Giovanni at Lila Cockrell Theater Feb. 17-19.

Additional shows to put on your calendar include a Majestic Theatre Bud Light Concert Series performance by Willie Nelson, Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger Tour 2012 at this theater too, Vienna Boys Choir presented by Boerne Performing Arts, Spirit of Uganda, Lionel Louke and James Lofton at the Carver, the Texas Tenors at the Brauntex in New Braunfels, Shawn Barker as Johnny Cash – The Man in Black, at the same venue, violinist Nancy Zhou at Coker United Methodist Church, Donald Braswell at Laurie Auditorium, San Antonio Symphony Pops’ Broadway Rocks, Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Seguin at Jackson Auditorium, and superstars of the 63rd annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, such as Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Ronnie Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Daughtry, Dierks Bentley and Alan Jackson.

I haven’t forgotten the appearance by Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains on Feb. 29 (leap year). They’re celebrating their 50th anniversary with this performance for Arts San Antonio at Lila Cockrell Theater. Congratulations and much respect.

I need to wrap things up, but not before I say that some very impressive comedy is scheduled for January and February. The legendary Bill Cosby takes the Majestic stage for a matinee on Jan. 29, and Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias comes to town in February, as does Jeanne Robertson. Rivercenter and Laugh Out Loud Comedy Clubs feature tons of funny folks in the first 60 days of 2012. Check their websites for details, and asterisk special appearances by Felicia Michaels and Johnny Sanchez.

January and February performances set the stage for 2012. Get some tickets and go!

January-February 2011 | On The Town 13January-February 2011 | On The Town 13

Photo Credits:

Pages 8-9

CatsPhoto by Joan Marcus © 2010

Page 10 (L-R)

Willie NelsonCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Les MiserablesPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Spirit of UgandaCourtesy Carver CommunityCultural Center

Page 11 (L-R)

Blue Man GroupPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Paddy Moloney ofThe ChieftainsCourtesy thechieftains.com

Kelly ClarksonCourtesy Majestic Theatre

Page 12 (L-R)

CatsPhoto by Joan Marcus © 2010

Les MiserablesPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Felicia MichaelsCourtesy feliciamichaels.com

(L-R)

Jeanne RobertsonCourtesy jeannerobertson.com

Lionel LoukeCourtesy Carver CommunityCultural Center

Nancy ZhouCourtesy Arts at Coker

http://thechieftains.com

http://feliciamichaels.com

http://jeannerobertson.com


W hy have 13 arts organizations partnered to create a citywide Beethoven Festival in January and February that will feature

35 concerts focused on Beethoven?

Festival partners include Camerata San Antonio, KLRN, KPAC, Musical Bridges Around the World, Musical tOfferings, Olmos Ensemble, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, San Antonio Symphony, San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers, San Antonio International Piano Competition, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Tuesday Musical Club Artist Series, and the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. ( The Beethoven Festival is sponsored by KCI. You can find out more concert details at www.sasymphony.org/BeethovenFestival.)

Perhaps because no composer changed music history more profoundly than Ludwig van Beethoven. His symphonies, string quartets, and piano, violin and cello sonatas set the standard that all future compositions are judged against. Leonard Bernstein called him “the greatest composer who ever l ived.” Bernstein once stated that many composers created beautiful music, “but this is all mere dust – nothing compared to the magic ingredient sought by them all : the inexplicable abil ity to know what the next note has to be. Beethoven had this gift in a degree that leaves them all panting in the rear guard.”

Who hasn’t been touched by Beethoven’s compelling l ife story? No other composer had

a more acute handicap—deafness beginning at age 23. He was unhappy in love, socially awkward and tormented. And sti l l , he gave us the most profound, l ife -affirming, inspiring music ever written. His Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony sti l l remains the universal expression of human freedom 184 years after his death.

For the San Antonio Symphony, the Beethoven Festival begins on Beethoven’s bir thday, Dec. 16, at 9 p.m. KLRN will broadcast a concert per formed in its studios that features the final movements of his symphonies 1, 3, 5 and 7. The show will be rebroadcast in early January. Bernstein said that celebrating Beethoven’s bir thday is “almost l ike celebrating the bir thday of music itself.”

San Antonio Symphony music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing has chosen these four finales because each Beethoven symphony marks an important place in the transition from the Classical era to the Romantic era. By hearing four finales consecutively, something you’d never hear in a concert hall, you begin to understand how profoundly Beethoven influenced music history. Maestro Lang-Lessing also discusses the changes in society that were occurring in Beethoven’s l ife and how they influenced his music. The French Revolution and growing personal l iberty were important to Beethoven.

For an orchestra and its music director, there is no mountain higher to climb than the nine

Why Beethoven?By Jack Fishman, President & CEO, San Antonio Symphony


http://www.sasymphony.org/BeethovenFestival



symphonies of Beethoven. Per forming them over just f ive weeks allows the symphony to better master his style and his immense technical and musical challenges. This idea of a concentrated festival is one of Lang-Lessing’s signature programming ideas. His f irst season featured a Tchaikovsky festival and the symphony will offer a Brahms Festival in February 2013 and a festival of music inspired by Shakespeare in 2014.

Lang-Lessing has both internal and external goals for this festival. One of the roles of the music director is to constantly challenge the orchestra and make it grow artistically. Playing nine Beethoven symphonies in five weeks will certainly achieve that goal. But the larger goal is one of audience development. Many audience survey shows that Beethoven is the most well-known name in music. Important recent arts marketing studies show that new audiences that come to more than two per formances in a season will develop the habit of future regular concert-going at a much higher rate than someone who tries just one concert every few seasons.

What could be a better opportunity to get music lovers to try multiple concerts than a Beethoven festival? In addition to the nine symphonies, the San Antonio International Piano Competition will present eight pianists in eight concerts playing all 32 piano sonatas. Camerata San Antonio is presenting the complete works for cello and piano, and Musical Bridges Across the World is offering most of the violin and piano sonatas. I can’t possibly describe all the exciting programs in this festival in this short ar ticle. While the artistic partners don’t expect audiences to attend all of the events, we do think this will be a power ful force for building audiences for classical music in San Antonio.

Back to the question: Why Beethoven? Beethoven told us that he thought the role of music was to be “the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual l ife.” Perhaps by immersing ourselves in his incomprehensible genius, we will begin to understand what Victor Hugo meant when he said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

Beethoven Festival Calendar Dec 16 9:00 SA Symphony on KLRNJan 5 9:00 SA Symphony on KLRNJan 6 7:00 Camerata SA: Cello Sonatas and Variations Jan 7 7:30 SAIPC: Jeffrey Swann, pianoJan 8 3:00 Camerata SA: Cello Sonatas and Variations Jan 10 7:30 SAIPC: Naoko Takao, piano Jan 12 7:00 TPR Presents: BeethovenJan 13 8:00 SA Symphony: 1 & 3Jan 14 8:00 SA Symphony: 1 & 3 Jan 15 3:00 Musical Offerings: Piano Trio in D major, Ghost”Jan 15 6:30 Musical Bridges: Violin Sonatas Jan 17 7:30 SAIPC: Spencer Myer, pianoJan. 20 8:00 SA Symphony: 2, 4 and 5 Jan. 21 8:00 SA Symphony: 2, 4 and 5 Jan. 22 3:00 Musical Bridges: Beethoven in the Style of JazzJan. 22 4:00 YOSA with Abdiel VázquezJan. 23 7:00 Musical Offerings: Texas Lutheran University, SeguinJan. 23 7:30 SOLI Chamber Ensemble: Beethoven R/EvolutionsJan. 24 7:30 SOLI Chamber Ensemble: Beethoven R/EvolutionsJan. 24 7:30 SAIPC: Christopher Guzman, piano Jan. 26 7:30 TPR Cinema: A Clockwork Orange Jan. 27 8:00 SA Symphony: 6 and 7 Jan. 28 4:30 Olmos Ensemble Jan. 28 8:00 SA Symphony: 6 and 7Jan. 29 3:15 SA Chamber Music Society: Pacifica Quartet Jan. 29 6:30 Musical Bridges: Violin SonatasJan. 31 2:00 Tuesday Musical Club Artist SeriesJan. 31 7:30 SAIPC: Audrey Andrist, pianoFeb. 7 7:30 SAIPC: Ryo Yanagitani, pianoFeb. 10 8:00 SA Symphony: 8 and 9Feb. 11 8:00 SA Symphony: 8 and 9Feb. 12 7:00 SA Symphony: 9 onlyFeb. 14 7:30 SAIPC: Richard Dowling, pianoFeb. 18 7:30 SAIPC: Jeffrey Swann, pianist April 1 3:15 SA Chamber Music Society: Vienna Piano Trio

Full details at www.sasymphony.org/BeethovenFestival16 On The Town | January-February 2011



http://www.musicalbridges.org


V ariety is the spice of life -- and that’s exactly what the newly formed Boerne Performing Arts organization is bringing to the Hill

Country. Their inaugural, 2012 arts season features a lineup of world-class performances from Canada to Europe and Asia with stops in Ireland, Vienna and Japan. Armchair travelers, it doesn’t get any better than this! A symbol of Austria, the Vienna Boys Choir, renowned for 500 years, will bring an early Valentine to Boerne on Feb. 9 at the state-of-the-art Champion High School auditorium. If you’re conjuring up images of grey bleacher seats in a gym, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The auditorium is tastefully designed and a wonderful theatrical venue for artistic performances. Add plenty of free parking, and convenience for Hill Country and San Antonio area residents, and you have the ingredients for a sellout. The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the oldest boys choirs existing in the world. A founding document of Maximilian I in 1498 called the first dozen boys to the imperial court as members of the newly formed court music band. The Vienna Boys Choir has given concerts under nearly all the great conductors of this century. And, as ever, every Sunday the Vienna Boys Choir sings Mass in Vienna’s Hofburg chapel, continuing a tradition unbroken since 1498. Writer’s note: I’ve been fortunate to see several performances of the Vienna Boys Choir, beginning with my semester at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna, Austria. This is a treat not to miss when they are so tantalizingly close! One of the most exciting shows I’ve seen in years is Tao: The Art of the Drum, coming on March 4. Fans of Blue Man Group, take note: This show will

knock your socks off! I’ve seen Blue Man twice in Las Vegas, and Art of the Drum is nothing short of spectacular.

