may/june 2010 issue

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Lisa Wong Brian Strange Ana Montoya Naomi Shihab-Nye Texas Folklife Festival Sebastian Lang-Lessing Cactus Pear Music Festival Plus 14 Additional Articles Lisa Wong Brian Strange Ana Montoya Naomi Shihab-Nye Texas Folklife Festival Sebastian Lang-Lessing Cactus Pear Music Festival Plus 14 Additional Articles ON THE TOWN ON THE TOWN May/June 2010 May/June 2010 Ezine.com Ezine.com

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Welcome to the online home of OnTheTownEzine.com, an electronic magazine highlighting performing, visual and culinary arts, plus information on festivals and celebrations in and around San Antonio. Our May-June 2010 issue features 21 articles and an extensive events calendar. As a reader, you will be informed of shows and concerts, exhibits at area museums and art centers, new restaurants opening in the city, festivals of all kinds and more. San Antonio offers so much to see, so much to do and so much to enjoy. It’s all here. Just flip the pages.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: May/June 2010 Issue

Lisa WongBrian StrangeAna MontoyaNaomi Shihab-NyeTexas Folklife FestivalSebastian Lang-LessingCactus Pear Music Festival Plus 14 Additional Articles

Lisa WongBrian StrangeAna MontoyaNaomi Shihab-NyeTexas Folklife FestivalSebastian Lang-LessingCactus Pear Music Festival Plus 14 Additional Articles

ON THE TOWNON THE TOWNMay/June 2010May/June 2010

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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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FeaturesHigh-Flying Entertainment 10Highlighted Performances in May-June

Sebastian Lang-Lessing 16opens San Antonio Symphony’s 71st season as its new music director

Woodlawn Theatre 20Set to Relive its Glorious Past with a Brilliant Theatrical Future

May-June 2010 Events Calendar 30

Texas Folklife Festival 48Origins of “The Lone Star Party”

Fiesta Noche del Rio 52

Cactus Pear Music Festival’s 5414th Pear-fect Season

A Snapshot of Art and Culture 60

Lisa Wong 74Best of Both Worlds

Brian Strange 82Carrying on the Family Legacy

Janet Holliday and Lainey Berkus 102The CE Group’s Dynamic Duo

Front Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Performing Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Events Calendar Cover Photo: Young Frankenstein / Paul

Kolnik

Festivals & Celebrations Cover Photo: Courtesy Museo

Alameda

Visual Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Culinary Arts Cover Photo: © JinYoung Lee / bigstock-

photo.com

Literary Arts Cover Photo: © 350jb / dreamstime.com

Eclectics Cover Photo: © Natalia Bratslavsky / dreamstime.com

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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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Departments ContributorsGary Albright

James Benavides

Julie Catalano

Cynthia Clark

Lisa Cruz

Thomas Duhon

Chris Dunn

Brantley Ellsworth

Dana Fossett

Peabo Fowler

Sharon Garcia

Vivienne Gautraux

Greg Harrison,staff photographer

Michele Krier

Christian Lair

Kay Lair

Diane Loyd

Claudia Maceo-Sharp

Diana Marin

Marlo Mason-Marie

Susan A. Merkner,copy editor

Marks MooreMikel Allen,graphic designer

Hector Pacheco

Sara Selango

Shannon HuntingtonStandley

Jasmina Wellinghoff

Erin West

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

Box Office: Cinema Tuesdays Celebrates 10 Years 24

More Performing Arts: Raising the Curtain on 26the Upcoming Season

Portfolio: The Art of Ana Montoya 66

More Visual Arts: Spend Some Free Time 70at San Antonio Museums

Pinch Pennies & Dine Well: Got Groupon? 80Sign Up and Save!

More Culinary Arts: Dining Outside of the 86Neighborhood

Book Talk: Noami Shihab Nye 90 Poet, Anthologist, Novelist

More Literary Arts: River Spectacular 94Debuts in May

Artistic Destination: Artists Flock to Charming 98Rockport

Picture This: From the Ground Up – Images 106by Sara Selango

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SA SYMPHONYFP AD

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SA SYMPHONYFP AD

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Performing Arts10-28

Performing Arts10-28

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High-Flying EntertainmentHighlighted Performances in May-June

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High-Flying EntertainmentBy Sara Selango

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E very time I sit down to write an article about the entertainment happenings in San Antonio and the surrounding area, I ask myself the

same question: Where do I begin? There is always too much in the works to cover it all, so I have to pick and choose.

This time, I think I’ll lead off with a one-week run at the Majestic. I’m talking about Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, the musical version of his classic movie by the same name. See it June 8-13 at the venerable showplace on Houston Street and enjoy musical numbers like Transylvania Mania, He Vas My Boyfriend and Puttin’ on the Ritz. It promises to be a great evening of musical theater. At the Majestic in May and June as well are performances by Celtic Woman, The B-52s, Jose Carreras and Loretta Lynn. Check the events calendar that follows in this magazine for specific dates and times.

In addition to the performances mentioned above, the San Antonio Symphony also calls the Majestic home and offers Four Seasons of Buenos Aires on May 1 with concertmaster Ertan Torgul as soloist, Rogers and Hammerstein at the Movies – pops

performances conducted by Ken-David Masur May 14-15, soprano Dawn Upshaw with Cliff Colnot conducting May 21-22, and their season closer Nadja Plays Bruch June 4-5 featuring violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg with Christopher Seaman conducting. After this, the next performance by the symphony will officially open the Sebastian Lang-Lessing era as music director. Meet You New Maestro is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Opera is next on the agenda when San Antonio Opera presents Rigoletto by Guiseppe Verdi at Municipal Auditorium June 18-20.

From Broadway to symphony to opera to country and western, that’s how I roll. The months of May and June bring out the best from this musical genre. Here are a few examples of who’s appearing when and where. Topping the list is George Strait at the Alamodome on May 1. Cory Morrow plays the Whitewater Music Amphitheater in New Braunfels on May 13, the same day Jerry Jeff Walker brings his music to Gruene Hall. Two days later, Joe Ely Band takes the stage at the oldest dancehall in Texas. May 22 has Chris Cagle at Cowboys San Antonio,

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while Asleep at the Wheel takes its turn in Gruene. Brandon Rhyder is up next at County Line BBQ on May 26, followed by Cross Canadian Ragweed at Whitewater on May 29. June is just as good as May with Greg Allman kicking things off at Gruene Hall on June 2, then there’s Pat Green at John T. Floore Country Store on June 4. Miranda Lambert and Wade Bowen appear at Whitewater on June 5, the same place that welcomes Randy Rogers Band on June 11 and 12. Robert Earl Keen makes a stop at John T. Floore Country Store on June 12, while June 25 has Bonnie Bishop at Gruene Hall and Roger Creager at John T. Floore. The night before, in a non-country show on June 24, Three Dog Night performs at Gruene Hall.

Still another form of music comes to the forefront at this time of the year. If you are a fan of folk, take the short drive to Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville for the 39th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival from May 27 – June 13. Choose from eighteen days of music featuring over 100 artists including Terri Hendrix, Indigo Girls, Jimmy LaFavre, Ronny Cox and many, many more. Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow of the legendary folk group Peter, Paul and Mary will also

appear. Yarrow has been a staunch supporter of the festival for decades. Rod Kennedy started it all back in 1972. Today it’s the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America. For more information, including a full schedule of performances, go to their web site at www.kerrville-music.com.

Closer to home, you are invited to experience the tradition and color of Fiesta Noche del Rio at Arneson River Theatre in La Villita. This year marks the 54th season for this iconic San Antonio singing and dancing extravaganza that runs from May 14 to August 14. Gates open for this one on Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm with performances beginning at 8:30pm. Still another major music event that has captured the fancy of locals and visitors alike is the Tejano Conjunto Festival, presented annually by Guadalupe Cultural Center. Jot down May 11-15 on your calendar for fun times at both the Guadalupe and Rosedale Park. The festival turns 29 this year.

The list of things to see continues with a super abundance of great community theater

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presentations. The Cameo Theatre has The Andrews Brothers: The Boogie Woogie Musical hitting the boards from May 7 to June 6, with The National Tour of Bill W. and Dr. Bob up next from June 25 to July 3. Grease is the word at the Woodlawn Theatre from June 11 to July 11. Prior to this, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. is featured May 6-16. Jonathan Larson’s acclaimed musical Rent is being performed through May 30 at the JCC’s Sheldon Velxer Theatre, while Russell Hill Rogers Theatre at San Pedro Playhouse brings The Nerd to the stage from May 21 to June 20. The Overtime Theater has The Life and Death of the Amazing Captain Piledriver on its schedule May 14-June 6 and R.U.R – Rossum’s Universal Robots on stage June 18-July 10. This is the tip of the community theater iceberg. Check the listings section for a much broader look.

Please allow me to conclude with more of my favorite upcoming shows starting with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, a must-see at Jo Long Theatre on May 7, followed by The Hunt Family on May 15 at the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre in New Braunfels. On May 27 you’ll find me at Pearl Stable for Riverwalk Jazz Public Radio

Live Broadcast Recordings with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and guests Dick Hyman and Catherine Russell. Show times are 5:45 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Star Wars in Concert at the AT&T Center on June 5 is also on my list, as is Lizz Wright at the Carver’s Jo Long on June 12. And of course, I have to see One Night with Elvis at the Josephine on June 18 featuring tribute artist Donny Edwards. Thank you very much.

There you have it, a brief overview of things to come in the high-flying entertainment world of San Antonio and the surrounding area. Get some tickets and go!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Photo Credits:

Pages 10-11

Young FrankensteinPhoto by Paul Kolnik

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Pages 12 (L-R)

Young FrankensteinPhoto by Paul Kolnik

Jose CarrerasCourtesy San Antonio Opera

Dawn UpshawPhoto by Dario Acosta

Page 13 (L-R)

Andrew Lang-LessingCourtesy imgartists.com

George StraitCouresty georgestrait.com

Cory MorrowCourtesy corymorrow.com

Page 14 (L-R)

Miranda LambertCourtesy 360 Artist Management

Hunt FamilyCourtesty huntfamilyfiddlers.com

Lizz WrightCourtesy Carver Community Cultural Center

Page 15 (L-R)

Donny EdwardsCourtesy Josephine Theatre

Nadja Salerno-SonnenbergCourtesy nadjasalernosonnenberg.com

Paul Stookey and Peter YarrowCourtesy Kerrville Folk Festival

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This guy rocks” is not a description too many classical music artists can claim, but at the announcement of Sebastian Lang-Lessing as the

music director designate of the San Antonio Symphony, chairman of the symphony’s board of directors and chairman of the symphony’s music director search committee Dennert O. Ware said that was exactly how an audience member described Lang-Lessing during one of his local appearances. Others described his past performances as “simply incomparable.”

These are not terms one throws around lightly, and after just a short time speaking with our newest symphony conductor, one immediately recognizes how he radiates enthusiasm, talent and humility. His resume speaks volumes, though.

Lang-Lessing began his career at the prodigious age of 24 with the Hamburg State Opera, shortly after he was awarded the Ferenc Fricsay prize in Berlin. He is currently the chief conductor and artistic director of the Tasmanian Symphony and leads major orchestras worldwide, including the Orchestre de Paris, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the radio orchestras of Berlin and Frankfurt.

He served as conductor-in-residence at the Deutsche Opera Berlin for eight years before being appointed music director and chief conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy in France for seven years. Under his leadership the Opéra de Nancy was promoted to national status, becoming the Opéra National de Lorraine.

Lang-Lessing made his American debut in Houston and said, “The state of Texas has felt like my American home base, and now I will truly have a home in this great state. From the beginning, I felt an immediate chemistry with

the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony; they are passionate about music and committed to the orchestra’s success.

“San Antonio is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with the charm of a quiet place in the south. The diverse cultural influences make it such an interesting place. It’s a colorful place of contrasts. The more I visit San Antonio and more people I meet, the more I start knowing and loving San Antonio.”

San Antonio is coming to love him, too. At Lang-Lessing’s announcement, Judge Nelson Wolff said, “I think you’ll all agree with me that Sebastian’s selection as music director makes that three-year search process well worth it… I know you speak half a dozen languages, so I’m sure you’ll understand when I say, bienvenidos a San Antonio!”

Lang-Lessing begins his tenure as the symphony’s eighth music director in October after an intense, three-year selection process. A committee of symphony musicians, board members and staff, and San Antonio community members spent many hours combing through more than 200 applicants for the position, narrowing the search down to 14 applicants who performed over the past three seasons.

A key element in deciding who would serve as San Antonio’s next music director focused on a commitment to San Antonio. “Lang-Lessing will be a major presence in the community, conducting the vast majority of subscription concerts, additional special performances throughout the year, and leading the symphony’s education and community outreach activities,” according to a symphony announcement released in February.

In addition, Lang-Lessing and his wife, Britta Funck, will maintain a home in San Antonio, as well as their current

By Lisa CruzPhotography Marks Moore

Sebastian Lang-Lessing opens San Antonio Symphony’s 71st season as its new music director

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residence in Berlin. Lang-Lessing will conduct the opening night of the San Antonio Symphony’s season Oct. 2 in a special gala performance and, later in the season, will lead the orchestra in special performances featuring piano superstar Lang Lang. The symphony also plans a special Tchaikovsky festival that Lang-Lessing will conduct this season, which the symphony intends to develop into an annual event to spotlight a new composer each year.

Lang-Lessing explained that one of his goals is to attract a new audience to the symphony,

while maintaining the highest standards of excellence longtime supporters and concert-goers have come to expect.

“My hope is that people walk away from a concert with the sensation of a very unique

event, as no concert is like another, even when we repeat it,” he said. “There will stay this feeling of having been on an intense journey. Only music can let you experience the most diverse and contrasting emotions in a very short time. You reach a different level of awareness and sensitivity.”

Describing the unique experience of a conductor, Lang-Lessing explained how some concerts can take hours for him to emerge from after the music ends, because it is such a moving experience.

During the 10-minute mini-concert introducing Lang-Lessing in February, the audience saw him dance across the podium as he conducted Les Toréadors, Prélude and Aragonaise and Danse bohème. One of the more animated conductors, he uses his whole body to guide the orchestra, creating a sound that one person described as “the best I’ve ever heard the symphony sound.”