Tao has been seen in 17 countries and 400 cities, attracting more than 5 million spectators worldwide. The show is an amazing and timeless drumming performance with a twist on the traditional Japanese drumming show. Calling it an entertainment drumming show, the 13-strong member troupe also dances and features instruments such as bamboo flutes and the huge Wadaido drums.

A review in the Chicago Tribune raves, “Extraordinarily talented... incomparable muscular zeal. Athletic bodies and contemporary costumes meet explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography in this show featuring Tao’s extraordinary precision, energy and stamina.” Translation: Don’t miss it!

Another personal favorite, Bowfire, hits the stage March 8. Yes, the shows are coming at you fast and furious, but you can rest in April! Bowfire, which I’ve seen twice and would never miss, is a stunning blend of music and a fast-paced, theatrically staged show. Fiddlers in the company are world-class step dancers and tap dancers. Liked Lord of the Dance? You’re going to love Bowfire!

Bowfire presents an “All-star Show” of the finest lineup of fiddle and violin virtuosos ever assembled on one stage. It moves seamlessly from jazz, classical, bluegrass, Celtic, rock, Gypsy, world, Texas swing and Ottawa Valley and Cape Breton styles and mixes in incredible step and tap dancing and a beautiful voice. All of this gets wrapped around a fast-paced show that includes great sound, choreography, dramatic lighting, set design and costumes. What’s not to love? We’re talking piano/keyboards, bass, drums/percussion, guitars and cello.

Arts Season in Bloom in Hill Country By Michele Krier



Kudos to the Boerne Performing Arts for bringing to the community three musical styles and three musical art forms, each with a world-class, distinctive style.

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Dan Rogers, vice chairperson for Boerne Per-forming Arts and president/CEO of the Kendall County Economic Development Corporation, said, “ The addition of a world-class performing arts organization is improving the quality of life for all our residents.”

The shows in the spring 2012 season are a hint of the high-caliber productions Boerne Performing Arts will bring to the area which will continue to grow as enthusiasm for the shows and the arts organization are fueled by community support.

Boerne Performing Arts operates under the auspices of the Hill Country Council for the Arts, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports a variety of arts organizations in the Texas Hill Country.

Ticket information is available at www.boerneperformingarts.com, in person at the Greater Boerne Area Chamber of Commerce or by phone at (830) 331-9079.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits:

Page 16

Boerne Champions HS AuditoriumPhoto by Sue Talford

Page 18

(Above)TAO: The Art of DrummingCourtesy cami.com

(Below)BowfireCourtesy bowfire.com


http://www.boerneperformingarts.com

http://www.boerneperformingarts.com


http://artssa.org


C irque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents, and

this spring, one of its most famous shows, will arrive at Freeman Coliseum at the AT&T Center in San Antonio for eight shows over five days from March 14-18.

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a company that has

5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from almost 50 countries.

Quidam premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in 1996. Since that time, the production has toured on five continents and been experienced by millions of people. Quidam has embarked on a new journey, performing the same captivating production, but now in arenas throughout North America. The international cast features 52 world-class acrobats,

Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam Coming to San Antonio March 14-18By Lisa EndicottPhotography Matt BeardCostumes Dominique Lemieux (c) 2011 Cirque du Soleil



musicians, singers and characters.

Unlike any other Cirque du Soleil show, Quidam does not take spectators to an imaginary realm of fanciful, larger-than-life characters. Rather, it is an examination of our own world – inhabited by real people with real-life concerns. Young Zoé is bored; her parents, distant and apathetic, ignore her. Her life has lost all meaning. Seeking to fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world – the world of Quidam – where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul.

Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past and swallowed by the crowd. It could be anyone, anybody. Someone coming or going at the heart of our anonymous society. A member of the crowd, one of the silent majority. The one who cries out, sings and dreams within us all. This is the “quidam” whom this show allows to speak. This is the place that beckons—a place for dreaming and genuine relations where all quidams, by proclaiming their individuality, can finally emerge from anonymity.

Benoit Jutras’ passionate and intense music is performed live at every show by six musicians playing a wide variety of instruments such as the violin, cello, percussion, saxophone, electric and classical guitars and keyboard. In Quidam, Cirque du Soleil takes a new approach to vocals. For the first time, the fragility of a childlike voice combines with the strength of a man’s voice to create a powerful blend of sensitivity and intensity. The musicians follow the artists’ movements and ensure they are in sync with the act.

Evoking a monolithic structure like a train station or an airport where people constantly come and go, the minimalist set is dominated by a giant arch that spans 120 feet. The floor, built from perforated metal tiles, is illuminated from above and below and appears at times metallic, at times incandescent. Changes in the lighting – contrasts in hues, angles and light beams – can instantly transform the mood of a scene from comedy to tragedy. The revolving stage reflects an ever-changing, unpredictable world.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.


http://www.cirquedusoleil.com


http://sanantoniocomedyclubs.com


http://boerneperformingarts.com/


Events Calendar

28-40

Events Calendar

28-40


Music NotesMax Stalling1/5, Thu, Floore Country Store

Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers1/6, Fri, Floore Country Store

Sarah Jarosz1/6, Fri, Gruene Hall

Camerata San Antonio: Complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas/Variations1/6, Fri, Christ Episcopal 1/8, Sun, Christ Episcopal

Doug Moreland1/6, 20, 27, Fri, Luckenbach Dancehall2/10, 17, 24, Fri, Luckenbach Dancehall

San Antonio Rose Live1/6-2/26, Fri-Sun, Aztec Theatre

RockBox Theater-Fredericksburg1/6-2/26, Fri-Sun

Thomas Michael Riley1/7, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Donald Braswell1/7, Sat, Laurie Auditorium

Eli Young Band1/7, Sat, Cowboys San Antonio

The Gourds1/7, Sat, Gruene Hall

Mario Flores1/7, Sat, Floore Country Store

SA International Piano Competition: All 32 Beethoven Piano SonatasJeffrey Swann1/7, Sat, Ruth Taylor Recital HallNaoko Takao1/10, Tue, St. Mark’s EpiscopalSpencer Myer1/17, Tue, St. Mark’s EpiscopalChristopher Guzman1/24, Tue, St. Mark’s Episcopal

Audrey Andrist1/31, Tue, St. Mark’s EpiscopalRyo Yanagitani2/7, Tue, St. Mark’s EpiscopalRichard Dowling2/14, Tue, St. Mark’s EpiscopalJeffrey Swann2/18, Sat, Ruth Taylor Recital Hall

The Arts at Coker:Nancy Zhou1/8, Sun, Coker United Methodist

Ray Wylie Hubbard1/12, Thu, Floore Country Store

Jon Wolfe1/13, Fri, Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Beethoven 1 & 31/13-14, Fri-Sat, Majestic Theatre

Rich O’Toole1/14, Sat, Floore Country Store

Year of Jazz: West Side Horns1/14, Sat, Guadalupe Theatre

Curtis Grimes1/14, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Dr. King Cool Jazz Celebration1/14, Sat, Plaza Club @ Frost Bank

Jesse Dayton with Brian Keane1/14, Sat, Gruene Hall

New Buddy Holly Band1/14-15, Fri-Sat, Kathleen C. CaillouxTheatre – Kerrville

Reckless Kelly1/14, Sat, Cowboys San Antonio

Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Association:The Man in Black starring Shawn Barker1/14, Sat, Brauntex Theatre-New Braunfels

January-February 2012 Events Calendar



http://boerneperformingarts.com/


Musical Bridges Around The World: Beethoven Sonatas 7 & 81/15, Sun, San Fernando Cathedral

Musical Offerings: Living in the Shadow of Beethoven1/15, Sun, Christ Episcopal1/23, Mon, Ayers Recital Hall-Seguin

Fredericksburg Music Club: Gli Unici – Braswell, Chapman & Birt1/15, Sun, Fredericksburg United Methodist

Bud Light Concert Series:Willie Nelson1/15, Sun, Majestic Theatre

Rise Against1/18, Wed, Alamodome

Fredericksburg Music Club: Conspirare-Path of Miracles1/19, Thu, St. Mary’s Catholic

Granger Smith1/19, Thu, Floore Country Store

Zack Walther1/20, Fri, Floore Country Store

Roger Creager1/20, Fri, Cowboys San Antonio

San Antonio Symphony:Beethoven 2, 4 & 51/20-21, Fri-Sat, Majestic Theatre

Wade Bowen1/21, Sat, Gruene Hall

Lonnie Spiker1/21, Sat, Anhalt Hall-Spring Banch

Ladysmith Black Mambazo1/21, Sat, Jackson Auditorium-Seguin

Charlie Robinson with Robyn Ludwick1/21, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio: Gold Series - Beethoven and Orpheus1/22, Sun, Laurie Auditorium

Musical Bridges Around The World: Beethoven in the Style of Jazz1/22, Sun, McAllister Auditorium

SOLI Chamber Ensemble:Beethoven Revolutions1/23, Mon, Gallery Nord1/24, Tue, Ruth Taylor Recital Hall

Bleu Edmondson1/26, Thu, Floore Country Store

Casey Donahew1/27, Fri, Gruene Hall

Fred Eaglesmith1/27, Fri, Floore Country Store


5th Annual Blues Festival1/28, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Olmos Ensemble:Beethoven Festival Performance1/28, Sat, Majestic Theatre

An Evening with Shelby Lynne1/28, Sat, Gruene Hall

Wayne Hancock1/28, Sat, Floore Country Store

Musical Bridges Around The World: Beethoven Sonatas 1, 2 & 31/29, Sun, McAllister Auditorium

San Antonio Chamber Music Society:Pacifica Quartet1/29, Sun, Temple Beth-El

Tuesday Musical Club:Augustin Hadelich, violin1/31, Tue, Laurel Heights United Methodist

Chris Cagle2/3, Fri, Cowboys San Antonio

Old 97’s2/3, Fri, Gruene Hall

Johnny Cooper2/3, Fri, Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Broadway Rocks2/3-4, Fri-Sat, Laurie Auditorium

Lionel Louke2/4, Sat, Jo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center

Roger Creager2/4, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Musical Bridges Around The World: Beethoven Sonatas 4, 5 & 62/5, Sun, McAllister Auditorium

Kelly ClarksonStronger Tour 20122/6, Mon, Majestic Theatre



Boerne Peforming Arts:Vienna Boys Choir2/9, Thu, Champion HS Auditorium

Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Association: Texas Tenors2/9, Thu, Brauntex Theatre-New Braunfels

63rd Annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo:

Chris Young2/9, Thu, AT&T Center

Luke Bryan2/10, Fri, AT&T Center

Keith Urban2/11, Sat, AT&T Center

Hot Chelle Rae2/12, Sun, AT&T Center

Ronnie Dunn2/13, Mon, AT&T Center

Tenth Avenue North2/14, Tue, AT&T Center

The Band Perry2/15, Wed, AT&T Center

Josh Abbott Band2/16, Thu, AT&T Center

Lady Antebellum2/17, Fri, AT&T Center

Jake Owen2/18, Sat, AT&T Center

Daughtry2/18, Sat, AT&T Center

Joe Nichols2/19, Sun, AT&T Center

El Trono de Mexico2/19, Sun, AT&T Center

Terry Fator2/20, Mon, AT&T Center

Miranda Lambert2/21, Tue, AT&T Center

Rodney Atkins2/22. Wed, AT&T Center

Alan Jackson2/23, Thu, AT&T Center

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts2/24, Fri, AT&T Center

Trace Adkins2/25, Sat, AT&T Center

Dierks Bentley2/25. Sat, AT&T Center

Court Yard Hounds2/10, Fri, Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

Micky and the Motorcars2/10, Fri, Floore Country Store

Jason Boland & the Stragglers2/10, Fri, Cowboys San Antonio


http://yosa.org


Gary P. Nunn2/11, Sat, Luckenbach Dancehall

Year of Jazz: Tribute to Miles Davis2/11, Sat, Jo Long Theatre

Jeff Lofton2/11, Sat, Jo Long Theatre at Carver Community Cultural Center

Bobby Jordan and the Ridgecreek Band2/11, Sat, Kendalia Halle

The Arts at Coker:Eugenia Zukerman, fluteMilana Strezeva, piano2/12, Sun, Coker United Methodist

San Antonio Symphony:Beethoven 92/12, Sun, Majestic Theatre

Youth Orchestras of San Antonio: City Series – Winter Lights2/12, Sun, McAllister Auditorium

Music at St. Mark’s:Choral Evensong2/12, Sun, St. Mark’s Episcopal

Bob Schneider2/17, Fri, Floore Country Store

Mid-Texas Symphony:Appalachian Spring2/18, Sat, Oakwood Baptist-New Braunfels

Landon Dodd2/18, Sat, Anhalt Hall-Spring Branch

Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights2/18, Sat, Gruene Hall

Fredericksburg Music Club: Chris McGuire, Classical Guitar2/19, Sun, Fredericksburg UnitedMethodist Church

Musical Bridges Around The World: Gerri Allen2/19, Sun, McAllister Auditorium

Cloverleaf Quintet at Mission San Jose 2/19, Sun, Mission San Jose

Band of Heathens2/24, Fri, Floore Country Store

Aaron Watson2/25, Sat, Gruene Hall

San Antonio Symphony &Youth Orchestras of San Antonio:Side by Side Concert2/26, Sun, Laurie Auditorium

Olmos Ensemble: Three Great Woodwind Quintets2/27, Mon, First Unitarian Universalist

Arts San Antonio: Paddy Moloney and the Chieftains2/29, Wed, Lila Cockrell Theater

On StageCameo Theatre:Chicago1/1, Sun

Cadillac Broadway Series: Les Miserables1/3-8, Tue-Sun, Majestic Theatre

Jump-Start Performance Co.: Performance Party 271/7, Sat, Sterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

San Pedro Playhouse:PlayFest 20121/12-1/22, Thu-Sun, Cellar Theater

Harlequin Dinner Theatre: Mousetrap1/12-2/18, Thu-Sat

The Rose Theatre Company:A Tale of Two Stoners1/13-2/4, Fri-Sat

The Overtime Theater:Ghosts in the Afternoon1/13-2/11, Thu-Sun

The Rose Theatre Company: The Guys You Slept With1/20-28, Fri-Sat

Jump Start Performance Co.: Big, Bad and Beautiful: Still Hungry1/20-29, Fri-Sun, Sterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

San Pedro Playhouse:Oklahoma!1/20-2/19, Fri-Sun(except 1/22)Russell Hill Rogers Theater

Cameo Theatre @ Spaghetti Warehouse:Mamma Mia That’sa Murder!1/21, 2/11 & 18, Sat

The Spirit of Michael Laser Spectacular1/27, Friday, Lila Cockrell Theater

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular1/27, Friday, Lila Cockrell Theater

Boerne Community Theatre: The Orphans1/27-2/11, Fri-Sun



http://vexler.org


Woodlawn Theatre:Rent1/27-2/26, Fri-Sun

Cameo Theatre:Same Time Next Year1/28-2/26, Fri-Sun

Cadillac Broadway Series: Cats1/31-2/5, Tue-Sun, Majestic Theatre

Sheldon Vexler Theatre: A View From the Bridge2/2-26, Thu, Sat-Sun

Circle Arts Theatre-New BraufelsNunsense2/2-26, Thu-Sun

Playhouse 2000: Moon Over Buffalo2/3-18, Fri-Sat, (Sun 2/12 only) Kathleen C. Cailloux Theatre-Kerrville

The Rose Theatre Company:Death of a Salesman2/10-25, Fri-Sat

The Renaissance Guild:Miss Evers Boys2/10-26, Fri-Sun, Little Carver Theatre

The Classic Theatre San Antonio: Six Degrees of Separation2/10-26, Fri-SunSterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

Hill Country Arts Foundation:Sex Please, We’re Sixty!2/10-3/3, Fri-SunElizabeth Huth Coates Theatre-Ingram

San Pedro Playhouse:Superior Donuts2/10-3/11, Fri-Sun(except 2/12)Cellar Theater

S.T.A.G.E: Closure2/16-3/4, Thu-Sun(except 2/19)Krause HausBulverde

Trinity University Theater: The Robber’s Bridegroom2/17-19, Fri-Sun2/22-25, Wed-SatStieren Theatre

Fredericksburg Theater Company: Godspell2/17-3/4, Fri-SunSteve W. Shepard Theater

Cadillac Broadway Series: Blue Man Group2/21-26, Tue-Sun, Majestic Theatre

The Overtime Theater:Sleepers Wake2/23-3/24, Thu-Sun @ 3pm

University of the Incarnate Word Theater: The Tempest2/24-3/3, Fri-SunThe Coates Theatre

ComedyRivercenter Comedy Club:Kelly Morton1/1, SunMike Robles1/4-8, Wed-SunSpanky1/11-15, Wed-SunMike Yard1/18-22, Wed-SunJulian McCullough1/25-29, Wed-SunRC Smith2/1-4, Wed-SatCristela Alonzo2/8-12, Wed-SunJP Justice2/15-19, Wed-SunJesse Joyce2/22-26, Wed-SunLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club:Andy Gross1/1, SunKyle Dunnigan1/4-8, Wed-Sun