Lang-Lessing began his musical career at the age of 4, playing the recorder, but found his musical legs and his dedication with the piano shortly after, he said.

“Around the age of eleven, my wish to become a conductor was very determined and became my main goal in life,” he said. “I discovered the symphonic and operatic repertoire and knew this was my world.”

Lang-Lessing’s world is one he wants to share through music, and when asked what he hopes audiences gain from listening to a live, classical concert, he said, “The first concert is often a lifetime-changing experience.

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There’s the aspect of a live performance and the energy that comes from the stage and this feeling of sharing the experience of an intense emotional journey with the players and the audience. Music reaches you on so many different levels and stimulates every hidden part of your body and soul.”

“Getting to Know Sebastian Lang-Lessing”(Answers in the San Antonio Symphony’s new music director’s own words)

What is your favorite song? German composer, Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs. By the way, the American premiere was in San Antonio.

What is your favorite non-classical style of music? As long it’s authentic, I enjoy all styles of music.

What are you reading now, or what is your favorite book? At the moment Volker Kutscher, “Der stumme Tod” or “The silent death” takes place in Berlin 1930, the end of the silent movie era and is a really brilliant thriller that gives a great idea of the world between the wars. My favourite book, for many reasons is Goethe’s “Wahlverwandtschaften,” (which has been translated to both “Elective Affinities” and “Kindred by Choice.”)

What is your favorite food? Again, as long as it’s authentic, I enjoy all kinds of food.

What is your favorite color?How can you have a favourite color? It all depends on the light....

Where do you like to go on vacation?Nature....mountains, the sea, the lakes, the forest.... Places where humans don’t dominate the power of nature and you have to learn to respect nature.

Have you tried any local restaurants yet?Many... I can say, I have never had a bad meal in San Antonio, and I have had some of my best experiences there.

What other activities do you enjoy outside of being a conductor?Cooking, outdoor activities, reading, museums, theater, meeting people and having a great conversation.

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Fire on the Bayou and Peter Pan are two recent reasons that the storied Woodlawn Theatre is red hot and flying high. Granted, the recent investment

in the theatrical flying apparatus does make it hard for the Woodlawn owners to stay grounded in the midst of such excitement, but there’s a lot more than sheer technology to crow about these days.

Although the Woodlawn doesn’t quite date back to the Alamo era, it connects with San Antonio’s Alamo history. Legendary actor John Wayne hosted the premiere of his classic film, The Alamo, at the Woodlawn.

Producer/executive Jonathan Pennington is also the artistic director, and a catalyst for the rebirth and growth of the Woodlawn Theatre’s productions. He started the renovation project as a sole proprietor in the summer of 2006, opening his first musical, in keeping with the rebirth theme, on his birthday, Nov. 3.

Built in 1946 as a sister theater to the Majestic Theatre, the historic Woodlawn Theatre has come full circle and once again is the home of well-honed live entertainment. You can’t get much livelier than High School Musical which helped the Woodlawn cast a spell over San Antonio musical theater lovers several years ago. “We were the first theater in Texas to do HSM 1 and HSM 2 on stage with 95 performances and two months of sold-out shows,” Pennington says proudly.

One young girl who became entranced with the Woodlawn’s NYC Youth Performers had no idea when she enrolled in the program that she would ultimately have a major impact on the future of the historic theater.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, with her parents, feeling the same connection, volunteering to help.

Before long, her father Kurt Wehner, who is a builder, started building and designing sets for shows. His first efforts centered on building replicas from Fleet Street for Sweeney Todd. The experience made Pennington and Wehner realize that a great partnership was under way. Dr. Sherry Wehner, her mother, now heads up the marketing efforts for the theater and organizes the youth theater arts program.

“Our daughter had acted with a variety of theater companies in the past, but she really bonded with Jonathan,” Sherry says. “He has a very creative and special way of working with the company members. He takes the time to be attentive and connect individually, one-on-one with the company. This is his passion, and it comes through in everything he does -- he’s very devoted to his work.”

Having been recruited themselves, the Wehners decided to take their enthusiasm to a new level, becoming partners in the Woodlawn, along with Pennington. “We saw that Jonathan had so much to offer, and we were able to help give the productions a little extra shine. We added a little frosting to the cake,” Sherry says modestly.The three formed Pennington Productions, becoming official business partners this past January. Kurt runs the business side and set design, and Pennington is the creative guru, with Sherry handling marketing.

“I have a team now, it’s the perfect team -- Kurt sees what’s in my mind -- and I see what’s in his. We also have a team of writers on hand who are writing original work while we’re doing mainstream work,” adds Pennington, pointing to several youth productions which will open in May.

“We have been working on separating our youth

Woodlawn Theatre Set to Relive its Glorious Past with a Brilliant Theatrical FutureBy Michele KrierPhotography Cynthia Clark and Hector Pacheco

May-June 2010 | On The Town 21L-R: Kurt Wehner, Sherry Wehner and Jonathan Pennington

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productions and our main stage plays this year,” Sherry says, pointing out that the youth program employs talented teachers who work with the students in all aspects of the art of musical theater. “This really is a great opportunity for children who are interested in training for musical theater.”

At the helm of the fast-paced company, Pennington says, “We have a show almost every weekend -- there’s very little down time. We have more than 100 students in the NYC Youth Performers. And we don’t only focus on the show, but also on education, voice, dancing skills and terminology of the stage -- they learn all aspects of the theater.”

“Our goal is to continue to grow our audiences and devoted following by keeping our productions at the highest possible level and offering the best performances for the community at affordable prices,” Sherry says.

Musicals are the future for the Woodlawn, but Pennington, who is at work on a hip-hop opera and also writing music for several shows off Broadway, says he also sees the company tapping into a few experimental productions in the next year or two. “We want to be diverse, have family shows, as well as shows for adults such as Avenue Q.”

Plans for the future will continue the Woodlawn’s strengths. “We want to maintain the excellent growth we’ve experienced with our main stage plays, as well as broaden our youth program,” Sherry says.

The success of Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan have created great awareness of the Woodlawn.

“You have to fight for the arts -- stand strong! We are not funded by grants -- we’ve been funded on ticket sales. Our audiences support this. There are great signs of a long future here for us,” Pennington says.

A glimpse of future offerings from the Pennington Productions partnership includes Alice in Wonderland Jr. - NYC Youth Performers (May 6-16); Grease (June 11-July 11), which will feature a female lead straight from London’s West End; Footloose; The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with Annie during the holiday season. Rent, Fame and Miss Saigon are on the schedule, and several other major productions are under consideration.

22 On The Town | May-June 2010 L-R: Jonathan Pennington, Sherry Wehner and Kurt Wehner

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Cinema TuesdaysCelebrates 10 YearsBy Peabo Fowler

Ten years ago, the DVD was still in the early stages of public adoption, the Bijou Cinema Bistro hadn’t yet opened, and the Alamo

Drafthouse’s only location was in Austin. In other words, classic movies and independent pictures were hard to find, both on video and on the silver screen. As a movie lover himself, Texas Public Radio’s Nathan Cone saw an opportunity and, with a colleague at the station, pitched the idea of a summer film series to the fundraising and development staff at TPR.

The idea was to fill the summer months with real, 35mm prints of independent, foreign and classic films on the big screen.

“That first month, in June, 2001, we screened the David Gordon Green film George Washington, the classic Italian neo-realist film The Bicycle Thief, Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, and a documentary about cinematography, Visions of Light,” Cone remembers. “We had to turn people away, which surprised me! But I guess San Antonio was thirsty for an alternative to the summer blockbuster.”

For the first three years, AMC Huebner Oaks hosted Texas Public Radio’s Cinema Tuesdays series. In 2004, the annual event moved to the Santikos Bijou, which features in-theater dining.

This year’s Cinema Tuesdays series opens June 1 with what many consider to be the best James Bond film of all time, Goldfinger. Other highlights of the summer series include The Godfather on June 29, Rock Hudson and Doris Day in Pillow Talk on Aug. 17, and Akira

Kurosawa’s take on Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” Ran, on Aug. 31.

Over the years, the Cinema Tuesdays series has shifted its focus to emphasize classic foreign and Hollywood fare, but Cone always makes room for something new each year. This year, besides the Oscar-nominated short films, Cone has scheduled The Girl on the Train on July 6, a French drama about a woman who lies about being the victim of a hate crime. The full Cinema Tuesdays lineup is online at www.tpr.org/cinema, but Cone says he’s always trying to add more to the series. Select dates include cartoons or two-reel comedies before the feature presentation.

The Cinema Tuesdays series is open to the public. Texas Public Radio suggests a $10 donation for each screening for TPR members, or a suggested $12 donation for non-members. Proceeds benefit Texas Public Radio -- KPAC 88.3 FM, KSTX 89.1 FM and KTXI 90.1 FM. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Bijou each Tuesday during June, July and August. For more information, visit www.tpr.org, or call 800-622-8977. The series is made possible by Americus Diamond Jewelry and Stevens Lighting.

Photo Credits:

Box Office:

24 On The Town | May-June 2010

Top Left: Marlon Brando and James Cann in The Godfather

Top Right:Sean Connery in Goldfinger

Bottom Left: Doris Day and Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk

Bottom Right: Scene from Ran

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26 On The Town | May-June 201026 On The Town | January-February 2010

Blue StarFP Ad

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PAPerforming Arts

Season 2010-2011 is shaping up to be spectacular. Jersey Boys and the beginning of the Sebastian Lang-Lessing era as music director of the San

Antonio Symphony top the bill, followed closely by the appearance of Lang Lang and the return of Wicked.

San Antonio Symphony has announced twelve classical concerts for the upcoming season along with two weekends of a Tchaikovky Festival. Meet Your New Maestro, Lang-Lessing’s first official concert with the symphony on October 2, and Lang Lang’s performance on January 12 are special “above and beyond” the regular season classical offerings. Six pops concerts are scheduled to round out what promises to be a great year. For all the specifics, visit sasymphony.org.

Broadway Across America has a nine-show package set to take the stage at the Majestic in 2010-2011. The aforementioned Jersey Boys and Wicked are joined by Cirque Dreams Illumination, 9 to 5, A Tuna Christmas, Legally Blonde: The Musical, West Side Story and Rock of Ages. The ninth show is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, a replacement for 101 Dalmations whose national tour was cancelled prior to its scheduled appearance in San

Antonio last season. For performance dates and much more information, go to broadwayacrossamerica.com and click on San Antonio.

San Antonio Chamber Music Society has already an-nounced its five-performance year which includes Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Amani Winds, Cypress String Quartet, Quatuor Ysaye and Lafayette String Quartet.

In New Braunfels, Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre cele-brates ten years of live performances this coming season. Patrons can look forward to Pat Hazell’s The Wonder Bread Years, Celtic Blaze, Jim Witter’s Piano Men (Billy Joel and Elton John), the Off-Broadway musical Greetings from Yorkville and four additional performances.

We can expect season announcements in the near future from such presenters as Arts San Antonio, Carver Community Cultural Center, San Antonio Opera, Musical Bridges Around the World, Tuesday Music Club, Children’s Fine Arts Series and Kerrville Performing Arts Society, plus the year-long schedules from our community theaters.

Raising the Curtain On the Upcoming SeasonBy Vivienne Gautraux

Left: Lang LangCourtesy camimusic.com

Right: West Side StoryPhoto by Joan Marcus

26 On The Town | May-June 2010

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Events Calendar36-46

Events Calendar30-46

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30 On The Town | May-June 2010

Music NotesGeorge Strait 5/1, Sat @ 5:30pmAlamodome

San Antonio Symphony:Four Seasons of Buenos Aires5/1, Sat @ 8pmJosep Caballe-Domenech, conductorErtan Torgul, violinMajestic Theatre

Gary P. Nunn5/1, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Jason Allen5/1, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

RockBox Theaterin Fredericksburg5/1-6/27, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 4:30pm & 8pmSun @ 1:30pm(Thursdays 6/17-8/12@ 7pm)

San Antonio Rose Live5/1- 6/28, Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 2pm & 7:30pmSun & Mon @ 7:30pmAztec Theatre

Symphony of the Hills: Nancy Zhou, violin5/2, Sun @ 2:30pmDr. Jay Dunnahoo, conductorKathleen C. Cailloux Theater, Kerrville

Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart5/2, Sun @ 2pm & 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Russian DanceMusical Bridges Around the World Presentation5/2, Sun @ 3pmMatreshki, Russian dance group, Maria Markina, sopranoElena Amirbekyan, piano Kalinka, Russian folk groupMcAllister Auditorium, San Antonio College

SAWS Garden Jazz Party5/2, Sun / 10am-2pmSan Antonio Botanical Garden

Love and Light: A Celebration ofWomen ComposersVoci di Sorelle Presentation5/2, Sun @ 3pmSt. John’s Lutheran Church

San Antonio SymphonyNeighborhood Concert 5/2, Sun @ 4pmJosep Caballe-Domenech, conductorErtan Torgul, violinReagan High School Auditorium

Beethoven BookendsMid Texas Symphony5/2, Sun @ 4pmDavid Mairs, conductorChristian Leotta, pianoJackson Auditorium, Seguin

Aspects of YouthYouth Orchestra of San Antonio Presentation5/2, Sun @ 4pmLaurie Auditorium

Two Tons of SteelCounty Line Music Series5/5, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Brandon JenkinsKJ-97 & Texas Music MagazineThursday Night Music Series5/6, Thu @ 7pm (gates open)Whitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Ryan Beaver5/7, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Two Tons of Steel5/8, Sat @ 7:30pm (doors open)Kendalia Halle

Bob Schneider5/8, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Nick Lawrence5/8, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

Sunday Jazz at the Witte:Three Divas – Joan Carroll, Katchie Cartwright and Bett Butler5/9, Sun / 4-7pmWitte Museum

Olmos Ensemble: One of San Antonio’s Finest!Christopher Guzman, piano5/11, Tue @ 7:30pmFirst Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio

Concert 3: TexasSOLI Chamber Ensemble Presentation5/11, Tue @ 7:30pmRuth Taylor Concert Hall,Trinity University5/13, Thu @ 7:30pmBlue Star Contemporary Arts Center

May-June 2010 Events Calendar

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A Day to Remember5/12, Wed @ 6:30pmLonestar Pavilion at Sunset Station