Louis Ramey1/11-15, Wed-SunBen Creed1/18-22, Wed-SunFelipe Esparza1/26-29, Thu-SunCory Kahaney2/1-4, Wed-SatTom Rhodes2/8-12, Wed-SunFelicia Michaels2/14-19, Tue-SunJohnny Sanchez2/22-26, Wed-Sun

Bill Cosby1/29, Sun, Majestic Theatre

Gabriel Iglesias2/2, Thu, International Center- Eagle Pass2/3, Fri, Illusions Theatre at the Alamodome

Jeanne Robertson2/25, SatCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

DanceJesus Munoz Flamenco-Silencio1/7-8, Sat-Sun, Jo Long Theatre atCarver Community Cultural Center

Spirit of Uganda1/14, Sat, Jo Long Theatre atCarver Community Cultural Center



http://thelongcenter.org


36 On The Town | July-August 200936 On The Town | July-August 2009

OperaSan Antonio Opera:Don Giovanni2/17-19, Lila Cockrell Theater

For The KidsMagik Theatre:Diary of a Worm, a Spider and a Fly1/6-2/4, Tue-Sat

Magik Theatre:Diary of a Worm,a Spider and a Fly1/6-2/4, Tue-Sat

The Rose Theatre Company:Little Red Riding Hood1/11-26, Wed-Thu

Children’s Fine Arts Series: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters1/20, Fri, Charline McCombsEmpire Theatre

Children’s Fine Arts Series: Cinderella2/15, Fri, Charline McCombsEmpire Theatre

The Rose Theatre Company:Mother Goose2/15-3/1, Wed-Thu

Magik Theatre:If You Take a Mouse to School2/15-3/24, Tue-Sat (no show 3/10)

On ExhibitARTPACE

International Artist-In-ResidentNew Works: 11.3Frank BensonGraham FagenJeff WilliamsRussell Ferguson, curatorThru 1/8

Hudson (Show) RoomTony Feher1/12-4/29

Window WorksJudith Cottrell1/12-4/29

International Artist-In-ResidentNew Works: 12.1Adam PendletonJames ShamFlorian SlotawaJeffrey Grove, curatorOpens 3/21

BIHL HAUS ARTS

Sobreviviente:Debora Kuetzpal VasquezThru 1/28

“On & Off” Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour2/18-19

BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER

The British Invasion:Phillip King, Phil Evett, Harold WoodThru 2/12

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

Griff Smith’s Texas: A Retrospective through the Lens & Images of Texas Highways Thru 3/31

40 Years of Texas Folklife Festival MemoriesThru 8/26

Timeless Texas ToysThru 8/5

McNAY ART MUSEUM

Nightmare Before ChristmasThru 1/1

The Orient Expressed: Japan’s Influence on Western Art, 1854-1918Thru 1/15

Cassatt and the Orient: Japan’s Influence on PrintmakingThru 1/15

Art + Present: Gifts from the Peter Norton FamilyThru 1/15

Robert Melton: Hungry HeartThru 1/29

An El Greco RediscoveredOpening January 2012

Baroque to Bauhaus: Designs from the Tobin Collection1/18-6/10

Adolf Dehn’s Selected Tales of Guy de Maupassant1/25-5/6

Drawn Forth: ContemporaryDrawings from the Collection2/1-5/6

Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune2/1-5/20

MUSEO ALAMEDA

Revolution & Renaissance: Mexico & San Antonio 1910-2010Thru 3/18



SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Art In The Garden: Texas Uprising – Selections from The Texas Sculpture GroupThru 1/12

Amazing ButterfliesThru 2/12

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

Animal Instinct: The Photographs of Daniel LeeThru 2/19

5000 Years of Chinese JadeThru 2/19

The Chinese Art of Cricket Keeping: The Ernest K.H.Lee CollectionThru 6/15

San Antonio Collects: African American Artists1/17-5/6

Imagenes del Pueblo: Spanish Popular Graphics from the Permanent Collection1/28-6/28

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART

Shannon Brock:Gene Pool TherapyThru 2/12

Maria Swartz:Constant ChurningThru 2/12

Sonya Clark:Solo ExhibitionThru 2/12

Maddy Rosenberg:Architectural Spaces1/20-2/19

WITTE MUSEUM

Odyssey’s SHIPWRECK! Pirates and TreasuresThru 1/8

http://eljarro.com


Opening the Witte Wardrobe:85 Years of Collecting TextilesThru 3/25

Out of the Vault85 Years of Collecting at the Witte MuseumThru 4/29

Witte Through Time: 85 Years and Still GrowingThru 5/26

Darwin: How One Man’s Theory Turned the World on its Head2/18-9/3

Miscellaneous

U.S. Army All-American Bowl1/7, Sat, Alamodome

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam1/14-15, Sat-Sun, Alamodome

Western HeritageArt Show1/20, Fri, Pearl Studio

Harlem Globetrotters1/26, Thu, AT&T Center

San Antonio Cocktail Conference1/26-28, Thu-Sat, Sheraton Gunter Hotel, Bohanan’s and other downtown locations

Asian Festival1/28, Sat, Institute of Texan Cultures

Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train1/28-29, Amtrak Station

63rd Annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo2/9-26, Mon-Sun, AT&T Center

Valentine’s Night Candlelight Dinner & Ghost Tour2/14, Tue, Menger Hotel

Miss CollegiateSan Antonio 20122/18, Sat, UIW Auditorium

Hand in Hand – A Night on the Runway to Benefit Morgan’s Wonderland2/18, Sat, Morgan’s Wonderland

Photo Credits

Max StallingCourtesy maxstalling.com

Kenneth FreudigmanCamerata San AntonioPhoto by Greg Harrison

Donald BraswellCourtesy donaldbraswell.com

Jeffery SwannnCourtesy melodybunting.com

Page 30 (L-R)

Spencer MyerPhoto by Roger Mastroianni

Sebastian Lang-LessingPhoto by Marks Moore

Reckless KellyCourtesy recklesskelly.com

Musical OfferingsCourtesy musicalofferings.com

Page 31 (L-R)

Willie NelsonPhoto courtesy Majestic Theatre

Zack WaltherCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 32 (L-R)

Wade BowenCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Charlie RobisonCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Pacifica QuartetCourtesy pacificaquartet.com

Lionel LoukePhoto courtesy Carver Community Cultural Center

Page 34 (L-R)

Vienna Boys ChoirPhoto courtesy BoernePerforming Arts

Lady AntebellumCourtesy ladyantebellum.com

Alan JacksonCourtesy alanjackson.com

Gary P. NunnCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Page 36 (L-R)

38 On The Town | July-August 201138 On The Town | January-February 2011


Jeff LoftonPhoto courtesy Carver Community Cultural Center

Eugenia Zukerman Photo by Angela Jimenez

Bob SchneiderCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Paddy Moloney & The ChieftainsPhoto courtesy Arts San Antonio

Page 37 (L-R)

Les MiserablesPhoto by Deen van Meer

CatsPhoto by Joan Marcus

Blue Man GroupPhoto by Ken Howard

Cristela AlonzoCourtesy cristelaalonzo.com

Page 38 (L-R)

Felicia MichaelsPhoto courtesy Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jeanne RobertsonPhoto courtesy Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

BearLate Western Han dynasty to Early Eastern Han dynasty, 1st century BC-1st century AD NephriteM. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler, S1987.25Courtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

Asian Festival DancersPhoto courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

(L-R)

Shannon BrockCheck Your Tension, 2009, pulp painting, 8.5” x 8.5Photo courtesy Southwest School of Art

Amazing ButterfliesPhoto courtesy San Antonio Botanical Center


http://jccsanantonio.org


http://luminariasa.org


Visual Arts

42-60

Visual Arts

42-60


New Year, New Art by Cassandra Yardeni


44 On The Town | January-February 201144 On The Town | November-December 201144 On The Town | November-December 2011

2012 is upon us! As you ring in the New Year, resolve to explore the arts scene in San Antonio, a community brimming with fresh and fascinating artwork,

ranging in topic from Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution, to a British invasion, to the captivating work of Andy Warhol.

Beginning Feb. 18, discover Darwin’s revolutionary ideas at Darwin: How One Man’s Theory Turned the World on its Head, an internationally acclaimed exhibit making its first Texas stop at the Witte Museum through Sept. 3.

Darwin offers visitors a provocative exploration of the scientist’s life and discoveries. Glimpse Darwin’s intellectual and personal world through specimens, documents, film, fossils, interactive media, exact replicas of his personal effects and a reconstruction of his study.

Experience the wonders Darwin witnessed on his historic, five-year voyage as an adventurous young man aboard the HMS Beagle to South America, the Galapagos Islands and beyond. Younger visitors can engage in computer interactives and peek at the exhibit’s live animals!

Hop over to the San Antonio Museum of Art for The Chinese Art of Cricket-Keeping: The Ernest K.H. Lee Collection,

which showcases a variety of implements that have been collected around the China custom of cricket-keeping, a hobby which appealed to the elite, producing items commissioned from top Chinese artisans. The collection includes artifacts such as cages, food and water trays, brushes, tongs, cricket-catchers, fighting arenas, scales, carrying tubes, cricket coffins and even beds for crickets.

Also on display at SAMA is Imágenes del Pueblo: Spanish Popular Graphics From the Permanent Collection, a collection of more than 100 works of Spanish graphic art produced during the 18th and 19th centuries. From Jan. 28 through June 10, view art largely printed on ordinary and inexpensive materials such as woodblock paper and lithographs. The works speak to the state of graphic arts and offer a glimpse into the Spanish culture of that time. Subjects include religious images, romantic stories, lurid and often gruesome depictions of crimes and natural disasters alongside cleverly designed text used to teach Spanish children the alphabet, and the names of vegetables and animals, among others.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of San Antonio’s annual Martin Luther King Jr., March, SAMA will present San Antonio Collects: African American Artists, featuring works from the Harriet and Harmon Kelley and Irene and Leo


January-February 2011 | On The Town 45November-December 2011 | On The Town 45

Edwards collections, an installation of works by African American artists spanning the last 200 years. The collection will be on display from Jan. 17 through May 6.

Don’t miss your last chance to experience Sobreviviente: Gunaa Xoo Transforming Life, an exhibition of metaphoric new artworks, video and installation by Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez. Sobreviviente is hosted at Bihl Haus Arts and pays homage to the Gunaa Xoo (“strong woman” in Zapoteco, a language of the Tehuanas), who challenge those who try to dismantle their society of governance, which is one of the last enduring matriarchies in the world.

Through a series of portraits and compositions on found, discarded or repurposed materials, the exhibit showcases visual metaphors of mujeres who have survived abuse and have managed to thrive despite their circumstances. The paintings are accompanied by Vasquez’s digitally altered video that presents five of these women -- Adela Arrellano, Victoria Garcia, Andrea Figueroa, Marina Hernandez Renaud and Hortensia Zimmerman -- telling their stories of survival in their own words.

Drawn from the rich collections of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Andy Warhol: Fame and Misfortune will be on display at the McNay Art Museum beginning

Feb. 1. The collection includes more than 150 objects in a variety of media and examines Warhol’s lifelong obsessions with both celebrity and disaster. Works include juxtaposed pop-culture icons, legendary entertainers, art world luminaries and world leaders with images of suicides, auto accidents, skulls and even an electric chair.

The British are coming! The British are coming! The British Invasion exhibits have arrived at Blue Star Contemporary Arts Center. English artists Philip King, Phil Evett and Harold Wood present works that range in content from large-scale sculptures to abstract forms and art on canvas. King’s Four Decades With Colour, Evett’s Untitled collection, and Wood’s Levelland (Points of Scale) will be on display through Feb. 12.

Peek into the world of pulp painting and paper at the Southwest School of Art’s Gene Pool Therapy. On display through Feb. 12, this exhibit features work by Brooklyn-based artist Shannon Brock. Her works, like the other exhibitions opening at the art school, are grounded in personal experience and cast her days on a rural farm into delicate and sometimes humorous form.

Local artist Marie Swartz presents Constant Churning, on display at SSA through Feb. 12. Swartz masterfully



marries elements from folk tales, personal viewpoints and mysterious happenings to produce out-of-this-world digital collages. The catalog also contains an essay by Mimi Swartz, Marie’s daughter and a Texas Monthly editor and contributor. Mimi notes, “When I talk about my mother’s ‘work,’ I am not limiting it to these photo collages, but about a life in which she was always remaking and refining the world around her to comport with some inner ideal.”

Rounding out SSA’s exciting roster of art is work by prolific Virginia artist Sonya Clark. In her Solo Exhibition, Clark explores the potency of ancestry and historical biases, mingling subversive humor with traditional American iconography. Her works include sculptures, photos and mixed-media objects that evoke her cultural experiences; many are literally entwined with, or made from, her own hair or black thread or yarn. She interprets “simple objects as culture,” connecting cloth, combs or woven hair both with her personal narrative and within the context of African-American women’s history.

Finally, scoot on down to the Institute of Texan Cultures for a restrospective ride down the state’s remarkable highways. Griff Smith’s Texas features more than 50 photographs taken by J. Griffis Smith,

photo editor of Texas Highways Magazine. Among the diverse collection is a cowboy silhouetted against a neon Texas flag, a stately lighthouse in Port Isabel and a trick roper from Bandera. The exhibit also examines the creative process of magazine publication, from concept to finished product. Timeless Texas Toys, an ITC exhibit on display through Aug. 5, is a veritable treasure chest for tots, teens and parents alike. The collection explores the cultural values, ingenuity, art and design expressed in handmade folk toys. From fantasy make-believe to pretending to be adults, folk toys made from local materials, such as wood, clay, cloth or even corn husks, reflect local life and culture. These humble materials come to life in a child’s hands and present life in miniature.

Also through August, ITC’s 40 Years of Texas Folklife Festival Memories showcases the stories, images, sounds and artifacts from the Texas Folklife Festival’s most memorable moments.

Take a break from your weekend or weekday routine, and enjoy some of the many enthralling exhibits on the local arts and culture scene. There’s no better time than the new year to experience the new art all around you!


January-February 2011 | On The Town 47January-February 2011 | On The Town 47

Photo Credits:

Pages 42-43

Andy Warhol: Fame and MisfortuneThree Marilyns, 1962. Acrylic, screen- printing ink, and graphite on linen, 14 × 33½ in. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., 1998.1.60. © 2011 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Page 44 (L-R)

Darwin: How One Man’s Theory Turned the World on its Head ExhibitCourtesy Witte Museum

Harold Wood Levelland [Points of Interest]Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center

Eldzier CortorAmerican (b. 1916)The Streetcar, 1937oil on canvas 39 1/2 x 17 3/4 in.From the Harmon and Harriet Kelley Foundation for the Arts Courtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

Page 45 (L-R)

Timeless Toys ExhibitTeddy Bear, circa 1906 (replica) Courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

Philip King Four Decades with ColourDarwin I Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center

Carved Gourd Cricket Cage with Boys Playing with CricketsQing Dynasty, 18th - 19th c.Gourd, Ivory, Tortoiseshell6 ¾ in. x 3 in.On loan from Ernest K. H. LeeCourtesy San Antonio Musuem of Art

Page 46 (L-R)

Timeless Toys ExhibitSelection of wooden toys: climbing bear, propeller, cup and ball, top and alphabet blocks Courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

Maddy RosenbergArchitectural Spaces Courtesy Southwest School of Art

(L-R)

Angel Rodriguez-DiazAngel Ying Yang2008, enamel on paper Sobreviviente ExhibitCourtesy Bihl Haus Arts

Darwin: How One Man’s Theory Turned the World on its Head ExhibitCourtesy Witte Museum


San Antonio artist G.E. “Buddy” Mullan has evolved his work from the colorful Southwestern works that gained him fame

to contemporary religious art pieces that explore similar themes from a different perspective.

Despite the obvious reverence expressed in his art, Mullan brings a sense of humor and irreverence to life, cracking wise during an interview.

“I was born in Tyler, Texas, only to be near my mother,” Mullan said. “I’m 68, going on 12.”

Mullan grew up in Waco and Temple. “One of my earliest memories is drawing,” he said. “In fact, I got in trouble for it. I was in the first grade, and my mother had bought me a Big Chief tablet for school. But by the time the first day of class came, I had already filled it up with pictures.”

He studied art at a community college and then transferred to St. Mary ’s University, where he majored in history and philosophy. At his family ’s urging, he prepared for a teaching career, being told that he would not be able to make a living as an artist.

“I taught for a number of years, so I like to say I’m a recovering teacher,” Mullan said. Although enjoyable, teaching art was an expensive endeavor, as he typically had to pay for his own supplies.

Until the late 1980s, Mullan painted mostly contemporary Southwestern themes, such as landscapes, in a stylized way, with his work notable for its precise color overlaid on fluid washes, and his use of texture and visual activity.

Mullan’s work, which then was sold primarily through galleries, included limited-edition posters and prints. He designed several winning posters for Fiesta events and the UTSA Folklife Festival, and illustrated the 1984 book, “James Butler Bonham,” by Jean Flynn.

A turning point came in 1987, when he was asked by San Antonio Archbishop Patrick Flores to create a painting for Pope John Paul II for his visit to the Alamo City in September of that year. Flores also asked Mullan to make prints as gifts for the bishops who would be attending the papal events locally. Mullan painted San Antonio de Yanaguana, the city’s patron saint.

T he Art of G .E . " Bu d d y" Mul lanBy Susan A. MerknerPhotography Greg Harrison



That work soon was followed by commissioned pieces for churches, religious orders, universities, hospitals and other organizations, as well as for individual patrons. Mullan’s work now is almost solely devoted to commissioned paintings featuring religious subjects. In addition, he has designed liturgical furnishings, such as altars, ambos and processional crosses.

On his website, Mullan describes his religious artwork as an adaptation of such diverse artistic traditions as the imagery of the Roman catacombs, the icons and mosaics of the Italo-Byzantine world, the illuminated manuscripts of Medieval Europe, and the santos of Mexico and the American Southwest.