Scott Wiggins BandCounty Line Music Series5/12, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Cory MorrowKJ-97 & Texas Music MagazineThursday Night Music Series5/13, Thu @ 7pm(gates open)Whitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Jerry Jeff Walker5/13, Thu @ 9pmGruene Hall

Jenni Rivera5/14, Fri @ 8pmFreeman Coliseum

The Subdudes5/14, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Bleu Edmondson5/14, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony Pops: Rogers & Hammerstein5/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pmKen-David Masur, conductorMajestic Theatre

The Hunt Family5/15, Sat @ 7:30pmBrauntex Performing Arts Theatre, New Braunfels

Joe Ely Band5/15, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Lil Bit and the Customatics5/15, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

KNBT 92.1 Americana Music Jam5/16, Sun @ All DayGruene Hall

San Antonio Symphony -Youth Orchestra of San Antonio Side-By-Side 5/16, Sun @ 2:30pmLaurie Auditorium, Trinity University

Seven Last WordsSan Antonio Choral Society Presentation5/16, Sun @ 5pmRecital Hall, UTSA Main Campus

Gary P. Nunn5/16, Sun @ 6pmAnhalt Hall, Spring Branch

The B-52s5/16, Sun @ 7pmMajestic Theatre

Deryl DoddCounty Line Music Series5/19, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Angels and Airwaves5/19, Wed @ 7pmLonestar Pavilion at Sunset Station

Stoney LaRueKJ-97 & Texas Music MagazineThursday Night Music Series5/20, Thu @ 7pm(gates open)Whitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Johnny Cooper5/21, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Dawn Upshaw, soprano5/21-22, Fri-Sat @ 8pmCliff Colnott, conductorMajestic Theatre

Chris Cagle5/22, Sat @ 7pm(doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Asleep at the Wheel5/22, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Waltz Across Texas: Lee Brice, 6 Market Blvd.5/22, Sat @ 5pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

La Mafia5/23, Sun @ 7:30pmAlamodome

Brandon RhyderCounty Line Music Series5/26, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Five For Fighting5/26, Wed @ 8pmCharline McCombsEmpire Theatre

Riverwalk Jazz Public Radio Live Broadcast RecordingsJim Cullum Jazz Band withDick Hyman and Catherine Russell5/27, ThursdayBroadcast 1 @ 5:45pmBroadcast 2 @ 8:00pm Broadcast 3 @ 9:45pm Pearl Stable at Pearl Brewery

Black Crowes5/28, Fri @ 7pmWhitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Josh Abbot Band5/28, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Honeybrowne5/28, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Kyle Bennett Band5/28, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

Jagermeister Music Tour:Korn’s Ballroom Blitz5/29, Sat @ 6pmSunken Gardens Theatre

Cross Canadian Ragweed5/29, Sat @ 7pmWhitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Emory Quinn5/29, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Monte Montgomery5/29, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. FlooreCountry Store

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Spazmatics5/30, Sun @ 7pmWhitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Aaron Watson5/30, Sun @ 8pmGruene Hall

Two Ton Tuesdays:Two Tons of Steel6/1-8/17, Tue @ 8pmGruene Hall

Gary P. NunnCounty Line Music Series6/2, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Greg Allman6/2, Wed @ 8pmGruene Hall

Micky & The Motorcars6/4, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Pat Green6/4, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Symphony:Nadja Plays Bruch6/4-5, Fri-Sat @ 8pmChristopher Seaman, conductorNadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Violin – Majestic Theatre

Star Wars in Concert6/5, Saturday @ 2pm & 7pmAT&T Center

Miranda Lambert& Wade Bowen6/5, Sat @ 7pmWhitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Wayne Hancock6/5, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Band of HeathensKJ-97 & Texas Music MagazineThursday Night Music Series6/10, Thu @ 7pm (gates open)Whitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Concert Under the Stars6/10, Thu @ 6pm (gates open) show @ 7pmSan Antonio Botanical Garden

Bart Crow Band6/11, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Chayanne6/11, Fri @ 8pmFreeman Coliseum

Eleven Hundred Springs6/11, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Randy Rogers Band:Sake of the Song Festival6/11-12, Fri-Sat @ 4pm (doors open)Whitewater Amphitheater,New Braunfels

Slim Roberts6/12, Sat @ 7:30pm (doors open)Kendalia Halle

Lizz WrightCarver Community Cultural Center Presentation6/12, Sat @ 8pmJo Long Theatre @ Carver Community Cultural Center

Iron Maiden6/12, Sat @ 8pmAT&T Center

Robert Earl Keen6/12, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Sunday Jazz at the Witte:Johnny P and the Wiseguys6/13, Sun / 4-7pmWitte Museum

Seth JamesCounty Line Music Series6/16, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Jose CarrerasSan Antonio Opera Presentation6/17, Thu @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

One Night with Elvis:Elvis Tribute Artist Donny Edwards 6/18, Fri @ 7pmJosephine Theatre

Jason Boland & The Stragglers6/18, Fri @ 7pm (doors open)Cowboys San Antonio

Houston Marchman6/18, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Lil Bit and the Customatics6/18, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Loretta Lynn6/19, Sat @ 7pmMajestic Theatre

Lee Cadena6/19, Sat @ 7:30pmJo Long Theatre @ Carver Community Cultural Center

The BoDeans6/19, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Whiskey Meyers6/19, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

Max StallingCounty Line Music Series6/23, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

Concert Under the Stars6/24, Thu @ 6pm (gates open)show @ 7pmSan Antonio Botanical Garden

Three Dog Night6/24, Thu @ 8pmGruene Hall

Bonnie Bishop6/25, Fri @ 8pmGruene Hall

Roger Creager &Aaron Watson6/25, Fri @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

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Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers6/26, Sat @ 9pmGruene Hall

Texas Renegade6/26, Sat @ 9pmJohn T. Floore Country Store

The TemptationsArts San Antonio Presentation6/27, Sun @ 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

Josh Abbott BandCounty Line Music Series6/30, Wed @ 6:30pmCounty Line BBQ, IH-10

On Stage

Jailbirds5/1, Sat @7:30pmRose Theatre Company

The Happy Couple5/1, Sat @ 8pmThe Overtime Theater @ Blue Star

To Kill a Mockingbird5/1-2, Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pmCircle Arts Theatre,New Braunfels

World on a String5/1-15, Sat @ 7:30pmCameo Theatre’s Zumbro Lounge

Father’s Day5/1-16, Thu-Sat @ 8pm(Dinner @ 6:30pm)Sun @ 3pm (lunch @ 1:30pm)S.T.A.G.E – Spotlight Theatre & Arts Group, etc., Bulverde

The Dixie Swim Club5/1-29, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (Dinner @ 6:30pm)Harlequin Dinner Theatre

Rent5/1-30, Thu @ 7:30pmSat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pm(No shows on Fridays, and no show on Thursday, 5/20)Sheldon Vexler Theatre

The Andrews Brothers5/1-6/6, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmCameo Theatre

The Sweetest Sounds Gala5/2, Sun @ 6:30pmRussell Hill Rogers TheatreSan Pedro Playhouse

Got’s Ta B Mo Carefool5/8-9, Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 4:30pmJo Long Theatre @ Carver Community Cultural Center

Slasher5/12-30, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmAttic Theatre, Trinity University

Waiting for GodotClassic Theatre and Jump Start Performance Co. Presentation5/13-30, Thu-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 3pmSterling Houston Theatre at Blue Star

ActOne Series Volume XVRenaissance Guild of San Antonio Presentation5/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pmLittle Carver Theatre

Remember Me5/14-29, Thu @ 7:30pmFri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmBoerne Community Theatre

Gang War5/14-29, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmThe Rose Theatre Co.

The Life & Death of the Amazing Captain Piledriver5/14-6/6, Thu-Sat @ 8pmThe Overtime Theater @ Blue Star

Hedwig and the Angry Inch5/21-29, Fri-Sat @ 9:30pmThe Rose Theatre Co.

The Nerd5/21-6/20, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmRussell Hill Rogers TheatreSan Pedro Playhouse

Shakespeare in the Park6/2-5, Wed-Sat @ 6:30pm (gates open)show @ 8pmSan Antonio Botanical Garden

The Sound of MusicPlayhouse 2000 Presentation6/3-19, Thu-Sun @ 7:30pmKathleen C. Cailloux Theater, Kerrville

Young FrankensteinBroadway Across America Presentation6/8-13, Tue-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm & 7:30pmMajestic Theatre

R.U.R. – Rossum’s Universal Robots6/18-7/10, Thu-Sat @ 8pmThe Overtime Theater@Blue Star

God of Hell6/11-26, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmThe Rose Theatre Co.

The Never Ending Story6/11-26, Thu-Sun @ 8:30pmPoint Theatre, Ingram

Grease6/11-7/11, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmSun @ 3pmWoodlawn Theatre

Smokey Joe’s Café6/17-7/24, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (Dinner @ 6:30pm)Harlequin Dinner Theatre

Mourning Dove6/18-7/11, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmCellar TheatreSan Pedro Playhouse

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Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater6/18-7/25, Fri-Sat @ 8pmCameo Theatre’s Zumbro Lounge

The National Tour ofBill W. and Dr. Bob6/25-27, Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 3pm & 7:30pmSun @ 3pm6/29-7/3, Tue @ 7:30pmWed-Thu @ 3pm & 7:30pmFri @ 10pmSat @ 3pm & 10pmCameo Theatre

Shock Puppets Strike Back6/25-7/10, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmThe Rose Theatre Co.

Willy WonkaFredericksburg Theater Company Presentation6/25-7/11, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm, Sun @ 2pmSteve W. Sheperd Theater

At The OperaRigolettoSA Opera Presentation6/18-20, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pmMunicipal Auditorium

The DanceDayton Contemporary Dance CompanyCarver Community Cultural Center Presentation5/7, Fri @ 8pmJo Long Theatre @The Carver

Off CenterBallet San Antonio Presentation5/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pmJo Long Theatre @ Carver Community Cultural Center

Fiesta de Vernao5/22 & 29, Sat @ 7pmGuadalupe Theater

Generaciones: Teo Morca, Timo Lozano6/26-27, Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2pmJo Long Theatre @ CarverCommunity Cultural Center

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36 On The Town | May-June 2010

StandupTom Cotter5/1-2, Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm, Sun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Paul Bond5/1-2, Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmSun @ 8:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Bill Santiago5/5-9, Wed-Thu& Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Mike Burton5/5-9, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Rich Vos5/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Billy D. Washington5/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Cristela Alonzo5/19-20, Wed-Thu @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Mike Epps5/21-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmSun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

RC Smith5/19-23, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Ben Creed5/26-30, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Ralph Harris5/28-30, Fri-Sun @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Pablo Francisco6/4-6, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmSun @ 8pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Danny Browning6/2-6, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Kyle Dunnigan6/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Tracey McDonald6/9-13, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

Bobby Slayton6/17-20, Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Tom Rhodes6/23-27, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pmFri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pmLaugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jesse Joyce6/30-7/4, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pmFri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pmRivercenter Comedy Club

For The KidsAlice in Wonderland, Jr.5/6-16, Thu-Fri @ 7:30pmSat & Sun @ 2:30pm & 7:30pmWoodlawn Theatre

Darwin the DinosaurChildren’s Fine Arts Series Presentation5/11, Tue @ 6:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

When Animals Were People Children’s Fine Arts Series Presentation5/14, Fri @ 6:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

Willy Wonka Kids5/16-25, Sun-Tue @ 6:30pmCellar Theatre – San Pedro Playhouse

Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr.5/30 & 6/1-2, Sun @ 6:30pmTue-Wed @ 6:30pmCellar Theatre – San Pedro Playhouse

St. George and the Dragon Children’s Fine Arts Series Presentation6/18, Fri @ 6:30pmCharline McCombs Empire Theatre

How I Became a Pirate5/1-6/12, Tue-Thu @ 9:45am & 11:30amFri @ 9:45am, 11:30am & 7pmSat @ 2pmMagik Theatre

Snow White & The Seven Amigos6/30-8/7, Wed @ 10:30amFri @ 7pmMagik Theatre

Miscellaneous

Karl Rove5/6, Thu @ 7:30pmLaurie Auditorium

Valero Texas Open5/10-16TPC San Antonio

Bellator - MixedMartial Arts5/27, Thu @ 6pmMajestic Theatre

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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Zing Zang Zoom6/16-20, Wed-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 3:30pm & 7:30pmSun @ 2pmAlamodome

Top Rank Boxing6/26, Sat @ 6:30pmAlamodome

Taste of CIA Cookbooks: Baking at Home – The Desserts5/15, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Instituteof America at Pearl Brewery

Taste of CIA Cookbooks: CIA Favorites6/12, Sat / 9:30am-2:30pmCulinary Institute of America at Pearl Brewery

On Exhibit

ARTPACE

Hudson (Show)RoomAlejandro Cesarco: IndexThru 5/2

Window WorksDavid Zamora Casas: PicanteThru 5/9

Hudson (Show)Room On The Road: Robert Adams,Ant Farm, John BaldessariWalker Evans, Robbert Flick, Mary Heilmann, Roger Kuntz, Danny Lyon, Catherine Opie, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed RuschaStephen Shore, Alexis Smith, Kon Trubkovich, Andy Warhol5/13-9/5

Window WorksKen Little5/13-9/19

BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER

Amalgamations 25: 28 Artists for 25 Great YearsThru 5/15

Random Elements featuring ARTsmart studentscurated by Alex Rubio 5/6-15

Red Dot 20105/27. Thu / 7-11pm

It’s RiggedKyle Olson6/3-8/15

GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Mas Rudas Collective:Operation Canis FamiliarisThru 6/4

INSTITUTO CULTURAL de MEXICO

The Architecture of Tatiana Bilboa, 2004-10Thru 6/20

McNAY ART MUSEUM

An Impressionist Sensibility:The Halff CollectionThru 5/9

TruthBeauty: Pictorialismand the Photograph as Art, 1845-1945Thru 5/9

Impressionist Graphics at the McNayThru 5/16

Jasper Johns at the McNay:Past and PresentThru 6/13

Terra Incognita:Dulac’s Suite de Paysages5/26-8/29

MUSEO ALAMEDA

Arte en La Charreria: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian CultureThru 5/2

Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-19645/22-8/1

SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

John Henry: Art In The GardenCurated by Bill FitzGibbonThru 6/1

Albert Paley: Art In The GardenCurated by Bill FitzgibbonsThru 9/30

Playhouses & Forts6/26-10/24

SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

Season Three of Seasons of Beauty: Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-two Aspects of Daily LifeThru 7/14

Psychedelic: Optical and Visionary Art since the 1960sThru 8/1

La Gran Lucha: Popular Graphics from Independence through the Mexican RevolutionThru 8/15

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART & CRAFT

Jung Mun: Retracing SensationThru 6/26

Kurt Weiser: Eden RevisitedThru 6/27

Attracted to LightThru 6/27

38 On The Town | May-June 2010

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40 On The Town | May-June 2010

The Tradition of Trabajo Rustico: Fantasies in Cement5/6-30

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

Race: Are We So Different?Thru 5/16

Texas Contemporary Artists Series: Carmen OliverThru 6/20

Small Town TexasThru 6/27

A Salute to Military Flight Thru 7/4

WITTE MUSEUM

Don Yena: Painting the South Texas StoryThru 6/6

Texas Art: A Sense of HistoryThru 8/22

Dinosaurs UnearthedThru 9/6

A Royal GardenThru 9/15

Feathered Fossils: The Latest Dinosaur Discoveries6/12-9/6

Festivals & CelebrationsCinco de Mayo Commemoration5/5, Wed @ 9am Avenida Plaza Guadalupe

First Friday Art Walk5/7 & 6/4, Fri / 6-9pmSouthtown / Blue Star / King William

New World Wine & Food Festival5/9-15(complete calendar of events atwww.nwwff.org)TPC Resort San Antonio and other venues

29th Annual TejanoConjunto Festival5/11-15(complete performance schedule at www.guad alupeculturalarts.org)Guadalupe Cultural Center and Rosedale Park

Soul Food Festival 5/14-15, Fri / 5-11pmSat / 11am-12amMaverick PlazaLa Villita

Fiesta Noche del Rio5/14-8/14, Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm(gates open @ 7pm)Arneson River Theatre

San Antonio Ragtime Festival5/15-16, Sat-Sun11am-5pmMarket Square

2nd Annual Backyard River Bash5/19, Wed @ 7pmSan Antonio Museum of Art

Kerrville Folk Festival5/27-6/13(complete performance schedule atwww.kerrville-music.com) Quiet Valley Ranch nearKerrville

39th Texas Folklife Festival6/11-13(complete calendar of events atwww.texas folklifefestival.org)Institute of Texan Cultures

On Screen

Metropolitan Opera: Armida5/1, Sat @ 12pm5/19, Wed @ 6:30pmCielo Vista 18Fiesta 16 TheatreMcCreeles Mall Cinema

DCI: The Countdown5/13, Thu @ 7:30pmCielo Vista 18Fiesta 16 TheatreMcCreeles Mall Cinema

Orfeo5/20 & 23, Thu @ 7pmSun @ 3pmEmbassy Theatre

Area Performance HighlightsAustin

Simply Sinatrawith Steve Lippia5/1, Sat @ 8pmMichael & Susan Dell Hall at Long Center

Our Town5/1-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmKleberg StageZachary Scott Theatre

The Stanley Clarke Band With Hiromi5/2, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Stomp5/4-9, Tue-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 5pm & 9pmSun @ 3pm & 7pmParamount Theatre

CoppeliaBallet Austin5/7-9, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 9pmMichael & Susan Dell Hall at Long Center

Miro Quartet with Lynn Harrell, cello5/9, Sun @ 4pmBates Recital Hall, University of Texas

A Chorus LineBroadway Across America Presentation5/11-16, Tue-Fri @ 8pmSat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm & 7:30pmBass Hall, University of Texas

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Smucker’s Stars on Ice5/12, Wed @ 7pmCedar Park Center

Carrie Underwood:Play on Tour5/12, Wed @ 7:30pmFrank Irwin Center, University of Texas

Rick Braun & Richard Elliott5/14, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Austin Symphony5/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pmChristopher O’Riley, pianoPeter Bay, conductorMichael & Susan Dell Hall at Long Center

Norm MacDonald5/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:30pmCap City Comedy Club

Paramount Theatre’s 94th & State Theatre’s 74th Anniversary Gala featuringDelbert McClinton5/15, Sat @ 8pmParamount Theatre

Larry Carlton5/21, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Rickey Smiley & Friends5/28, Fri @ 8pmFrank Erwin Center

Barenaked Ladies5/31, Mon @ 8pmBass Hall, University of Texas

Becky’s New Car6/3-7/11, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmWhisenhunt StageZachary Scott Theatre

Craig Chaquico6/4, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Mario Cantone6/5, Sat @ 6pmMichael & Susan Dell Hall at Long Center

Twisted Road:Neil Young Solo6/5, Sat @ 8pmBass Hall, University of Texas

Star Wars in Concert6/6, Sun @ 2pm & 7pmFrank Erwin Center

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Najee6/6, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Menopause: The Musical6/8-11, Tue-Fri @ 8pmMichael & Susan Dell Hall at Long Center

Strunz & Farah6/11, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Pink MartiniAustin SymphonySarah & Ernest Butler Pops6/11-12, Fri-Sat @ 8pmPeter Bay, conductorPalmer Events Center

The Wizard of OzBroadway Across America Presentation6/11-13, Fri @ 8pmSat @ 2pm & 8pmSun @ 2pm & 7:30pmBass Hall, University of Texas

Pamela HartLady Day: A Tribute to Billie Holiday6/13, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Cowboy Junkies6/18, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Rob Schneider6/18-29, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:30pm, Sun @ 8pmCap City Comedy Club

Jose Carreras6/19, Sat @ 8pmBass Hall, Universityof Texas

The Drowsy Chaperone6/24-8/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pmSun @ 2:30pmKleberg StageZachary Scott Theatre

Acoustic Alchemy6/25, Fri @ 7pm & 9:30pmOne World Theatre

Jeff Dunham6/28, Sat @ 8pmFrank Erwin Center

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy6/27, Sun @ 6pm & 8:30pmOne World Theatre

Corpus Christi

Papa Roach5/2, Mon @ 6pmConcrete Street Amphitheater

Carrie Underwood:Play on Tour5/13, Thu @ 7:30pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

Chevelle5/15, Sat @ 7pmConcrete Street Amphitheater

Star Wars in Concert6/3, Thu @ 7pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

Pitbull - Mr. Worldwide’s Carnaval Tour6/9, Wed @ 7pmConcrete Street Amphitheater

The Wizard of Oz6/10, Thu @ 7:30pm Selena Auditorium at American Bank Center

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Jeff Dunham6/27, Sun @ 5pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey:Zing Zang Zoom6/30-7/4, Wed-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 1pm & 5pmSun @ 1pmAmerican Bank Center Arena

HidalgoJenni Rivera5/13, Thu @ 8pmState Farm Arena

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Illuscination5/19-23, Wed-Fri @ 7:30pmSat @ 3:30pm & 7:30pmSun @ 3:30pm American Bank Center Arena

Dwight Yoakam6/6, Sun @ 8pmState Farm Arena

Chayanne6/10, Thu @ 8pmState Farm Arena

Laredo

ESPN Friday Night Fights5/21, Fri @ 8pmLaredo Energy Arena

Jagermeister Music Tour:Korn’s Ballroom Blitz6/1, Tue @ 8pmLaredo Energy Arena

Pitbull - Mr. Worldwide’s Carnaval Tour6/5, Sat @ 9pmLaredo Energy Arena

Photo Credits

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George StraitCourtesy georgestrait.com

Rock Box TheaterCourtesy rockboxtheater.com

Ertan Torgul Courtesy San Antonio Symphony

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Maria MarkinaCourtesy musicalbridges.org

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Joseph Caballe-DomenechCourtesy San Antonio Symphony

Nancy ZhouCourtesy Symphony of the Hills

Celtic WomanCourtesy bookingentertain ment.com

San Antonio Rose Live SingersCourtesy saroselive.com

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Christian LeottaCourtesy christianleotta.com

SOLIPhoto by Kemp Davis

Troy PetersCourtesy Youth Orchestras of San Antonio

Two Tons of SteelCourtesy twotons.com

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Cory MorrowCourtesy corymorrow.com

Ken-David MasurPhoto by Greg Harrison

Dawn UpshawCourtesy imgartists.com

Chris CagleCourtesy chriscagle.com

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Asleep at the WheelCourtesy asleepatthewheel.com

Jim Cullum Riverwalk JazzPhoto by Greg Harrison

Cross Canadian RagweedCourtesy liveatfloores.com

Nadja Salerno-SonnenbergCourtesy nadjasalernoson nenberg.com

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Pat GreenCourtesy liveatfloores.com

ChayanneCourtesy chayanne.com

Randy Rogers BandCourtesy randyrogers band.com

Lizz WrightCourtesy Carver Community Cultural Center

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Jose CarrerasCourtesy josepcarreras.com

Jason Boland and the StragglersCourtesy cowboysdancehall.com

The Andr ews BrothersCourtesy Cameo Theatre

Young FrankensteinPhoto by Paul Kolnik

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RigolettoCourtesy San Antonio Opera

Billy D. WashingtonCourtesy billydwashing ton.com

Casey Arguellas -HeartsychophantCourtesy bluestararts.org

William McGregor Paxton American, 1869-1941The Morning Paper 1913Oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in.

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Jasper JohnsUntitled, 1977Screenprint, Field catalogue 260, ULAE catalogue 186Bequest of Mrs. Jerry Lawson

Albert Paley – Cross CutCourtesty San Antonio Botanical Garden

Kurt Weiser-Eden RevisitedCourtesy Southwest School of Art and Craft

Fiesta Noche del RioCourtesy Alamo Kiwannis Club

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Flaco Jimenez Courtesy Tejano Conjunto Festival

Indigo GirlsCourtesy Kerrville Folk Festival

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Texas Folklife FestivalCourtesy Institute of Texan Cultures

Lynn HarrellCourtesy lynnharrell.com

Carrie UnderwoodCourtesy carrieunder wood.com

Christopher O’RileyCourtesy christopheroriley.com

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Menopause The MusicalCourtesy menopausethemusical.com

Pink MartiniCourtesy pinkmartini.com

Rob SchneiderCourtesy robschneider.com

Dwight YoakamCourtesy dwightyoakum.com

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Festivals & Celebrations50-68

Festivals & Celebrations48-58

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Editor’s note:The Texas Folklife Festival began in 1972 at the Institute of Texan Cultures. The Institute became an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in January 2010, but the relationship between the ITC and the Smithsonian began in 1968. Smithsonian representatives visited

the Institute during HemisFair and invited O.T. Baker to attend the second Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The visit inspired Baker to recreate the festival in San Antonio, celebrating Texas’ diversity and folkways. What follows are Baker’s words, edited from a May 1976 oral history.

Taking Texas to D.C.The Smithsonian had made an effort to create a festival – a folk festival – but we didn’t know much what they meant by folk festival. They asked me if I knew about folklife, and I wasn’t sure if I did or not. They wanted to have people splitting rails and making butter and sausage and doing all of those things that a frontier person had to do in his daily life. Well, surely I knew what folklife was, in fact, I was folklife! I still had corns on my hands from sawing logs or splitting rails or whatever they might be doing.

Well, my job grew a little larger. We were to gather together maybe 150 people doing everything from

Texas Folklife FestivalOrigins of the “Lone Star Party”Edited by James M. BenavidesPhotos Courtesy ITC

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making lye soap to playing the guitar – two mariachi groups, two Cajun groups, one German group.

We carried two truckloads of Texas plants, with about a dozen people showing about six or eight different uses to everything, from burning prickly pear to feed cows, to making tequila, to making jelly from cactus berries.

I suppose the extreme of what happened was to get Alphonse Dugosch, one of the Cajuns at Winnie. Somebody had to get on a mule and ride back in the rice field to get him.

But all got to the Smithsonian in proper time. We were up there in ’68, the real beginning of the big push by the Smithsonian. We were the first state to be highlighted. We actually were there co-sponsoring.

Creating the Texas Folklife FestivalWe learned quite a few things. We got to talking about it, and we could surely have a show in Texas, just with Texas people. Anyway, we got back to Texas, and I had been for many years involved in what I suppose you’d call community development. And I had quite a bit of experience putting things together. So, we came up with the concept of doing a folklife festival.

We decided it would be better if we invited representatives of each group to come together and let them present to themselves and each other, and to the visitor, a kind of picture of what they were like: their likes and dislikes, the type of food that was peculiar to them, the types of songs they grew up singing, the dances they did, the games they played. We wanted people to come and say, “We are like this. This is what we enjoy. Come on in and enjoy it with us!”

I had a group of “British Wives,” I believe they call themselves. First year, I spent quite a bit of time with about 15 of them. They were discussing what they would serve in their booth and one said, “Oh, I say, what do the Americans like?” I broke in right there and I said, “This is not what we’re asking you to do. We want you to serve what the English people like and you invite us to participate with you.”

I went to the Smithsonian four times. Kutztown twice in Pennsylvania. I went to Arkansas once – any place I could to find festivals. I discovered that the principal reason why people go to festivals is to fill their stomachs. This would be followed by music, dancing, contests, games.

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But for the most part, people like to come together and eat together.

So, I said, “I believe we can do this the same way you build a community. You do it one person at a time.” We would select across the state of Texas, on as wide a range as possible, musicians, dancers, or craftspeople, or any type of storytellers. We picked people that were both representative of the area where they lived, also of the ethnic cultural group they were attached to. We wanted to show them that we were different, yet the same. We’re from every place, but we’re still proud to be here as citizens working together as friends.

At this moment, we have from 15 to 20 areas that we’re going to list as festival schools, where you can sit down and learn how to whittle. You can get in a pen with an ax and learn how to chop, or you can learn to cut stained glass and lead it in, you can learn how to use tools in grandpa’s tool shed or you can do maybe a half-dozen other things that maybe you always wanted to know how to do, like make sauerkraut or hominy or wine. We’re going to try to give all the visitors that we can a chance to learn how to do something that maybe they’ve heard talk about but never had the chance.

We don’t claim to be original in everything we’ve done. In fact, we quite frankly admit that we probably would never had a festival had not the Smithsonian invited us. You can’t explain by the written word what it’s like to do certain things. You have to experience these things. That’s more or less what we’re doing.