In 2005, Mullan’s parish, St. Francis of Assisi, on San Antonio’s Northwest Side, was observing its 25th anniversary. His wife, Celina, asked the pastor if the Mullans could organize a pilgrimage to Assisi. They took 48 people to Italy, and before the two weeks were over, some of travelers were asking where they could all go next for a visit.

Since then, the couple has organized three trips to Italy, two to Spain and one to Ireland, Buddy Mullan said, and they now are planning a trip to Israel. The trips combine religious pilgrimage with sites known for their historic art.

Most of his recent work is paintings, often 7 to 9 feet high, but technically not murals, and most are site-specific, designed to fit a particular area or architectural feature. Mullan created several paintings for St. Francis College in New York for arched niches over doorways. He also was commissioned to create six paintings for a chapel in New Hampshire to hang across the space from existing stained-glass windows, so he echoed some of the windows’ colors in his art.

“People will ask me, ‘Isn’t it a drag to do what it didn’t occur to you to do?’ But I find it an interesting challenge, especially when I’m designing works for specific spaces,” the artist said.

In 2006, Mullan received the Saint Mother Teresa Award for his work in religious art from the Albuquerque, N.M., St. Bernadette Institute of



Sacred Art. Other award winners have been South African leader Nelson Mandela, poet Maya Angelou and former President Jimmy Carter.

In 2009, Mullan’s book “Canticle: Biblical Songs Illuminated,” was published by World Library Publications. It contains 20 paintings based on Old and New Testament verses, with commentary by John Shea.

Mullan remains open to whatever possibilities exist in the art world. “It’s a positive thing to make me think in new directions,” he said, with no trace of irreverence.

To view Mullan’s catalogue, visit www.gemullanstudio.com.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photos Credits:

Page 50

(Above)Saint Louise de Marillac

(Below)Saint AnnePatron of Christian Mothersand Housewives

(Above)The Annunciation

(Below)Saint Anthony de Padua



http://cappysrestaurant.com/

http://cappyccinos.com/

http://lafondaonmain.com/


Culinary Arts 54-60

Culinary Arts 54-60


Cheryl Bezuidenhout: The Personal TouchBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Greg Harrison

I n the late 1980s, an offhand comment by a friend at dinner changed Cheryl Bezuidenhout’s life forever.

She laughs at the memory. “He owned a building at the medical center, and said he wished he knew somebody who would open a little lunch place there. I said, ‘Oh, I would like that!’ ” The friend wasted no time, calling Bezuidenhout the next morning asking if she was serious. She was.

Picnikins was born in December 1988 as a 600-square-foot catering/take-out shop that caught on fast. Husband Andre quit the homebuilding business that originally brought them to San Antonio to join his wife in their new venture. Not a classically trained chef, the South African-born Bezuidenhout (whose name means “south of the forest”) had taken only a few courses at the Cordon Bleu. No problem. “I’m a quick learner, I have a good palate, and I’m a perfectionist, so I know what needs to be done and how.”

The combination worked, and Picnikins was a success, serving fresh-made sandwiches, soups and salads to the bustling medical center community and making a name for itself as a signature caterer. Several years ago, a “now-or-never” moment occurred – youngest daughter Bronwyn was college-bound – and the couple decided to step up their game.

The April 2010 move to Blanco Road inside Loop 410 was a turning point, reaching a whole new audience with a bistro-style dinner menu featuring more sophisticated fare, a nice wine list (“We’re adding more South African wines”), signature dishes such as Cape Milay Beef Curry (“slightly fruitier compared to the Asian curries”), and killer desserts such as Malva pudding and Lemon Posset. “It ’s a very old British dessert they used to give people who weren’t feeling well in the morning,” Bezuidenhout said, referring to the light, delectable concoction of fresh lemon juice, cream and sugar.

One thing that hasn’t changed – and won’t – is Bezuidenhout’s business philosophy. “Customer service is the most important thing,” she said. “We have a very personal approach. We believe that ’s extremely important, and we’ve tried to carry that through.”

Nowhere is that more apparent than in Picnikins’ thriving catering business, with repeat customers trusting Bezuidenhout to the extent that they call in the morning to send over “whatever we’re making today,” she said. “ They know it ’s fresh and good.” Delivery is citywide, with a flat $15 delivery fee.

“ This is a total family effort,” Bezuidenhout said. “Andre and I have worked together since 1988, and we’re still married.” For 34 years, to be exact.



“ We did whatever it took,” she said definitively. “I t was a struggle in the beginning, as all businesses are. You just do what you have to do. You get it done.”

In the beginning Bezuidenhout that meant enlisting young sons Barry and Geoff to fill a last-minute holiday order of 350 of their famous rum cakes. Baby Bronwyn would often have “a little bed under the desk” in those early days. “We did what we had to do,” Bezuidenhout said with emphasis. “They’ve all grown up around this.” Geoff still works in the administrative side of the business.

Tall and soft spoken, with huge green eyes, Bezuidenhout loves to talk about food – preparing it, serving it, finding out what her customers like and don’t like about it. Not that there’s anything not to like. Picnikins’ lunch and dinner menus are diverse and satisfying, with seemingly something for everyone. Signature dishes bring customers back for more, like the divine Roasted Poblano

Pepper Soup (which prompted one online reviewer to write that she wished she could “swim in it”); and the meticulously prepared chicken salad, handmade daily in small batches. The key, Bezuidenhout said, “is keeping it simple and fresh. More involved ingredients don’t always equal better.” Future plans include wine dinners beginning in the new year and possibly an expansion to a second location eventually.

At 53, the former piano teacher said, “I’m not as young as I used to be, but I love what I do.” She added quickly : “I have to stress that I could not have done this without my husband and son. We rely heavily on each other and working with family can have its own issues, too, but at the end of the day that ’s where it ’s at.” Along with one other very important asset. “Here’s what else I found – you need really good shoes.”

For more information, visit picnikinspatiocafe.com.


http://picnikinspatiocafe.com

http://picnikinspatiocafe.com


Fête du CuvéeBest of the Best in Food and Wine on March 3By Dawn Robinette

A .new event dots the San Antonio landscape this spring, and it’s one that food and wine enthusiasts don’t want to miss: the Junior

League of San Antonio’s Fête du Cuvée Fine Wine Auction.

The name, Fête du Cuvée is a play on the term “tête de cuvée,” which means the top of the line from any Champagne house. The event is a celebration of the best of the best and features exclusive lots and unique offerings for wine connoisseurs, such as large-format bottles, libraries and allotment wines. The live and silent auctions will include one-of-a-kind offerings and fabulous wine-related experiences.

The evening will be highlighted by cuisine and wine pairings from select San Antonio chefs, including Jeffrey Balfour, executive chef, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk; John Brand, executive chef, Ostra at

Mokara Hotel & Spa and Las Canarias at Omni La Mansión del Rio; Ernesto Estrada, chef de cuisine, Francesca’s at Sunset; and James Moore, executive chef, Max’s Wine Dive. The intimate evening also will include two additional chefs. A quick glimpse at the “best of the best”:

Born and raised in Galveston, Jeffery Balfour developed a love for his native cuisine and the freshest ingredients. Under his direction, Citrus Restaurant has become known as one of San Antonio’s most innovative fine -dining restaurants. Balfour took first place at this year ’s Paella Challenge, where chefs from around the country competed for the title. He also has received one of the culinary world’s top honors, being chosen to showcase his talents at the James Beard House in New York.



Photo Credits

Page 58 (L-R)

Jeffrey Balfour – CitrusPhoto by Greg Harrison

John Brand – Las Canarias / OstraPhoto by Greg Harrison

(L-R)

Ernesto Estrada – Francesca’s at SunsetPhoto by Al Rendon

James Moore – Max’s Wine DiveCourtesy Max’s Wine Dive

Raised on a farm in the Midwest, John Brand developed a knack for tending animals and nurturing a garden at a young age. His hands-on experience cultivated a passion for locally sourced, fresh ingredients that he applies to both Ostra and Las Canarias. Brand’s vision for Las Canarias includes a broader variety of Hill Country game meats and incorporates vibrant, regional ingredients, including Native American greens and products such as quinoa that were once prevalent in the South Texas region.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Ernie Estrada has always had a passion for cooking, thanks to growing up in Abuelita’s kitchen. He works with ingredients that arouse his culinary curiosities. Through the “farm-to-table experience,” Estrada works with local farmers and ranchers to have the best seasonal ingredients available, using the best of what South Texas has to offer to create signature dishes for Francesca’s at Sunset.

An Alamo Heights High School graduate, James Moore’s travels from Texas to California to Tuscany have influenced his approach to foods. Inspired by everything from foie gras to vodka, he has a passion for food, wine, spirits and good music. Armed with

more than 20 years of restaurant experience, world travel and knowledge of numerous styles of cuisine, as well as an insatiable curiosity, Moore adds a unique spin to the gourmet comfort food menu found at Max’s Wine Dive.

Fête du Cuvée is March 3 at The Bright Shawl. Net proceeds from the event will benefit the community programs and projects of the Junior League of San Antonio. The Junior League works with more than 60 local agencies each year, making it the nonprofit that supports other nonprofits in San Antonio.