The 39th Texas Folklife Festival is June 11-13. Festival information and advance tickets are available at TexasFolklifeFestival.org.

Photo Credits:

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Old West sheriff by a vintage stage coach

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(Above) Tom Isaacks prepares a chuck wagon dinner

(Below) Texas Folklife Festival founderO. T. Baker

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(Above) Rondalla Voces Y Guitarras from Brownsville

(Below) Funnel cake

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(Above) A dancer from the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions performs the Fancy Shawl Dance

(Below) Peruvian-style tamale

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F iiesta Noche del Rio, the longest-running out-door musical revue of its kind in the United States, celebrates its 54th season in 2010 with

performances beginning May 14. This professionally produced, fast-paced and colorful extravaganza with

beautifully-costumed dancers and singers has enter-tained more than a million visitors since its inception in 1957. Held at the Arneson River Theatre on the San Antonio River Walk, it features the songs and dances of Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Texas.

Fiesta Noche del Rio54th Season at Arneson River TheatreBy Diana Marin

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Elizabeth Sanchez-Lopez is the director, choreographer and lead singer of Fiesta Noche del Rio. She serves in the role created by the legendary Rosita Fernandez, which allows her to celebrate the history and culture of San Antonio while giving back to the community.

She is joined this year by cast members Andrew Mauricio, lead male singer; and Ernest Antu, dance captain. Also included are Stephen Gueda, Andrew Almano, Steven Moreno, Priscilla Gamboa, Natalie Sonnen, Brittany Leos, and Blanca Mendoza, dancers; Kimberly Gutierrez and Tina Martinez, chorus dancers; and Jennifer Castillo, understudy.

Fiesta Noche del Rio is produced each year by the volunteer-run Alamo Kiwanis Club to raise funds to benefit local children’s charities. Nearly $5 million has been raised to date.

“We are excited about our new season,” reports 2010 chairman Rocky Hoffman. “We have an outstanding new cast and have tightened the show to showcase more of our most popular numbers.”

The Arneson River Theatre gates open at 7 p.m. with performances beginning at 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from May 14 through Aug. 14. For tickets and information, visit www.fiestanochedelrio.com.

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Cactus Pear Music Festival’s 14th Pear-fect SeasonBy Gary Albright

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T he 13th Cactus Pear Music Festival season was what one might expect from a triskaidekapho-bic encounter: the music was great but the

weather was atrocious as it wrapped its 100-plus-degree days around the entirety of the festival.

Artistic director and founder Stephanie Sant’-Ambrogio vowed that CPMF’s 14th season would be a “Pear-fect” one filled with breezy evenings and a cocktail of chamber music programs guaranteed to cool any Texan’s fevered brow. It looks like she has achieved just that—the latter to be sure while we suspend judgment until July on her abilities to prognosticate the weather.

Combing through her “miles” of music Sant’Am-brogio has created another superb season of com-pelling chamber music. Cactus Pear presents four programs over two weeks in San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels. The San Antonio festival concerts—on July 8, 10, 15 and 17—gain a new venue this summer in Coker United Methodist Church, an intimate hall with outstanding sightlines and ample free parking.

The season begins with an anniversary celebration. Restless Romantics: An Ambrosia of Anniversaries showcases the sublime works of Chopin, Barber and Schumann, all of whom celebrate anniversaries in 2010. One of Brahms’ later works with the unusual instrumentation of piano, cello and clarinet adds another candle to this celebration and features virtuoso San Antonio clarinetist Ilya Shterenberg along with Canadian violist, recording artist and irrepressible musician Dave Harding.

The second program, High Notes and Heart Strings, brings back to CPMF baritone Timothy Jones to sing “Four Songs” for piano, baritone and viola by composer Charles Martin Loeffler. Wanting to add some four-hand piano works to the festival for the first time, Sant’Ambrogio invited three superb keyboardists. Audiences were privileged to hear Peter Miyamoto perform last summer. James Winn, in 2008, made his Cactus Pear debut to much admiration and applause. The exciting and much-recorded pianist Judith Lynn Stillman joins CPMF

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Photo Credits: Left: Stephanie Sant’AmbrogioAbove: Fred EdelenBelow: Ilya Shterenberg

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for the first time in the third program. Miyamoto and Winn perform Mozart’s Sonata in F major, K. 497 for piano duet. Mendelssohn’s compelling piano Trio in C minor, Op. 66, completes this heartfelt program.

CPMF’s “pear-fect” season gets its moniker from Program III, Paired to Pear-fection, with its world premiere of San Antonio composer Timothy Kramer’s “Three Pairs Suite,” a sextet commissioned by CPMF in 2009. Program III also includes the rarely heard four-hand piano piece by Satie, Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear—performed by Stillman and Winn—and Dvorak’s driven Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 87. Long-time San Antonio favorite, cellist Fred Edelen travels from Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw to rejoin CPMF, while Russian violinist/violist Dmitri Pogorelov makes his San Antonio debut.

The season finishes with the exquisite Program IV, Baroque Bacchanal. With several of the Bach family featured—C.P.E., J.C., and J.S.—along with French composer Couperin and the Italian Corelli, the artistic director claims “It’s a program to satisfy anyone’s thirst for the elegance of baroque music.” Flutist Stephanie Jutt and harpsichordist Christina Edelen add their ample artistry to this baroque mix.

Sant’Ambrogio, former concertmaster of the San Antonio Symphony for 13 years, is excited to be back to see the festival’s 14th season begin. “We are so pleased with the steadfast support we

have received that the board and I added another educational component to our outreach: a Young Composer Award that pairs—there’s that festival word again—with our full-scholarship program, our Young Artist Program. This is a new competition for area composers, ages 24 or younger, with a $500 cash prize. The composers will write a piece, approximately 6 minutes in length. Once the YAP fellows are chosen, the composers will have only four weeks to create their work for that instrumentation—something of an “extreme” competition.” The enthusiasm for this new educational component is evident in Sant’Ambrogio’s beaming smile. “The winning piece will be performed three times, including on the last San Antonio concert. We are really thrilled by this—and the help we are getting from the professional composers we have worked with on festival commissions—and can’t wait to showcase our young artists and young composer. Season 14 is going to be a great one!”

We don’t doubt her word. Now, let’s see if she’s good at calling the weather. We hope so.

For more information on the Cactus Pear Music Festi-val, visit www.cpmf.us/pages/festivalschedule.htm.

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Photo Credits: L-R: Dave Harding, Christina Edelen, Dmitri Pogorelov, James Winn and Judith Lynn Stillman

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The 2010 Programs

Restless Romantics: An Ambrosia of AnniversariesThursday, July 8, San AntonioCoker United Methodist Church - 7:30 pmChopin: Introduction & Polanaise Brillante,Op.3 for cello and pianoBrahms: Trio in A minor, Op. 114 for piano, cello and clarinetBarber: Despite and Still, Op. 41 Songs for baritone and pianoSchumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op. 47 for piano, violin, viola and celloArtists - Dmitri Atapine, Dave Harding, Timothy Jones, Peter Miyamoto, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, Ilya Shterenberg, James Winn High Notes & Heart StringsSaturday, July 10, San AntonioCoker United Methodist Church - 7:30 pmSunday, July 11, BoerneFirst United Methodist Church - 2 pmLoeffler: Four Songs, Op. 5 for piano, baritone and violaMozart: Sonata in F major, K. 497 for piano duetMendelssohn: Trio in C minor, Op. 66 for piano, violin and celloArtists - Dmitri Atapine, Dave Harding, Timothy Jones, Peter Miyamoto, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio, James Winn

Paired To Pear-Fection Thursday, July 15, San AntonioCoker United Methodist Church - 7:30 pmSatie: Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear (1903) for piano duetKramer: Three Pairs Suite for piano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and percussionDvorak: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 87 (1889) for piano, violin, viola and celloArtists - Fred Edelen, Stephanie Jutt, Dmitri Pogorelov, Sherry Rubins, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio,Ilya Shteren-berg, Judith Lynn Stillman, James Winn Baroque Bacchanel Friday, July 16, New BraunfelsNew Braunfels Presbyterian Church - 7:00 pmSaturday, July 17, San AntonioCoker United Methodist Church - 7:30 pmSunday, July 18, BoerneFirst United Methodist Church - 2 pmCPE Bach: Sonata in C, Wq. 147 for flute, violin and basso continuo Couperin: L’Apotheosis de Corelli for 2 violins and basso continuo JS Bach: Air for violin, flute, viola and bass continuo Corelli: “La Folia” in D minor, Op. 5, No. 12 for flute and basso continuo JC Bach: Quintet in D, Op. 22, No. 1 for flute, 2 vio-lins, cello and harpsichord Artists - Fred Edelen, Christina Edelen, Stephanie Jutt, Dmitri Pogorelov, Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio

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Visual Arts60-72

Visual Arts60-72

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A Snapshot of Art and Culture By Shannon Huntington Standley

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The city is bursting with new exhibitions that come from your own back yard and from around the world, that come in every possible medium,

and range from the beginning of time to the present. Here’s a snapshot:

Dinos rule! That’s right, the Witte Museum’s Dinosaurs Unearthed, which opened March 6, has shattered attendance records with good reason. This exhibition, which is making its Texas debut in San Antonio, has it all. From state-of-the art animatronics, fossils,

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MUSEUM ART-CETNERFP EDITORIAL

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skeletons and a dino dig pit where the visitor can become a paleontologist, this one is a must-see. The good news is it is on view all summer through Sept. 6. While there, be sure to check out the annual Fiesta exhibition on view through Aug. 22. This year’s theme is A Royal Garden, featuring trains from the Order of the Alamo selected by elements found in the garden, including water, flowers, trees and small creatures. Then take a closer look at 19th and early 20th century Texas through Texas Art: A Sense of History, on view through Aug. 22. Get a sense of the people and places of Texas history through the strokes of the brush in this exhibition featuring 61 paintings from the Witte Museum’s world-renowned Texas Art Collection, which depict narratives of Texas history, illustrating the people and places of the Lone Star State.

Jasper Johns at the McNay: Past and Present, on view through June 13, is the first time all of the McNay’s prints by Johns are on public view. Recognized as one of the greatest living American artists, Johns is a masterful printmaker whose works often combine Pop art imagery with brilliant draftsmanship. Included in the exhibition are Decoy and Decoy II, masterpieces of post-1960 American printmaking. Both lithographs are multilayered formally and iconographically. At the center of each composition is a photolithograph of the Ballantine Ale can, one of Johns’ most famous sculptures.

Blue Star Contemporary Art Center’s galleries are full as we head into summer. Opening June 3 and on view through Aug. 15 is an exhibition of student works from the International Sculpture Committee 2009 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award Competition Winners. Works by the 11 winners will be on view, selected from 441 nominations. Also opening June 3 is Fire in the Belly, a student-curated exhibition by Meredith Dean, Dayna De Hoyos and Mark Hogensen, featuring top university students across the city. Don’t miss the limited engagement of ARTsmart MOSAIC Student Exhibition, on view May 6-15 and curated by Alex Rubio, MOSAIC studio manager.

UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures is boasting a few must-sees this spring. The Texas Contemporary Artists Series is currently featuring Carmen Oliver with Celebration, on view through June 20. Combining abstract and representational elements, her new work lyrically pays homage to all women. The artists for the series were chosen by their focus on calling Texas home. Don’t

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MUSEUM ART-CETNERFP EDITORIAL

MUSEUM ART-CETNERFP EDITORIAL

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miss your last chance to see RACE: Are We So Different, on view through May 16. This exhibition encourages visitors to explore the science, history and everyday affect of race and racism in order to understand what race is and what it is not. Small Town Texas, extended to June 27, is a photographic exhibition by Ricardo Romo examining the historic nature of small towns across Texas. Finally, A Salute to Military Flight, on view through July 4, is a three-part exhibition including Military Aviation Comes of Age in San Antonio, Flights of Fancy and San Antonio: Military City USA.

Next up at Artpace is On the Road, May 13 through Sept. 5. This exhibition takes its title from the well-known Jack Kerouac novel and investigates the myth of the American road trip as it started to develop in the 1920s. Featured artists include Robert Adams, Ant Farm, John Baldessari, Walker Evans, Robbert Flick, Mary Heilmann, Roger Kuntz, Danny Lyon, Catherine Opie, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed Ruscha, Stephen Shore, Alexis Smith, Kon Trubkovich and Andy Warhol. The second artist to be featured in Artpace’s year-long WindowWorks tribute to past residents is Ken Little. From May 13 to Sept. 19, Little’s sculptures are on view and explore the symbolic connotations of varying and somewhat unorthodox materials.

The Museo Alameda presents Bittersweet Harvest May 22 through Aug. 10. This moving, bilingual exhibition examines the experiences of bracero workers and their families, providing rich insight into Mexican-American history and useful context to today’s debates on guest worker programs. The exhibition, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) and circulated by SITES, combines recent scholarship, powerful photographs from the 1950s from the Smithsonian‘s collection and audio excerpts from oral histories contributed by former contract workers and their families.

The San Antonio Museum of Art’s funky Psychedelic: Optical and Visionary Art since the 1960s is on view through Aug. 1. Don’t miss this “eye-popping” exhibition documenting the origins and development of a psychedelic aesthetic sensibility in contemporary art from the Op Art of the 1960s to the present day. Season III of Seasons of Beauty: Yoshitoshi’s Thirty-two Aspects of Daily Life is on view through July 4 featuring the works of one of the greatest Japanese woodblock print artists. These particular works are among the greatest artistic achievements by Taiso Yoshitoshi

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(1839-1892). La Gran Lucha: Popular Graphics from the Mexican Revolution, on view through Aug. 15, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the start of the Mexican Revolution by exploring the events of 1910-1920 through the work of a dozen significant graphic artists of the time.

Organized by the Arizona State University Art Museum Ceramics Research Center in Tempe and curated by curator of ceramics Peter Held, the Southwest School of Art and Craft presents Kurt Weiser: Eden Revisited through June 27 at the Russell Hill Rogers Galleries. Also on the Navarro Campus, for a limited engagement May 6-30, is The Tradition of Trabajo Rustico: Fantasies in Cement—a collaboration with the department of art and art history at the University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio Conservation Society, San Antonio Public Library Foundation, City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Alamo Cement Co., and Hare and Hound Press.

On May 8, Bihl Haus Arts presents “Golden Moments,” a mini-symposium on the art of the mural. Mexican art historian Luis Adrián Vargas-Santiago of the University of Texas at Austin will examine contemporary communitarian murals in Chiapas and the United States. Joining him is Ruth Buentello, director of the San Anto Community Mural Program, and San Antonio muralist Adriana Garcia, lead artist for the “Golden Moments” movable mural, which will be unveiled at Bihl Haus Arts after the symposium. Additionally, Drs. Jill Fleuriet of the UTSA department of anthropology and Adelita Cantu of the University of Texas Health Science Center will present the findings of their recent research on the health and healing benefits of participation by the Goldens in the Bihl Haus art program. Accompanying the mural are more than 100 works of art created over the past year by the Goldens, the senior residents of Primrose at Monticello Park Senior Apartments. Temple of the Ancient Guardian of the Sky, an installation by David Zamora Casas, Latino artist and gay-rights activist, will open June 26 and is based upon la sistema de castas (caste paintings) popularized in colonial Mexico.

This is world-class art, by world-renowned artists. This is Texas debuts and Texas origination. This is culture, this is history. This is San Antonio.

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Photo Credits:

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Fred TomaselliDetail of Ripple Trees, 1994, assorted drugs, hemp leaves, saccharin, acrylic, resin on wood panel, 48 x 48 in., Collection of Peter NortonCourtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

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Luke William AchterbergRelativePainted steel, 90 x 168 in., 2009ISC/ International Sculpture Committee 2009 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award Competition Winners’ exhibit.Courtesy Blue Star Contemporary Art Center

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(Above) Texas Contemporary Artist Series: Carmen OliverCelebrationCourtesy Institute of Texan Culture

(Below) Seth EastmanMission San José, 1848-1849Oil on canvas mounted to panelCourtesy Witte Museum

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(Above) Taiso YoshitoshiJapan (1839-1892)Smoky: the appearance ofa housewife of the Kyowaera, 1801-1804 Thirty-TwoAspects of Daily Life, 1888Woodblock print on paper37.6 x 25.7 cm overall paper

Lent by Lenora and WalterF. Brown Photography byPeggy TenisonCourtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

(Below) David Zamora CasasImage CourtesyBihl Haus Arts

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(Above) Alfaro Siqueiros(Mexican, 1896-1974)ZapataLithograph, edition no. 33/50Gift of Gilbert M. Denman2000.16Courtesy San Antonio Museum of Art

(Below) DinosaursUnearthedWitte MuseumPhoto courtesy of American Anthropological Association and Science Museum of Minnesota

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(Above) Jasper Johns7 1968Lithograph, Field catalogue 101, ULAE catalogue 51Gift of the Friends of the McNayCourtesy McNay Art Museum

(Below) Michael VelliquetteBreakthrough, 2007cut card stock and glue on paper48 x 48 in.Collection of Guillermo NicolasSan Antonio Museum of Art

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The Art of Ana MontoyaBy Sharon GarciaPhoto of Ana Montoya by Greg Harrison

Portfolio:

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A s Ana Montoya comes sweeping into a neighborhood café on a recent spring afternoon, all heads turn. The

successful gallery owner, artist and philanthropist is elegant and confident, exuding an unmistakable passion for life that draws people in. That passion is a quality that transcends all aspects of Ana’s life and has helped to establish her reputation as a formidable force in San Antonio’s arts community. From a young age, the Nuevo Laredo native was fascinated by art and “creating things of beauty.” Inspired by a grandmother who loved to draw and a home that was “always filled with music and creativity,” Ana began her own pursuit of artistic expression while still in high school. She began working at Dillard’s in Laredo as a full-time model which led to an early career as a makeup artist. After moving to San Antonio in the mid-’80s, Ana worked for 10 years in the cosmetics industry, as a makeup consultant and stylist for clients such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Chanel. She then decided to expand her “palette” by picking up a brush and trying her hand at painting. She furthered her craft with classes at local art schools. “I loved the brush and the paints and the whole art world,” she says, beaming. “It also makes sense that I enjoy painting women’s faces – it ties together with being a makeup artist and celebrating the beauty of women.” When her son Luis was born, she began hand-painting his furniture, as well as original designs on his T-shirts and clothes. Her designs were so popular, they spawned a custom children’s clothing line for an Alamo Heights boutique. This was just a small glimpse into Ana’s artistic and entrepreneurial future. Then suddenly, Ana’s life took a profound turn when in 1994 she was involved in a near fatal car accident. Nearly two months in intensive care and a year of rehabilitation put her strength and faith to the test. It also gave her an entirely new perspective on her priorities and the importance of pursuing her dreams. “I did a lot of thinking about what I really wanted to be doing with my life, and how lucky I was to be given another chance.”

After recovery, she began painting again, taking

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university-level art classes and became very involved with the San Antonio/ South Texas art scene. “It opened up this whole new road in my life. I was experiencing the passion inside me that had been dormant for so many years,” Ana recalls. After a chance meeting with mixed-media artist Jorge Purón, she was so impressed by his work that she bought one of his pieces and offered to hold a private reception at her home to showcase his work. “It was like magic. I had no idea I was going to enjoy it so much. I knew right then what I wanted to do.” Shortly thereafter, AnArte Gallery opened its doors in January 2000. It was the realization of a dream that had been growing for quite some time. “The gallery just bloomed,” Ana says. “Artists started talking to other artists, and it took off from there.” AnArte Gallery tried out a few other locations before landing at its current home at the Collection at Broadway and Sunset. The gallery specializes in figurative, abstract and expressionist art, primarily by San Antonio and Texas artists, but national and international artists have been hosted as well. Notable artists have included Texas luminaries Lewis Smith, Betty Ward, Steven DaLuz, Bruno Andrade and Yvette Shadrock. International artists have included Austria’s Gabriela Proksch and Mexican painter Maria Ines DeLeon. DaLuz has nothing but the highest praise. “Working with Ana is more like a partnership, in that she truly cares about her artists and is enthusiastic about the work she represents. She’s really savvy at marketing her artists’ work to a wide-ranging audience, and she’s able to connect with people at all levels.” True to Ana’s gracious style and generosity, every show at AnArte Gallery donates a portion of the proceeds to a local nonprofit, in particular those that benefit children, animal welfare and the arts. She also involves her artists in fundraisers and auctions outside of the gallery that benefit local groups. In addition to her other philanthropic endeavors, Ana has actively been involved as a board member of the San Antonio Artists Foundation, Arts San Antonio and San Antonio Opera. Always looking for new opportunities to expand her love of the arts and community involvement, Ana’s newest endeavor, Artekids Workshop, is a series of art

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classes for children ages 4-11 that take place during the summer and school holidays. Each week, the kids learn about a different artist and painting techniques – from Picasso to Frida Kahlo to Andy Warhol. They then have the opportunity to create their own artwork on gallery-quality canvas inspired by that specific artist’s style. Her dream is to eventually expand the program and have courses every weekend “to give more young people exposure to the masters and a chance to explore their own creativity.” While she prefers to focus the spotlight on the talents of others, Ana is an accomplished artist in her own right. Her Bellas series consists of portraits of women done in Ana’s signature style which is strongly influenced by Kirchner and his use of color and mood. The series pays homage to the beauty of all women and conveys the “sense of both innocence and mystery that all women possess.” Bella is indeed an appropriate word to describe this inspiring woman who has shared so much of her own beauty and artistic passion with the San Antonio community. For more information on AnArte Gallery, go to www.anartegallery.com.

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Photo Credits:

Page 66 Ana Montoya Page 67 Top: Bella RebeccaBottom: Bella Klaudia Page 68 Top: Bella FlorBottom: Bella Gigi Page 69 Top: Bella ClaudiaBottom: Bella Sharon

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While doing a bit of internet research re-garding exhibits at various museums in San Antonio, an interesting fact popped

up over and over. It had to do with visiting these marvelous storehouses of culture for free. The Witte, San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum and Museo Alameda offer spans of free admission time every week, while the Institute of Texan Cultures is free with ID at all times to students, faculty and staff of the University of Texas at San Antonio and Alamo Colleges.

Free is the best deal of all-time, but beyond the economics of the situation, the mind-blowing aspect of this is to extrapolate the potential affect compli mentary visits to museums can have on the lives of so many people, especially young folks. By taking advantage of free times at museums, exposure to history and the arts is both figuratively and literally priceless.

At the Witte, admission is free every Tuesday from 3-8 pm. Free Tuesdays, as they are known, are generously supported by Bolner’s Fiesta Products, Inc., Frost Bank

Charitable Foundation, Macy’s Foundation, Target and Mrs. Martha Landsman. Exhibits in the main building, the Witte Backyard and the H-E-B Science Treehouse are included at no charge while some special exhibits may carry an additional fee.

San Antonio Museum of Art virtually echoes this time frame with free admission on Tuesdays from 4-9pm courtesy of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. Please note that a surcharge may apply for special exhibitions.

Also every Tuesday, Museo Alameda at Market Square is free to the public from 12-5pm.

The McNay offers free admission on Thursdays from 4-9pm. Another complimentary time comes on the first Sunday of each month from 12-5pm. A fee may apply to special exhibits during these hours.

You can’t put a price on the value of cultural enrichment. In this case, you don’t even have to try. Spend some free time at San Antonio museums, and bring someone with you.

Spend Some Free Time at San Antonio Museums By Erin West

Photo Credits:

(Left): Witte Museum (Right): McNay Art Museum

MoreVA Visual Arts

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Contemporary Art MonthFP Editorial

Lisa WongBest of Both WorldsBy Chris DunnPhotography Greg Harrison

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T here were lots of discussions between my parents about who knew more in the kitchen,” said Lisa Wong, laughing, explaining

that her father, Samuel Wong, of Chinese descent, “was always a great cook,” having worked for Lisa’s paternal grandfather at his small Chinese American restaurant, Sung Lee, on East Commerce Street in San Antonio.

On the other hand, her mother, Isabel Sanchez Wong, and her abuelita, Mama Luisa, maintained the Mexican traditions of “la familia,” which included preparing many elaborate and memorable family meals. “That tradition keeps everyone involved with everyone’s direction and life’s path,” Wong said.

These two cultures, seemingly worlds apart, gave Wong the tools necessary to succeed in the restaurant business--a strong sense of purpose, an entrepreneurial spirit and a limitless imagination. “My parents taught me to be a contributor,” Wong said. “At a very young age, I was very independent.”

So, at the age of 18, when most young people are searching for the best place to see and be seen, Wong was searching for the best place in San Antonio to open a restaurant.

“I attended small business seminars…I travelled the different neighborhoods trying to find a perfect location,” she said. She also gained invaluable experience working for Nick Garza at La Casita Mexican restaurant.

But by the time she found her dream location on the west side of town, a potential investor had gotten cold feet, and even Garza, her mentor, questioned why she had chosen a part of town “where there is a Mexican restaurant on every corner.”

Undaunted, she turned to her parents for help. After much discussion (i.e., pleading), she managed to persuade them to loan her $7,000, and Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant opened in 1981.

Within a few years, Wong was scouting for more restaurant locations; she was intrigued by the untapped potential of the Southtown-King William district and a small, failing restaurant located on South Alamo Street, called Rosario’s.

“I really liked the quirkiness, I liked the neighborhood even though it wasn’t anything like it is today, and I felt that I could turn it around,” Wong said. “And so, when it became available, I made an offer to the bankruptcy court, and they took it.” She opened Rosario’s for business in May 1992.

It soon became a gathering place for neighborhood residents, local artists, tourists, downtown business people, singles, families--an eclectic crowd drawn together by their mutual love of Rosario’s food and atmosphere. “It happened in a very natural way,” Wong said. “I think I’m very fortunate to be able to bring such a vast group of people from different backgrounds and be able to cohabitate together.” In 1999, Wong moved the restaurant two blocks north to a larger location at the intersection of South Alamo and South St. Mary’s streets, where it remains the focal point and anchor business of the area. Rosario’s has a reverberant, lively atmosphere augmented by a concrete floor and bar (inspired by the original location), vibrant art (specifically painted for the restaurant by Gilbert Duran), neon lights and weekend entertainment.

Rosario’s success subsequently inspired Rosario’s Cantina at the San Antonio International Airport--one of the most successful businesses located there. Wong said the restaurant is in the process of moving to the new Terminal B where it will offer an expanded full-service menu. Also at the airport, Wong is teaming with Host Marriott International to open the R Sala Bebida Botana Bar, which will feature small plates and beverages with a San Antonio flair.

One of Wong’s most avant-garde projects so far has been Ácenar Hotmex/Coolbar--a very cool hot

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spot located next to the Valencia Hotel on Houston Street. Ácenar is like no other Mexican restaurant in San Antonio; the décor has a kitschy, modern vibe inspired by the legendary ’60s New York restaurant La Fonda del Sol, which showcased sleek, low-back chairs by Eames and fabrics designed by Alexander Girard. Her innovative approach is also reflected in the menu, which offers dishes like buttermilk fried oysters on yucca chips, crab tinga tacos and duck chalupas alongside more traditional Tex-Mex fare.

Wong also is developing a new concept for China Latina, located on South Alamo Street near Rosario’s. She said she would like the menu to remain Asian, but possibly feature “noodles, dumplings and Yakitori” (Japanese-inspired skewered and grilled foods).

With all of her restaurants, Wong said the focus is on the food. “At the end of the day,” Wong said, “it has to be the food that pulls people in and then everything else is icing on the cake.” Wong said her father taught her that “the secret of a good cook was having a little bit of imagination, understanding you can marry different flavors together and come up with some wonderful combinations.” She also credits her staff for their contribution to the success of her dishes. “It’s all about your people, and I have a wonderful crew,” she said, adding that the main reason her salsa has been a Readers’ Choice Best Salsa in San Antonio for more than a decade is largely attributable to one of her chefs, Angelica Bustamonte. “She wraps her heart around it each and every day, and she’s been with me for about 15 years. She takes pride in every tomato she roasts and every jalapeno that goes into it.”

In spite of her ever-increasing responsibilities, Wong still finds time to give back thousands of hours (and dollars) to her community through organizations such as the YWCA West Side Branch, the Southtown Urban Main Street Program and the Children’s Shelter of San Antonio.