To learn more, visit sawineauction.com.

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http://sawineauction.com

60 On The Town | January-February 201160 On The Town | November-December 2011

http://santikos.com


Literary Arts62-68

Literary Arts 62-68

62 On The Town | January-February 201162 On The Town | January-February 2011


ROBERT BONAZZI Poet, Poetry Reviewer and biographer of John Howard GriffinStory and Photo by Jasmina Wellinghoff

I n 1959, a determined white writer from Mansfield, Texas, changed the color of his skin and spent six weeks living like a black man in the segregated

Deep South. His name was John Howard Griffin, and his account of that extraordinary experience was published in 1961 under the title “Black Like Me,” a book that shook up the white establishment and became an international bestseller. Americans, as well as people all around the world, have been reading it ever since.

It ’s the kind of book that changes lives and that certainly turned out to be true for Robert Bonazzi who, as a young journalist involved in civil rights at the University of Houston, interviewed Griffin in 1966 for his fledgling Latitudes literary magazine. Despite an age difference of more than 20 years, the two men became friends and intellectual colleagues, which ultimately led to Bonazzi becoming Griffin’s literary executor and later biographer. A few years after Griffin’s death, he married the author’s widow, Elizabeth, with whom he edited and oversaw the publication of Griffin’s other works. The biography “Man in the Mirror: John Howard Griffin and the Story of ‘Black Like Me’” was published in 1997 by Orbis Books.

Though his life seems intertwined with Griffin’s legacy, Bonazzi is a respected poet in his own right with five poetry collections to his name and a sixth one, “The Scribbling Cure,” due soon from Pecan Grove Press. Naomi Shihab Nye called him “a legendary figure in Texas letters.” He currently writes a poetry column for the San Antonio Express-News and is hard at work on a book of literary criticism focusing on 12 Texas writers.

But with a new edition of “Black Like Me” (also referred to as BLM below) issued by San Antonio-based Wings Press in 2011, together with other Griffin titles, Bonazzi is back in the public eye, discussing Griffin’s life and work. We talked to him in his cozy San Antonio studio where huge black-and-white photos of Griffin and Elizabeth hang just behind his computer. Below are excerpts from our long and interesting conversation.

JW: When did you first read “Black Like Me” and what was your reaction to it?

RB: That was in 1962-63 while I was in college, a year or two after it came out. I was involved with the NAACP on campus and was interested in

Book Talk:



the issues facing what was still then a segregated society in Houston. I had grown up in segregated schools but at the University of Houston there was no segregation. In fact, it was very integrated and that was an enlightening experience. So reading the book was a part of that new experience. At the time I was reading a lot of sophisticated black thinkers and writers. But it was the unique perspective of “Black Like Me” -- a white man disguised as a black man; I love that double perspective – that made the book so effective. Griffin had done something that none of us would have even thought of doing.

JW: In a recent panel discussion sponsored by Wings Press and Gemini Ink, you said that so many people have told you over the years that “Black Like Me” changed their lives. Did they explain further?

RB: Ninety-nine percent of those have been white people who had not been aware of their own inculcated racism until they read the book. It opened their eyes to the kind of prejudices the white population ingested from the culture at large without even realizing it. In BLM, Griffin calls attention to his own unconscious racism that he had to face. That makes readers face theirs. To me, that’s the most extraordinary thing about Griffin’s undertaking. It’s not that he thought of it or that it was a very dangerous thing to do at the time, but that he faces his own racism and realizes that emotionally he is not liberated at all. Intellectually he was, but not emotionally.

JW: Griffin reportedly disliked being asked why he did what he did. Yet, it seems like a legitimate question. Why did he object to it?

RB: First of all, he did not believe that we can fully understand our own motives. And oftentimes he felt that it was a pointed question, like, ‘Why in hell would you, a white, privileged middle-class man, do something like that? Was it some sort of joke?’ Part of the problem was that people who asked that question were either pushing their own agenda or were totally clueless. If you read the book, you had a good idea why he might have done it. So what he used to tell them was, “I don’t want my children to grow up to be nasty little racists.”

JW: Apparently, that was not what really motivated him.

RB: His real motivation was spiritual, a religious commitment. He viewed all of humanity the same. That sounds warm and fuzzy when you say it but when you act it out, it ’s quite another thing. It ’s interesting, however, that when black students asked that question – later on, students who were too young to remember segregation – they would ask (sincerely wondering), “Why in the world would you want to be black when you didn’t have to be?” Intellectually, I think that he felt that white people wouldn’t be able to deny what he experienced (because he was white). Again, there was that blindness. They (whites) were not reading black writers; they didn’t want to know (how African Americans were forced to live).

JW: Griffin eventually became a sought-after lecturer and advocate for civil rights. How to you see BLM and his work in general in relation to the civil rights movement?

RB: BLM, as well as his lectures afterwards for 10 years, as well as all the other books he wrote about racism, all this work was very significant to the white community which was the community that needed to be penetrated. He lectured mostly to white students, which is what Dr. Martin Luther King had asked him to do. So I think his overall work was very, very significant for the civil rights movement. But he was a reluctant activist at first. He had written novels earlier in life and he thought he was going to return to writing fiction. But BLM propelled him into activism. The book has never been out of print since 1961; it ’s been translated into 16 languages! On the other hand, hardly anyone remembers his novels. Though I think he was a very good novelist.

JW: You must have been busy during this 50th anniversary year.

RB: Yes, there have been dozens of interviews, from the U.K., from France, from all over the U.S. You can find a list of articles based on interviews with me on the Wings Press website. In addition, there were radio interviews. And the most frequent question was, “Is ‘Black Like Me’ still relevant and why?” I tell them, “It’s relevant because it’s an historical



document that beautifully gives you an inside look at the segregation era in the Deep South. And secondly, it’s a wonderful read.”

In the last three years, new editions of “Black Like Me” have appeared in Europe (for which Bonazzi served as editor). Though it has its level of excitement, I wish all of this had happened to me when I was in my early 50s rather than now (laughs). (He is 69.)

JW: Why?

RB: Because I would rather talk about other things now.

JW: OK! You are a poet and a poetry critic. Let’s talk about poetry.

RB: I don’t take myself too seriously as a critic. I am more like a sophisticated reader of poetry, and I tend to write about what I think is good. I figure if a book of poetry is of some value, I would like to point that out, if it’s not, I just ignore it… For my Poetic Diversity column for the Express-News, they want me to review books with a Texas connection of some kind – from a Texas author or with the Texas theme. That’s OK. Texas poets are as good as the ones on the East Coast. San Antonio has lots of good ones. If Texas has 20 great poets, 10 of them are in San Antonio. (He later mentions Naomi Shihab Nye, Bryce Milligan, Marian Aitches and Jim LaVilla-Havelin as examples.)

JW: How do you approach the reviewing process?

RB: If I read a book with, say, five or six great poems, I focus on those and I look for a theme based on the best poems and lines. I reread them several times over two or three days. So the ultimate impression grows out of fragmented reading and note-taking. I take my time. I am always looking for fresh and imaginative leaps, something I haven’t read 100 times before.

JW: What appeals to you about poetry?

RB: What I like is the telegraphic, instantaneous communication and insight that you can get from the best poetry. Poetry is a flash of insight. The greatest poems explode your imagination.

JW: What moves you to write a poem?

RB: I don’t begin by thinking “What I am trying to say?” A poem can begin with a line, an image or a metaphor, and then the subconscious goes to work and develops it further. I am more interested to see where this process is going to lead rather than where I can make it go to make my point. I will follow the voice of the poem. Of course, there are revisions afterwards and a lot of conscious work, too.

JW: According to recent announcements, San Antonio will become the first Texas city to have its own poet laureate. The Office of Cultural Affairs is already accepting nominations. Would you like to comment on that?

RB: Strictly as a promotional boost for poetry in San Antonio, it sounds good. But I have no idea what the city ’s standards are or who the judges may be. If it ’s anything like the Poet Laureate of Texas one can expect a great deal of unevenness in the selection. On the other hand, there are more good poets here than in any other Texas city. These opinions (on who deserves the title) are obviously subjective. Poetry resists tangible criteria, like ratings.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •


“Is Black Like Me still relevant and why? -- It’s relevant be-cause it’s a historical docu-ment that beautifully gives you an inside look at the segregation era in the Deep South. And secondly, it’s a wonderful read.”

- Robert Bonazzi


Independent Book Stores: Local Sources for eBooks By Claudia Maceo-Sharp


I ’m guessing that over the holidays someone gave you a device with the potential of reading electronic books. Be it a single-function device, like a Nook,

Sony Reader, a Kindle, one of their permutations, or a tablet or notebook, you now have the mechanical means and opportunity to buy ebooks. With this said, there are choices to be made.

Each vendor of these apparatuses sells electronic books that you can download from their individual websites. Google eBooks, however, can be downloaded onto any device. Local independent bookstores that participate in the electronic book program through the American Booksellers Association, such as The Twig Book Shop, make Google editions available through their websites. Additionally, the ABA’s IndieBound Reader app for Android has just debuted.