When asked to share the secret of her success, Wong simply answered, “I always say my gift, and one of the reasons why I think that I have succeeded in this business, is I have universal tastebuds—I understand what my customers expect and want. And I try hard to do that.” And she does it very well.

Page 74 – Lisa Wong(Left) Acenar Executive Chef James Sanchez with Lisa Wong76 On The Town | May-June 201076 On The Town | May-June 2010

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T hey’re everywhere, they’re everywhere! Din-ing discounts are ubiquitous. Restaurants all over the nation are locked in coupon combat

with the winner being you. If you can’t find a way to save on quality cuisine, you just aren’t looking. In previous articles I’ve written about incredible savings from Restaurant.com, Entertainment Book and Enjoy The City, plus I’ve passed along information regarding half-off dining available through television and radio station web sites, restaurant e-club offers, happy hour small plate discounts and other sure-fire methods of preserving your culinary dollar. Now, along comes Groupon.

Groupon means group coupon. Here’s how it works. Go to groupon.com, sign up at no cost and receive one offer a day via email on a Monday-Friday basis. About 25% of the time it’s a restaurant deal. The other three out of four are specials featuring a myriad of stuff from manicures to movies, personal trainers to photo sessions, - well you get the drift. Most dining deals are usually something like pay $10 and get $25 in food from a particular restaurant.

When you buy the offer, you don’t get it until a pre-set amount of deals are sold. Let’s say the service has mandated that 150 must to be purchased before anyone secures confirmation. When the cumulative total hits the magic 150 tipping point (and it will),

the deal is on and you get your Groupon! Check your email a few minutes later and there it is, ready to be printed out and used.

It’s a cool concept and a fabulous way to pinch pennies and dine well. Not only does Groupon list offers for San Antonio, but also for fifty other major cities.

Since becoming a Grouponer, I’ve garnered $35 in gourmet Tex-Mex at El Jarro de Arturo for $15, a $70 dinner at Sazo’s Latin Grill in Marriott Rivercenter for $35 and $50 in tasty fondue at the Melting Pot for $25. In addition, I’ve also purchased $25 of savory stir-fry at Genghis Grill for $10 and three $25 dinners at Houlihans for $10 each. That’s $255 in dining for $115 in dough.

Coming soon to San Antonio is still another online deal-maker called Living Social. In many ways it’s similar to Groupon but without the “group” aspect. With this one, click the buy button and you own it. There’s no waiting for a tip number to be achieved. Austin is currently featured on Living Social along with a dozen other cities. San Antonio is a promised addition in the very near future. Go to www.living social.com to find out more.

Groupon and Living Social - sign up and save!

Got Groupon?Sign Up and Save!By Marlo Mason-Marie

Pinch Pennies & Dine Well:

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I t’s been scarcely four months since the sudden passing of legendary San Antonio caterer Don Strange, and his oldest son Brian, 43, is

sitting in the conference room of the company’s headquarters on Bandera Road discussing his iconic father. Surrounded by oversized pictures of colorful tropical drinks, sumptuous dishes and family photos, the affable, easygoing oldest son of Don and Frances Strange talks about growing up in a business that doesn’t just serve food – it creates an experience.

That passion for entertaining, he says, was his father’s trademark. “He was always the guy who wanted you to have the greatest party in the world,” Brian says. Through the years, thanks to high-profile clients and consistent high quality, the name Don Strange became synonymous with rustic yet stylish events that centered on fun, food and fantasy – creating an atmosphere where people “could relax and know that things are going to be done right. We take care of everything for them.”

But partying is serious business, and it wasn’t a straight line from working as a youngster in the

family business to carrying on the family legacy. After graduating from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, and dipping into sports marketing for a while, Brian Strange decided he wanted to be a rock and roll promoter, with his father’s full support. The path back home was inevitable. “I never really saw myself doing anything but this.”

It’s a good fit. Working with his younger brothers Jason, 38, and Matt, 42, who has since left the business (“I still call him several times a week”), Strange already knew from his itinerant childhood that what looked like a nonstop celebration was actually “very demanding work.” That work ethic originated with grandparents Joe and Edith, who started Strange’s Grocery Store in 1952, which became Strange’s Party House, and eventually the off-site catering business, commissary and warehouse that exist today on the same premises (donstrange.com). The young Strange became well-versed at an early age in “the mechanics of throwing a party. But I wouldn’t call it a blast or a party all the time.”

Still, there are memorable moments: In the late

Brian Strange:Carrying on the Family LegacyBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Greg Harrison

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PortfolioFP Editorial

1980s, a movie crew was at his parents’ famed 125-acre working ranch in Welfare, filming Lost Angels with Donald Sutherland. “On Friday, they crashed a brand-new Chrysler Le Baron in my parents’ pool as part of a scene. The next day, we had a campaign party at the ranch with George H.W. Bush.” He chuckles, remembering the awe of his college buddies at the sight. “They thought I lived a pretty cool lifestyle.”

But Strange insists it’s not, and never has been, about the celebrities – the presidents, movie stars, musicians, heads of state, royalty and business tycoons – that have been on their client list for decades. “It’s the wonderful people that make up our heritage, the people whose homes and ranches you go to and become part of their team, who share a little bit of their lives with you for one evening.”

Strange insists that none of this would be possible without their 50 employees, many of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years. “I have the greatest team,” he enthuses. “The best people in the world. It’s a true family business.”

Family is really Strange’s favorite topic, citing fishing at Rockport and spending time with in-laws in New Mexico as favorite ways to decompress. Singing and songwriting also have played a big part since the mid-’90s, when Strange picked up a guitar for the first time at age 26. After a gentle suggestion by wife Shanan to find a pastime other than golf – one that would fit in more with the demands of a family that welcomed first child Emily, now 16 – Strange took the hint, took up music, and formed Brian Strange and the Strange Brothers (brianstrangemusic.com). “My brothers aren’t in it,” he explains, but his sons Austin, 13, and Jake, 11, are. They play every Wednesday at Waring General Store (steaknite.com), with Austin on harmonica and guitar, and Jake on mandolin. And what does Emily play? “Golf,” he deadpans.

He misses his dad, he says, but remembers the things he learned from him every day. “He was not a big lecturer. He would tell these life stories, and it was only afterwards that you realized you’d been lectured to.” Those lessons included “never say no, and never say never,” Strange says. “My dad was a ‘Go for it!’ kind of guy. That’s the way he wanted it, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

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MoreCA Culinary Arts

A bout a year ago I created a list of 30 restaurants I wanted to visit within the next twelve months that were located in and around San

Antonio. Some were places I had enjoyed in the past and wanted to revisit, and some were establishments I had never graced with my culinary presence. My goal was to dine at each one at least once in that 365-day stretch. In the end, I failed.

Since I ate out so many times over that period, the question in my mind became, why did I fall so miserably short of my intended result? To me, the overriding answer was laziness. Whether most of us realize it or not, we tend to frequent restaurants within a mile or two of our homes the majority of the time. Think about it; how many times have you eaten at the same Mexican food restaurant or the same

Dining Outside of the Neighborhood?

By Brantley EllsworthPhotography Dana Fossett

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Asian restaurant or the same coffee shop or diner in your neighborhood? It’s not that eateries in our own backyard aren’t worthy of patronage (many are very worthy) but rather that our continued dependence on them relates directly to our lethargy. We are a very mobile society with two cars in every garage, yet we won’t go past a scant few miles in search of a great meal. In my opinion, it’s time to break the barrier and branch out in restaurant selection.

For example, I’ve lived here all my life and haven’t been to Little Rhein Steakhouse in La Villita. It opened in 1967 so I’ve had 43 years to make a reservation. I have no excuse; shame on me. I remember going to a business lunch in the early ‘80s at La Margarita Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Market Square, and I haven’t been back since. Recalling that occasion, the food was great and the atmosphere was wonderful, so why have almost three decades passed since I tasted my last bite of their excellent food? Both restaurants were on my list but I still didn’t go. The blame is mine.

I also vowed to once again enjoy outstanding dining

opportunities at Cappy’s, Antler’s Lodge in the Hyatt Hill Country Resort, Zuni Grill, Piatti, Citrus at Hotel Valencia, Azuca Nuevo Latino, Las Canarias at La Mansion del Rio, La Paloma del Rio, Bistro Vatel, Los Patios, Old San Francisco Steak House, Capparelli’s on Main and at so many other quality venues. My vow went unfulfilled.

New places to visit on my list from last year remain as new places for me to visit this year. I didn’t get to Oloroso, Tre Trattoria, Il Sogno Ristorante, Wildfish Seafood Grille, Sazo’s Latin Grill at Marriott Rivercenter and selected others.

So what’s the good news in all of this? Even though I failed in my effort to dine at all 30 restaurants (I actually visited 11), I succeeded in realizing that each of us should endeavor to enjoy what our “entire” city has to offer and to prove that it’s possible to say “bon appetite” and “buen provecho” all over town.

Don’t wait 43 years to make a reservation. Enjoy the great restaurants of San Antonio and the surrounding area now!

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Literary Arts90-96

Literary Arts 90-96

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Naomi Shihab Nye Poet, Anthologist, Novelist Story and Photo by Jasmina Wellinghoff

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Among the literati, Naomi Shihab Nye is so well known that she hardly needs an introduction. The author of nine poetry

collections, a volume of essays, multiple books for children and two novels “for young adults,” she has also established a solid reputation as an editor of poetry anthologies, including her latest, Time You Let Me In, which came out in March. Her own poems were most recently collected in You & Yours, published in 2005 by Boa Editions Ltd.

Born to a German-American mother and a Palestinian father whose love of his homeland and pain of exile exercised a strong influence on her life, Shihab Nye has written a great deal about the Near East and her Arab heritage. She first visited Palestine when the Shihab family moved to Jerusalem for a year when she was 14. As an adult, she has traveled extensively all over the world, and her writing reflects a compassionate understanding of other cultures rarely found elsewhere in American poetry. The need to bring strangers to see each other “up close” and witness each other’s humanity has motivated her to put together anthologies such as This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems From Around the World and The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Painting From the Middle East.

But whether her poems explore far-away lands or the home front, their focus is always on specific human experiences, images and details of life to which her poetic insight eloquently imparts a deeper dimension. Literary critic Donna Seaman wrote that “Nye writes radiant poems of nature and piercing poems of war, always touching base with homey details and radiant portraits of family and neighbors. Nye’s clarion condemnation of prejudice and injustice reminds readers that most Americans have ties to other lands and that all concerns truly are universal.”

A cultural icon in Texas, Shihab-Nye is in demand as a speaker and poetry workshop leader all over the United States and beyond. She is the poetry editor for the Texas Observer and the recipient of many awards, including four Pushcart Prizes, the Lavan Award from

the Academy of American Poets, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award for You & Yours.

We talked to her the day after she returned home from a trip to the Northeast where she spent three days stranded on Block Island waiting out a winter storm.

JW: Tell me about your trip. Were you invited to conduct a poetry workshop?

NSN: I had four different invitations. I worked first in Providence at the Moses Brown School as a visiting poet. It’s an old Quaker school that I love. I was also a speaker for a project called Raise Your Voice which operates in many schools. It encourages students to get involved in issues they care about, such as non-violence. A lot of people came from all over Providence to our event. Then I went to Block Island, 14 miles off the coast, and worked for the Block Island Poetry Project that brings poets together for a weekend workshop. I had a group of 35 people, some of whom came from as far away as Alabama and even Switzerland… That’s where we all got trapped for three extra days because the ferries could not operate. After that, I went to Somers in New York by train to work with students at a junior high school. So, you see, a lot of different groups!

JW: Do you see yourself as a teacher of poetry?

NSN: Some people may say that that’s what my role is but I feel that I am creating an atmosphere for a group of people who love poetry to have an opportunity to write, share and converse.

JW: When you are invited as a speaker, what topics do you usually cover?

NSN: Different topics, including the need for more expression in our lives, the need for personal time spent with language on the page, whether reading or writing. These days, since I am an Arab-American, I am often asked to address political issues such as

Book Talk:

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non-violence and my intense dislike of war. I would say those are the main topics.

JW: Your latest anthology, Time You Let Me In, is a collection of poems by 25 writers under 25. How did this project come about and what about it appealed to you?

NSN: Well, I had already made seven anthologies that are all still in print, I am happy to say. They are used in schools quite a lot. My editor Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow Books asked if I was interested in doing another one and I said “no,” no more anthologies. They are a lot of work. But because she knew I really cared about young writers, she snagged me by saying, “If you had a chance to put 25 young writers in a book, writers who had never been in a book before, would that appeal to you?” And sure enough, I said “yes.” I did not do an open call, however. I would have gotten a thousand submissions and I couldn’t handle that. Instead I asked poetry teachers to recommend the best young poets they knew and considered writers whose work I had read personally. And then I picked what I liked. It was total subjectivity of the anthologist which is the only glory and pleasure you get from that kind of work.

JW: Let’s talk about your own poetry which is, of course, what you are best known for. Why have you chosen poetry as opposed to perhaps more popular writing formats?

NSN: I was just intoxicated by it as a young child. I loved the immediate sense of transport I got, as if I had been transported to a calmer, deeper dimension. And once you discover such a pleasure, it would be very difficult to give it up.

Let me tell you about something that happened years ago when I was still fairly young and just started traveling and doing workshops. A man said to me, “It must be frustrating to be a peddler of poetry in a world that doesn’t much care for it.” And I said to him, “I don’t think of peddlers in a negative way. You are saying that as a criticism of what I do but when I think of a peddler I think of someone who offers something to people, whether thread or milk or cloth. I come from an old-world Middle Eastern tradition where having someone who sells, say, a particular kind of good bread is a very precious thing. And I also don’t agree that the world doesn’t care about poetry. Many, many people do. I don’t care if it’s not (as popular as)

sitcom TV because that’s not my interest. Poets may have fewer readers but we have passionate readers.

JW: Where and when do you write?

NSN: I write at home and when traveling. I write all the time. The experience on Block Island gave me the gift of a poem, for instance. When I saw the unbelievable joy of people returning home (when the ferry service was restored), it reminded me of people who are in exile. My father’s entire life was exile. His family (in Palestine) lost everything. They were kicked out of their house in Jerusalem at gun point. When he came to the United States as a student, he didn’t plan to stay. He was always homesick and in anguish. So I am working on a poem (that contrasts those two experiences).

JW: How did your stay in Palestine affect you?

NSN: It changed me forever. You realize that you won’t be able to look at anything from a single perspective ever again.

JW: Do you feel like you are of two worlds?

NSN: Yes, but I feel that after having lived for a while, you are bound to be of more than one world. But, yes, I do feel close to the Middle East, and I hate that we have come to these days of sorrow, war and stereotypes. I was in Morocco recently, and it was comforting to my heart to be in an Arab country. I had conversations with people there who expressed to me a sense of regret that their country had not done more for the Palestinians. I, too, feel a lot of grief for not doing more. I don’t know what to do. Two years ago, I went to Oman, a fascinating country. I was surprised to discover that Omanis have done more for the Palestinians than any other Arabs. I felt like I wanted to live there. The Palestinian ambassador gave a party for me, and I was given the Palestinian flag. They didn’t see me as an American. I felt so much at home.

I feel lucky that I have so many places on earth that feel like home. Texas is certainly one of them but also the Midwest. It’s good to belong to more than one place.

JW: In your most recent poetry collection, You & Yours, you focus first on personal experience in poems about life in San Antonio and the United States, and in the second part you deal with the “yours” half of

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the title which looks at the fractured life in much of the Middle East. In the poem During a War you refer to the customary way of closing a letter, “best wishes to you and yours,” and then you wonder “where does ‘yours’ end?” So, where does “yours” end?

NSN: I don’t think it ends. If it ends, we are in trouble. We have to belong to each other in this world in more ways than we ever imagined before.

JW: What would you say are the main themes of your poetry?

NSN: I have always been interested in poems that help us know each other better. Also, when I am writing about experiences I had, I try to see them in some context. How does my experience connect to other people’s experiences? Like in the poem called Renovation. Many people experience the inconvenience and bother of home renovation; it’s very disrupting. But it’s nothing like having your house blown up or seized by someone else. When you put it in that context, it’s nothing. That’s why I mix in that piece our little petty home renovation with the experience of the Palestinians.

Or take what happened the other day. I saw how happy Block Islanders were to come home on the ferry after only three days of separation. How about six decades? Or compare it to what Iraqi people are suffering now, being cast to the four winds. Americans should understand that when we are negotiating what we think of as some big war effort that, hey, it might be someone’s neighborhood we are destroying. They shouldn’t buy so easily the pumped-up slogans that get us into wars. Poetry is the opposite of pumped-up slogans.

JW: And that is?

NSN: Poetry describes life. It’s not trying to win anything, it’s not trying to get oil rights or own your land; it just tries to look at human life, respect it and wonder about it, to connect the bits and pieces.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Shihab Nye’s comments have been slightly edited for reasons of clarity and space. The opinions stated in this article are those of Shihab Nye and are published here with that understanding. Her books are available wherever books are sold.

May-June 2010 | On The Town 93

During A War(from “You & Yours” poems by Naomi Shihab Nye)

By Naomi Shihab Nye

Best wishes to you & yours,

he closes the letter.

For a moment I can’t

fold it up again -

where does “yours” end?

Dark eyes pleading

what could we have done

differently?

Your family,

your community,

circle of earth, we did not want,

we tried to stop, we were not heard

by dark eyes who are dying

now. How easily they

would have welcomed us in

for coffee, serving it

in a simple room

with a radiant rug.

Your friends & mine.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

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MoreLA Lit erary Arts

The San Antonio River Foundation’s slogan, “Beautifying our river from north to south” now sends out ripples of beauty through our fair city

and into your home to proudly rest on your coffee table and present to guests and travelers. The book, River Spectacular: Light, Sound, Color and Craft on the San Antonio River, makes its debut in late May. With essays by Wendy Weil Atwell, an art historian and free lance critic, and a forward by publisher Lewis Fisher, the San Antonio River Foundation has captured the stories of our city’s visionaries and the artists who helped realize their visions.

River Spectacular archives the new Museum Reach of the River Walk that extends from El Tropicano Hotel to the turnaround basin at the former historic Pearl Brewery. These two locations merely bookend a collection of projects – stories of dreams, reuse, and renovation as well as new creations, each creation accentuating what it is to be San Antonio for natives and tourists alike.

The San Antonio River currents now flow around and through new and old. Read the behind the scenes stories about each artist and engineer, from concept to actualization. Photographs of the projects display the complexity involved in bringing the Museum Reach into reality.

For the untrained eye as well as the art aficionado, layers of technical and creative genius underlie each project. Twenty-five seven foot long colorful sunfish hang from under a bridge, floating overhead like much larger versions of those that swim in the river directly underneath. Custom-made pigments glow in the dark. Metals are forged to take non- traditional shapes. Rectangular metal panels create an illusion of water and color shifting as passers-by double-take wondering if the apparently solid metal didn’t shimmer and bend.

The old Lone Star Brewery footbridge over which beer barrels once rolled from one building to another finds new life just outside the San Antonio Museum of Art as a pedestrian footbridge. Ceramic tiles bearing images of village life in Mexico created in the 1930 have been restored and reset in a mural along this reach. The locks that transition the Rio Taxis from one height of the river to the other were inspired by river locks in Europe.

Whether you are new to San Antonio or a long-time resident, you’ll enjoy seeing the old and new blend together in River Spectacular.

River Spectacular Debuts in May By Claudia Maceo-Sharp

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Eclectics98-108

Eclectics98-108

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Artists Flock to Charming RockportBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Diane Loyd

Artistic Destination:

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Artists Flock to Charming RockportBy Julie CatalanoPhotography Diane Loyd

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The pelicans are sleeping, the dolphins are leaping, and a new day dawns in Rockport. For the hundreds of resident artists who will soon

be painting, composing, writing, sculpting and shooting – with a camera, of course -- in this idyllic Texas seaside town, it’s yet another day in paradise.

An artistic paradise, that is. While other Texas coastal cities have their own charms, few can claim the signature laid-back appeal that continues to lure artists of every type to this New England-style fishing village, once named a top 10 coastal art colony by Coastal Living magazine.

What draws artists here has almost as many answers as there are artists. For painter and custom-jewelry designer Ruben Sazon, it can be summed up in two words: whooping crane.

Of all the abundant wildlife that Rockport is known for, none is more famous than the endangered whopping crane, which makes its winter home at the nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, drawing thousands of visitors every year to catch a sighting. To hear Sazon tell it, the bird has done nothing short of transforming his work, his art, even his life.

“I tell the history, mythology and the folklore of the crane through my art,” says Sazon, who is also vice president of the Rockport Heritage District Association. “I am an artist but had never really connected to anything. The wildlife is powerful here. I got really inspired by the crane, began to read and research everything I could find, and realized that it goes around the world, connecting east to west.” Sazon designs and creates precious-metal custom jewelry with the crane motif (sazonartjewelry.com). “Artists are always looking for that muse, and I found it here in Rockport.”

Sazon has lots of company, starting with the first artists who sought out Rockport as a haven as far back as the 1800s. Word of the area’s unspoiled beauty quickly spread, and over the years, more artists made the journey to “the charm of the Texas coast.” A fledgling art group was formed, followed by a nonprofit established in 1969 that eventually became the Rockport Art Center, originally housed in the historic Bruhl/O’Connor home. It was later renovated and expanded to include three art galleries, a gift shop and a 10,000-square-foot

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sculpture garden. The center (rockportartcenter.com) serves as the focal point for Rockport’s vibrant arts scene, including Art Educator Days, ArtLink for Kids and the Rockport Film Festival, to name a few.

The highlight of the artistic year is the annual Rockport Arts Festival, one of the largest juried art festivals in the United States. Last year, more than 10,000 visitors viewed the work of 120 artists, strolling the festival grounds and shopping for everything from fine paintings, photography and glasswork to jewelry, metal arts, ceramics and woodwork. This year the festival will be held July 3-4.

“It’s a great party,” says Beverly Trifonidis, Rockport Art Center’s executive director. “The music, food and libations are housed in a large, air-conditioned tent on the grounds, and the art booths are open air so people can see Aransas Bay and our beautiful Blue Wave beach.” There are, she adds, “a dozen art galleries within walking distance of the festival, the Texas Maritime Museum is across the street, and the Rockport Aquarium is only a block away.” A children’s tent features live entertainers, art activities and a “kids-only” gallery/gift shop.

Afterwards, the party may be over, but the art goes on, especially for those creative souls lucky enough to wake up to the first call of birds among the majestic live oaks and stately palm trees.

For former Rockport artist and gallery owner Larry Felder (feldergallery.com), mornings were indeed the most special of times. “I loved the reflections of the old shrimp boats, birds and buildings in the slick morning water when the wind had yet to make waves,” says the award-winning artist who specializes in large oils, adding that he spent many hours “staring into the water of those wonderful harbors near Rockport.” It was an experience, Felder says, he’ll never forget. “I have driven the whole Gulf Coast from the tip of Texas to the tip of the Florida Keys looking for harbors that could compare to the ones near Rockport. From an artist’s viewpoint, none could.”

The 41st annual Rockport Art Festival is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, July 3, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 4.

For more information, visit rockportartcenter.com or call 361-729-5519.

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Janet Holliday and Lainey Berkus:The CE Group’s Dynamic DuoBy Susan A. Merkner Photography Greg Harrison

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The CE Group (the communications and event-management firm formerly known as Clever Endeavors) started in 1990 with one desk, one

telephone, one client – and two dynamic women: Janet Holliday and Lainey Berkus.

Through the years, the San Antonio-based company has expanded from organizing approximately 200 events a year to more than 1,000 annually. The CE Group now has 61 employees housed in 6,000 square feet of “green” space in the Full Goods Building at Pearl.

Those who have worked with Janet and Lainey know them as energetic and enthusiastic entrepreneurs. As president, Janet’s name has become synonymous with many of the city’s premier projects, as well as numerous others throughout Texas and the United States. Her entrepreneurial spirit has launched the company into many areas of event-based marketing. Businesses seek her expertise to create compelling events with her signature style, and they look to her attention to details and strong organizational skills to ensure all projects deliver results. Lainey’s years of public relations experience culmi-nated in her biggest business venture: the partnership with Janet that resulted in the creation of Clever Endeavors 20 years ago. The two continue to share a belief in success without sacrifice, and together they have been able to incorporate the needs of families with the demands of business. This commitment is put into practice every day with the company’s associates, many of whom are balancing their professional and family demands. Never one to stop evolving, Lainey chose to semi-retire from the day-to-day operations of the CE Group three years ago, and now takes pride in watching her partner continue to grow the company to new impressive heights, she says. After stepping down as co-owner, Lainey now uses her creativity, experience and talent to oversee only the public relations division of the company. Her formula for success includes thoroughly examining each business and assessing its customers, competition and the environment in which it operates. She then helps the client define a marketing plan that specifies the actions needed to develop and deliver its products, services and facilities during competitive times.

This spring alone, from March 1 through April 15, the

CE team managed, promoted and produced more than 60 events, including Luminaria Arts Night, with more than 200,000 people in attendance; seven days of NCAA Women’s Final Four events; the grand opening of Morgan’s Wonderland special-needs family park; and the Fiesta Fiesta grand opening celebration (which was rained out.) Attendance at those four major events alone was approximately 275,000. Plus, there was the opening of the Westin Hotel in Austin, many corporate events and the Pearl’s first paella festival.

The CE Group, which has handled venue marketing and sales at Pearl Stable since it opened in 2006, recently announced the creation of Events at Pearl to support the former brewery’s evolution as a destination for public and private events.

Upcoming weeks may be slightly less hectic, but various events will bear the CE Group’s unmistakable stamp. Lemonade Day, which teaches children how to run their own business, is planned for May 2, with an estimated 4,000 lemonade stands expected to operate around the city.

After such a hectic springtime schedule, Janet and Lainey took a brief breather to answer a few questions.

What sets you apart from your competitors?JH: Our total commitment to the relationship with the client. LB: We “listen” to what clients say and want and deliver “accountable” results.

What has been the single greatest achievement of your business career?JH: Staying on the high road and maintaining integrity day in and day out. Success isn’t what we do; it is how we achieve it. LB: Growing a business from two people to 61 and growing a company from two divisions to five divisions. Many new, start-up businesses fail after a few years, for varied reasons. What advice would you give someone who wanted to start a new business; not necessarily in public relations or event planning – any type of business?JH: Pay your dues, work hard, and give to get.LB: Relationships, relationships, relationships.

How has your industry changed in the years since you started?JH: Since 911 and the recession, there is way less

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planning and lead time in designing or crafting an event or communication campaign. Budgets are smaller, so the CE Group has to be more value conscious and cost effective to give clients more with less and yet look like more.LB: The Internet has opened up endless and positive opportunities for marketing efforts. It’s exciting to continually learn new ways to brand and connect with the customer.

How would you describe each other?LB: Janet is truly the architect of event management, and her skill and grace are what makes her the go-to person if you want the job done right and with flair. She accommodates with a smile, and the client knows that everything will be in its right place at the right time if they work with Janet.JH: Lainey takes care of all the basics first. She researches and documents with great enthusiasm. She is quick with creative ideas and has a knack at making partnerships work effectively. The clients trust and

respect Lainey’s hard work and dedication to the job.

In a few words, how would you describe yourself professionally and personally? JH: Humble, grateful, force of nature, high energy, Energizer Bunny, full throttle!LB: Thoughtful, committed, loyal, strategic thinker, dynamic, imaginative, “dot” connector!

Photo Credits:

Page 102: (L-R)Lainey Berkus and Janet Holliday

Page 104:Standing (L-R): Christa Scannell, Janet Holliday, Lainey Berkus and Cassie Hager Seated (L-R): Julie Trevino, David Weir, Maritza Quiroz and Nancy Battram

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Picture This: from the ground up

Courtyard San AntonioRiver Walk

Judson’s Candy Factory

Lofts

Hilton Palacio del Rio

Hotel

Historic Brewhouse

At Pearl

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Picture This: from the ground up

Historic Brewhouse

At Pearl

The Vistana ApartmentBuilding

Tower Life

Building

110BroadwayBuilding

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images by sara selango

Robert E. LeeApartments

The Chapel ofThe Incarnate

Word

AlamedaTheatre

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