Developed by Bluefire Productions, an independent software company in Seattle, IndieBound Reader is available for devices using the Android operating system, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Droid smartphones by Motorola, and soon will be available for iOS devices.

“With the release of IndieBound Reader, independent bookstores are taking another major step forward as players on the digital stage,” said ABA technology director Matt Supko.

“A year after the launch of Google eBooks, indies have become a vital and fast-growing part of the ebook market, thanks to their creativity, marketing savvy, and knack for matching the customer with the best book for them -- print or digital,” Supko said. “The IndieBound Reader app gives independent bookstores a home on the most popular mobile devices, making it easier than ever for customers to shop local when they shop digital.”

Independent bookstores partnered with Google in selling Google eBooks in 2010 because of its open and accessible platform. By doing this, they provided an easy way for customers to discover, read and buy ebooks while supporting local businesses.

The advent of IndiBound Reader also strongly supports the “buy from locals” premise. In addition to these advances in technology, the six largest publishers, which command the lion’s share of titles, electronic or otherwise, have agreed to sell books at the same price through all vendors. So there is every reason to continue to shop with your local independent bookstore.

http://thetwig.com


http://cynthiaclarkphotos.com


Eclectics70-83

Eclectics70-83


Evelyn Crow’s Karilagan Dancers


Asian Festival: Founders look back at 25 Years of TraditionBy James BenavidesPhotography courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

In 2012, the Asian Festival marks its 25th anniversary. The “Year of the Dragon” celebration is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 28, at the Institute of Texan Cultures. Here,

three members of the festival’s steering committee talk about its origins and how it has grown into one of San Antonio’s favorite cultural celebrations.

May LamAsian Festival founder

How did the Asian Festival begin?

Originally, we were at the San Antonio Museum of Art. I gave some “good luck money” -- a Chinese tradition -- to the new Asian wing. When they asked what to do with the money, I said plan a program for children and teach them about the Chinese New Year. Well, 2,000 people showed up.

How did the event grow into such a success?

The Asian Festival is successful because it’s community-based. It’s home-grown and a way for people to feel good about themselves and appreciate other peoples’ culture. We’ve opened the festival to participants from other countries and we’ve become friends. People come back every year to see the friends they’ve made. Also, we’re starting to see second-generation families attend.

The event is also successful thanks to the Institute of Texan Cultures, which has been an excellent partner since the festival moved there in 2000. The ITC is known for cultural celebrations. It’s where the festival should be.

With 25 years of history behind it, what’s in the Asian Festival’s future?

We have a prominent Cambodian living in San Antonio, Ambassador Sichan Siv, who was a United States ambassador to the United Nations. He arrived in the United States as a refugee in the 70s. On a recent trip to Cambodia, Ambassador Siv and his wife met with Cambodian government officials and began a dialog for future collaborations. In the next few years, we hope to bring a Cambodian dance company to perform at the festival. We’ve had wonderful collaborations in the past, with friends from UTSA’s East Asia Institute, who helped bring the Taichung City Da Dun exhibition, the Mei Chiang Dancers of Taiwan and the Japanese Cultural Heritage photo exhibition, which coincided with past festivals. These are the types of relationships we hope to foster, which will give our community new opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures.

Evelyn CrowPresident, Karilagan Philippine Cultural Group

Crow arrived in San Antonio with her family in 1986. She was asked to co-chair the Asian Festival in 1989.

What’s your favorite part of the festival?

When we see everything coming together on the day of the festival, after all the planning in the months before. We witness all the Asian organizations and participating groups working together to offer the community a glimpse of our cultures. It’s like being



in Asia without leaving San Antonio!

What does the Asian Festival mean to you?

Because most of us are immigrants, it is important for us to preserve our heritage, being far away from where we came. It’s critical for our children to know their roots -- where their parents and ancestors began their journey. The Asian Festival provides us a venue to showcase our customs and traditions through our dances, music, costumes, food and exhibits. Even though our origins are different -- language, religion, countries -- we have so many commonalities.

Reneé ParkOwner, Aloha Entertainment

Born and raised in San Antonio, Park credits her father with passing along his Hawaiian heritage and more. In the festival’s formative years, she volunteered to perform the Chinese Lion Dance, a Chinese Ribbon Dance and a Thai folkdance, which she learned from her father. Hawaii is an example of how cultures interact. The observance of the Lunar New Year is one of the traditions that came to the island.

What organization do you represent?

I’m the president of Hula Halau Ohana Elikapeka. The group was established in 1995, but the Asian Festival was the catalyst for the group to form. A lot of our members are second and third generation; there aren’t many from the island anymore. You’ll find that in a lot of organizations today. The festival plays an important part in keeping us connected to our heritage.

What does the Asian Festival mean to you?

When you look into everyone’s history, not so many were willing to come together and share in this way. There have been prejudices and wars between nations and peoples. For them to share their time, experiences and culture with everyone is a great opportunity. It shows that we have put aside our differences, and we can celebrate as a unified community.

The 25th Annual Asian Festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Institute of Texan Cultures. Check TexanCultures.com for the latest news and online ticket orders.


May Lam

Renee Parks

http://TexanCultures.com


http://brauntex.org


Artistic Destination:


New Dali Museum Makes Waves in St.Petersburg, FloridaBy Julie Catalano | Photography courtesy Dali Museum


Maybe it’s the way the Florida sun gleams on the riveting structure rising from the waterfront of St. Petersburg, an architectural wonder with

900 triangular glass panels snaking over the sides. Or maybe it’s what’s inside: the largest collection of Salvador Dali’s work outside of his native Spain, honoring one of history’s most controversial and polarizing artists.

Whatever the reason, the new $36 million Dali Museum is wowing the worlds of art and architecture in its first year. The Michelin Guide ranked it as the top museum in the American South. Attendance reached 200,000 in its first six months (the same number of annual visitors to the old location, also in St. Petersburg). Finally, it landed on AOL Travel’s list of “buildings you have to see before you die.”

Housing more than 2,000 works of the master – 96 oil paintings including seven master works, watercolors, drawings, photographs, films, sculptures, and a massive archive – the building (nicknamed “The Glass Enigma”) was designed by internationally renowned architect Yann Weymouth.

The museum is the culmination of a lifelong passion of the late Cleveland industrialist A. Reynolds Morse and his wife Eleanor, who died in 2010. Their fascination with Dali began after buying Daddy Longlegs of the Evening, Hope! (1940) for $800, as a wedding gift to each other in 1942, and eventually becoming close friends with the artist and his wife/muse, Gala. When the Morses had no more room for their growing collection, the first Dali museum opened in St. Petersburg in 1982, which they also outgrew. At 66,400 square feet, the new museum – double the size of the old one – opened to great fanfare on Jan. 11, 2011 (1-11-11) at 11:11 a.m.

Dali’s spirit of playful imagination, disdain for authority, and a pervasive sense of humor and discovery reign supreme at the museum, where you don’t know where to look first. Take the excellent complimentary tour, where knowledgeable docents start at the third floor collection galleries. Or pick up a free, self-paced audio guide at the ticket desk. Both are indispensable in deciphering Dali’s complex works that often contain hidden images, puzzles, symbols and inside jokes.

Highlights of the priceless collection include:

- The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (1954). Remember Dali’s famous melting clocks

in The Persistence of Memory (1931)? Here they are again almost 20 years later, fragmented in smaller elements with rectangular blocks revealing more imagery and insight into the earlier work. Note: The original 1931 painting is at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, so don’t look for it here.

- You can’t really miss the monumentals, even if you wanted to. The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus (1959) and The Hallucinogenic Toreador (1968-70) are two of the huge master works at the museum. The spectacular Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters Becomes a Portrait of Abraham Lincoln (1976) is one of the last paintings he completed before his health began to fail – Dali died in 1989 – and one you’ll be telling your friends about for years. Note: Some of the monumentals may be on loan to other institutions in 2012.

Leave plenty of time to browse the extensive museum gift shop, replete with melting clock merchandise and other images of Dali’s most famous works. Cafe Gala offers light fare with a Spanish flair, with indoor and outdoor seating and views of the waterfront. Visitors can relax in the Avant-Garden with its mystifying maze of hedges, grotto pond with bridge, and native flora.

From its stunning 75-foot spiral staircase sculpture representing a single strand of DNA, to the continuously running loop of Un Chien Andalou (1929), considered one of the greatest surrealistic films ever made and co-directed by the master himself, the museum will leave you dazed and yes, maybe a little confused. Even if you’re not a fan of the mustachioed master, you can’t help but get caught up in Dali’s world – an irresistible combination of pure genius and sheer madness.

For ticket info, videos, and calendar of events, go to thedali.org.

What you need to know: St. Petersburg is 20 minutes from Tampa International Airport (TPA). The local community hosts monthly programs, classes, seminars, and children’s and senior activities at the museum. Hotels also have gotten into the act: Check out the 2012 three-night “Dali for a Day” package at the Trade Winds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach, with two adult museum admissions, Dali collection merchandise and more. Trolley service runs directly from the hotel to downtown St. Petersburg. For specific dates and rates, go to justletgo.com or call (866) 587-8538.


http://thedali.org

http://justletgo.com


http://www.oncologysa.com/

http://oncologysa.com

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